I don’t want to stop using or drinking, but how do I cut back?

In the journey of deciding what your relationship with any addiction looks like, we have to decide if moderate or responsible use is possible or if we need to not use to stay well (abstinence).

For many, just stopping drinking or substance use is difficult, so it’s also okay to know that you don’t want to.  Or even be unsure about whether you want to stop using. Everyone has unique goals. While that might not be stopping, it could be cutting back or using in a way that’s more safe.

You may not be ready to fully quit on your substance of choice, but making active choices to cut back is good for your health. And helps you see if you can set boundaries with your using. Remember, everyone is different, and it is important to remember that you need to make changes at your own pace and do what is right for yourself.

Managing your triggers

A good tactic to cut down on substance use is to figure out your triggers. Triggers or activators are things that remind us of uncomfortable past experiences or trauma. Our activators can be people, places, or situations. Usually when we experience discomfort in life we look for ways to cope—that can be healthy or unhealthy (like drinking or substance use). Reflecting on when and how we experience our triggers can help us manage them.

Here are some questions to consider when thinking about activates your need to use or drink:

• What makes you want to drink? 
• Are there settings or situations where you’re more likely to use substances?
• Why do you do drugs? 
• Does drinking or using help you manage feelings like stress or numbing your feelings?

What does cutting back look like? 

Once you’ve identified your triggers/ activators, it’s time to identify your goals. If you don’t want to fully quit, what does it look like to cut back? What is a reasonable amount to use or when?

Think about what you want to accomplish by cutting back, and how you will do it. It’s also important to determine your why or your purpose for setting the goal. Do you want to be healthy? Is this the first step toward recovery? Do you want to be more aware or present for yourself and others? No matter the reason, setting a goal with purpose and intention can help you stay focused on it when you are met with challenges.

Also, remember that you want your goals to be specific. For example, “drinking less,” is not a specific goal. A more specific goal might be to “Reduce my alcohol use to two glasses of wine per week.” Because this goal is more specific, it’s easier for us to measure it and be honest about whether or not we are sticking to it.

Your goals are a personal choice set by you. You do not have to align your goals to anyone else’s expectations or timelines. As you are figuring out what cutting back looks like for you, you get to decide how you would like to go about it.

Keeping track and staying accountable 

There are a variety of ways you can cut back on your drinking or drug use. If you try one method and it doesn’t work for you, you can always try something else.

Here are some tips for cutting back on your substance:

• Create a goal and keep track – sometimes it is easier to see information when it is in number or data form. For two weeks to a month, keep track of how many times you use drugs or drink in a day. This can be digital in a Word document or an Excel sheet, or kept in a private journal. Pay attention to the time of day you choose to use. It may help you decipher if an event or people at school are triggers or it may be your after school or home situation. At the same time, set a goal for how many times you are ‘allowed’ to use a substance, and compare it to your tracker.
• Watch for peer pressure –This may be difficult to do because we are often pressured to use or drink by those around us. Practice polite ways to say no, and stick with friends or people whom you can say no to and there won’t be any push back.
• Try a substance free day. Staying away from a substance for a day or two may make it easier to slowly cut back even more. Also, you may be able to feel a physical or emotional difference on those days where you don’t partake in a substance.
• Stay busy. Go for a walk, take up a hobby, join an after school club, watch a movie, join a sports team, or spend time with family friends. Find any activity that you enjoy to take your mind off of drinking or using drugs, to focus on yourself and self care.
• Have an accountability buddy.  Having a trusted person can help keep you accountable.  They can support you with checking in with yourself and continuing to monitor substance use.

If you try to cut back and it’s not working:

• Ask for help. If you can’t set boundaries and follow them on your own, then it’s a good sign that asking for help may be good for you. Asking for help is also difficult but you may find more positives than negatives if you do. Let people know you are In need of help, and if you’re worried about telling family or friends, maybe turn to a counselor, doctor, or therapist.
• Find local resources. Knowing what local resources are available can help. For example you can find support groups, needle exchange programs, overdose support centers, etc.
• Talk to a professional who specializes in substance use. They can help you think about your goals and the changes you want to make. And help you make sure that these changes are safe. For example, you don’t want to drastically change something like your opioid use and go into withdrawal without support.

Finally, be persistent. Try not to get discouraged if you aren’t able to cut back on your choice of substance on your first attempt. It may even take you up to five attempts before you notice any changes or positivity. Setbacks happen, but if you keep going then they won’t  keep you from achieving your long-term set goals.