How do you become a social drinker?

Not drinking for a month will do you good. Your organs will relax, you may sleep better and at least you wake up refreshed. The list of benefits is long. After this month you don't want to go back to the way it used to be. Because that didn't feel good anymore. Many participants hope to become a social (moderate) drinker after their alcohol break. But how do you become a social and/or moderate drinker?

Maybe you drank 3 glasses of wine every day before your alcohol break. Or did you leave the booze for what it was during the week and go wild at the weekend. Anyway, did you think it was time for a break. About 60 percent of the IkPas participants do indeed drink more consciously after an alcohol break. And more than 30 percent still drink less after six months than before their alcohol break. Below you can read tips on how to become a social/moderate drinker.

How to become a social/moderate drinker

If you choose drink less, always choose fewer days (and no less units at a time).

An alcohol-free day is easier to realize than, for example, saying: “I'll stick to these two wines/beers.” That is not crazy. This is due to the characteristics of alcohol.

make a clear agreement with yourself and stick to it. Whatever it costs.

Make your appointment concrete: which days/hours count as a weekend, how much do you drink at most?

Look after a certain time (a month or two months?) back and take your appointment, check for yourself:

Make another appointment for a next period, adjust your appointment if necessary.

If it didn't work: go on to plan B. Plan B could be: fewer days / week yes-week not / month yes-month no / year yes-year. That's up to you.

In short: take a concrete decision and evaluate it.