• Concerned that you have a problem with alcohol consumption (highlighted perhaps over the holiday season)?
• Have high blood pressure and need to significantly reduce your alcohol consumption?
• Perhaps you have a New Years resolution to reduce or quit alcohol?
• Not fond of the idea of the group approach or religious aspect of Alcoholics Anonymous?

How to Quit Drinking Without AA by Jerry Dorsman will provide you with an abundant set of tools with which you can help achieve those goals, reduce or quit your drinking and feel much healthier and better about yourself.

I did some research into the Alcoholics Anonymous program and read that program’s “Big Book”. Myself being an atheist, I found the religious aspect fundamental to that program was incongruent with my belief system. Further complicating the matter was that I am a person that is relatively shy and uncomfortable about being in face to face groups of people talking about personal topics (or even non-personal topics).

How to Quit Drinking Without AA certainly doesn’t discount Alcoholics Anonymous at all. Indeed it recommends that you give it a try and see how it works for you. Mr Dorsman even suggests that if the first group that you visit doesn’t work well for you, that you try visiting a different group… as dynamics vary from group to group.

Instead of an outright dismissal of the Alcoholics Anonymous system, he balances some of the positives with the negatives and recommends that you experiment and test the waters for yourself.

Should you choose not to proceed without Alcoholics Anonymous, How to Quit Drinking Without AA will provide you with a large chest of tools to help you identify whether you have a problem. It gives you insight into the nature of alcoholism on a biological and mental level, and offers many ideas about planning and carrying out your process of quitting.

The most endearing thing about How to Quit Drinking Without AA is its holistic approach to this issue of alcoholism and the process of quitting. This book doesn’t simply just say “Pick a date. Reduce your consumption up until that date. Tell friends so you are committed. Get rid of all your alcohol”.

Instead it takes an in-depth look into the problem and invites you to explore the many issues that go along with the addiction (such a sugar addiction), as you read. It prompts you to explore the reasons that you drink (and later suggests alternatives to drinking when those reasons arise). It asks you to consider the health issues that you may be experiencing and then gently guides you to question whether they are in a way related to your habit. It shows you the importance of your diet and physical exercise, as well as re-exploring your life and activities now that you will have more free time and energy.

How to Quit Drinking Without AA is a complete self-contained guide to becoming sober and remaining that way. However, How to Quit Drinking doesn’t just stop there; it empowers you with tools that will ensure that you remain sober, improve the quality of your life, and move beyond your addiction.

If you even suspect that you may have an alcohol problem, or know somebody that does, and don’t feel comfortable with Alcoholics Anonymous, then I wholeheartedly recommend picking up a copy of How To Quit Drinking Without AA for an effective step by step guide to get healthy and regaining control of your life.More information about Jerry Dorsman and How to Quit Drinking Without AA can be found at his website: www.self-renewal.com.

Many attempts to quit either smoking or alcohol are destined to travel along rocky roads in part because we don’t think to replace our previous smoking and drinking habits with other activities that will assist us in diverting our focus from what we are trying to stop doing.

Instead we remain relatively inactive during the times when we would have been otherwise engaged in the habits we are trying to quit. That is, we sit stewing in our own sweat, struggling as our minds revolve around thoughts of how much we miss/want/need what we are trying to give up.

This behavior contributes to our chances of finally cracking under the pressure of our minds worming around justifying why it would be ok to have just one more smoke or drink.

There is however a tool that assists us in combating our mind at its own game and that tool is simply a process of diverting its attention. The theory here being that if we can engage our minds in some other activity or pursuit, it will have much less time to focus on what we don’t want it to.

How do we engage our minds?

We already know the answer to that. Do you recall situations where you were so caught up in something that before you knew it, it was really late? The time just seemed to have flown by? It was probably something that you enjoyed a great deal, something that you are very passionate about, something that was pleasurable. Such things serve as great ways to engage our minds and get them almost completely distracted. Before you know it you’ll have gone several hours without even thinking about a smoke or a drink.

But such activities are not always accessible. That doesn’t mean that we need to despair the rest of time. There are a whole slew of things we can do that are available to each and every one of us. Think about your interests, your hobbies, sports, work and other activities. Remember those things that you like to do, and do them. Think of new things that you would like to try and do them.

Below is a, by no means exhaustive, list of examples to get your mind thinking about some activities and interests that you can pursue instead of sitting around biting your nails hoping that the cravings will go away.

• Involve yourself in a sport such as football, hockey, soccer, ten-pin bowling, racquetball, tennis, etc.
• Take up hobbies such as gardening, jewelry making, knitting, woodworking, collecting, etc.
• Work on your artistic talents such as drawing, painting, photography, music, etc.
• Play board games, card games, and computer games.
• Read books that you’ve really enjoyed in the past or new ones that really interest you.
• Exercise. Get on a treadmill. Go for a walk, jog or ride around your neighborhood or the local park. Go to the gym. Beat the life out of a punching bag.
• Watch your all time favorite movies, or go out and watch new ones that grab your attention.
• Go out with friends and family and do things together (but be sure to avoid those that will want to smoke or drink).
• Write the next great American novel.
• Work around your house fixing all those little problems that you’ve been putting off.
• Immerse yourself in work.

That’s just a sample to get you thinking about things that you could be doing. You know yourself better than anyone else, and you know what you enjoy or are likely to enjoy. So stop sitting there. Think of some things to do and go do them. Not only will it help keep your mind off smoking and drinking, by the very fact that you are doing something you enjoy, you’ll also become a more interesting person and you’ll start enjoying life again.