Dr Oz: Cut Back On Social Drinking
Sometimes you just want to relax with a drink after a long day. Dr Oz said this is great on occasion, but in some cases it can develop into a problem. He had been talking with Melissa, a mom who admitted that her wine consumption is getting out of hand. Interventionist and former addict Kristina Wandzilak was also on hand to share some solutions.
Kristina said one way you can challenge yourself to evaluate your relationship with alcohol is by eliminating it from your environment for 90 days. She said that this can teach you a lot about how alcohol is a part of your life. You may also start to see how much alcohol has become a part of our culture.
Dr Oz: Keep a Drinking Diary
Dr Oz and an interventionist offered ideas that can help people shift their social drinking habits by relying on healthier coping mechanisms instead. (treevillage / flickr)
Kristina said that she has been sober for 21 years, and she wanted to share that because “it’s a gift when we learn how to take care of ourselves without a substance,” which runs counter to the messages ingrained in our culture. These thoughts could apply to other coping tools, such as food or other substances.
The first step in evaluating your situation is to keep a Drinking Diary. Think before each glass about what you are feeling and maybe what you are attempting to avoid feeling. Over time, you will be able to look for patterns in your behavior.
Dr Oz: Replace Wine with Social Interaction
Another idea is to replace one glass of wine per night with social interaction. “If it’s truly Social Drinking, you should be able to make that reality occur,” Dr Oz said.
Kristina’s suggestions included sending an email to a friend, making a phone call to a loved one, or visit a neighbor to say hi and catch up. These are things that anyone can do.
Dr Oz: Replace the Ritual with Tart Cherry Juice
You can also Replace the Ritual by finding some other way to comfort yourself. Dr Oz suggested swapping wine for Tart Cherry Juice, which also contains tannins and Melatonin, which should help with Melissa’s need to sleep. Drinking it out of a wine glass can provide a familiar feeling without the potentially negative effects of chronic alcohol consumption.
Melissa said she wanted to go slow, taking things one step at a time. She said that change is scary, and she has a lot more to think about. She said she does not want to fall into the dark place of alcoholism. Hopefully her story can inspire others as well.
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