It starts innocently enough, often in good fun. As time passes, you find yourself taking in more and more, unable to stop. When you do start to realize that you have a problem, it's too late. You're hooked. And try as you might to stop, you will keep taking swigs out of one of those engraved flasks, telling yourself: "Just one more drink."

Such is the problem with alcohol abuse. You'll find that giving up the habit is not as easy as setting down those engraved flasks and declaring: "I'm an alcoholic." It takes will power, courage, and determination to successfully give up the drink. There are no pills, no injections to stop it for you. It all has to come from within.

You Don't Have To Go It Alone

Making the decision to give up alcohol is already a monumental step in itself, but the true key to successfully attaining that goal is to follow through with it. It is a gargantuan undertaking, one that very few people can do alone.

As soon as you first admit to yourself that you have a problem with alcoholism, throw out those engraved flasks and seek help. Though family and friends can be your support system, you still need people who will understand what you're going through best, people who once had engraved flasks of their own. Find the nearest Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) group nearest you. The AA has a phenomenal support and counseling track record and has since helped many an alcoholic to finally give up the booze for good.

Fighting Temptation

As soon as you've taken the first few steps to addressing your problem, you're well on your way to living an alcohol-free life. However, you have to admit to yourself that you are still vulnerable to the call of liquor.

While you are still on the process of healing, your best bet is to stay away from places and instances that will make you susceptible to taking that fatal drink once again. Avoid pubs and liquor stores. Stay away from the bar at restaurants and parties at all costs. Learn to say "no". Get rid of the things that are closely reminiscent of your booze binging days, such as engraved flasks, half-open bottles of liquor, and even liquor memorabilia, like caps, t-shirts, and coasters.

By cleaning up your life, you also need to clean up your surroundings, if only to make sure that nothing will deter you from the quest that you have set upon yourself.

Moving Forward

After abstinence and many AA meetings, you're now a new person ? clean, healthy, and alcohol-free. You have to realize that all that you've been through will be wasted if you go on a binge again, so take all the things that you've learned and the things that you've experienced to heart. Don't look back, and by all means, keep saying "no". Remember that the day you walked out of that AA meeting for the last time is the first day of the rest of your life.