If you have a drinking problem, it can be hard for you to listen to the doctor’s orders to stop drinking before surgery. It is important to ask yourself if it is more important for you to get your daily alcohol fix or to be strong enough for surgery. By following what you have learned in treatment for alcoholism, you are proving to yourself that you consider your health to be a priority.
Know You Are Not Alone
A 2018 study showed that over 40% of Americans drink too much alcohol. Many people are dealing with the perils of alcoholism. If you are used to drinking a lot of alcohol, you may not be able to quit cold turkey without experiencing the uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. It is important to be honest with your doctor about your history with alcohol and what to do going forward before your surgery. This way, your doctor can make a personalized plan for you to stop drinking and be safe about it.
How to Taper Off Alcohol Slowly
If your doctor tells you that it is safer to slowly wean yourself away from alcohol, there are safe options to talk about. You can first try switching to lower-proof beverages. For now, substitute hard liquors for beer or wine or make sure that the hard liquor has a lower alcohol percentage. You can also reduce the amount of alcohol that is in cocktails. They can also be replaced with non-alcoholic drinks to mimic alcohol consumption. Gradually reduce your intake from a day to a week. If you lose your urge to have an alcoholic beverage, quit completely and be mindful of your symptoms.
Drink Water and Eat Healthily
Alcohol should not be a focus to you if you are about to have surgery. Preparing for the surgery should be the priority. Consuming alcohol is a negative habit. Focus on the positive habits that you could do. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Alcohol can cause you to be malnourished because you are drinking empty calories with no nutrition. Live Strong believes in eating foods high in fiber and avoiding fat and sugar. As alcohol leaves your system, you need to keep yourself hydrated with lots of water. Hydration is very important for detox. Before your surgery, be honest about the strength of your alcohol dependency as you go into treatment for a successful surgery and long life.
Located in Georgetown, Texas, Alma Loma is a transformative living center to help those struggling in early recovery to transition out of our Psychiatric and Substance Abuse residential center. Alma Loma believes that addiction is born from an untreated mental illness in which our facility is here to help you. Our facility offers residency, medication management education, individualized treatment, life skills education, 12-step support, and more tools to bring patients the confidence to be able to live an independent life. For more information, please call us at 866-457-3843.
