You decided to quit drinking, but you had a drink. Or maybe even more than one. Changing your drinking habits isn't easy.
So if you slip up it's important to keep trying, even if you want to give up. Remember, drinking again doesn't mean you failed.
It just means you had a slip-up. Now, a slip-up is not the same as a relapse. Slip-ups are short-lived such as having a drink one night while a relapse is going back to your old ways.
Be kind to yourself. Ask yourself what caused you to slip-up so you can get back on track and prevent a relapse.
Here are 3 ways to manage a slip-up so you can keep moving forward. One. Learn about your triggers. Think about where you were, who you were with, and what you were thinking or feeling before you took a drink. Was it something about your environment? Being around certain people? Feeling lonely or stressed? What could have helped you in that moment? When you see patterns, you can learn to manage your triggers or avoid them altogether. Two. Learn how to manage your cravings. Is there a favorite activity you could do when you're craving a drink? Is there someone you could call for support? Or maybe you could try replacing your favorite drink with a non-alcoholic drink instead. You may even need more help to manage your cravings. If so, consider talking to your doctor about medicines that may help. Three. Spend more time with people who want you to succeed. A good support system includes people who help you meet your goals and will check in with you to see how you're doing. You may be able to find a support group that can help give you the encouragement you need. It can help to keep these things in mind as you move forward so you can recognize patterns and avoid a slip-up. As you change or add to your plan based on what you learn about yourself, remind yourself that you *can* reach your goals, just like many others have. Use what you learned from your slip-up to fine-tune your plan and commit again to your goal. Just keep going. You can do this.