It’s difficult to curtail a habit you’ve lived with for a long time—so it might be easier to start with mindful drinking. Because alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous for people who struggle with alcohol addiction, it’s also important that others know so they can keep an eye on any symptoms. Not drinking means that, over time, you give your heart a break from overworking—and you can strengthen it.
Week Two Benefits
“In the first week, I didn’t realize how much energy alcohol was stealing from me, emotionally and physically. Physical symptoms often include headaches, nausea, and sweating. The first 24 hours after stopping alcohol consumption mark the beginning of the detoxification process. Understanding these potential changes helps people prepare for the recovery process and seek appropriate support when needed.
Enjoying alcohol socially in reasonable amounts can boost your mood and help you bond with others. On top of those mostly empty calories, alcohol ramps up your appetite. But that may not be true, or true only for light sippers (less than one drink a day). As such, it can impair balance, judgment, behavior, and reaction time, research shows. According to DaVeiga, this is because alcohol triggers inflammation that can tax your cardiovascular system.Alcohol also contains calories and can contribute to weight gain.
Surprising Things That Happen to Your Body When You Stop Drinking Alcohol
You may experience intense cravings for alcohol, mood swings, and difficulty concentrating. If you have been having withdrawal symptoms, they may peak during this period. Between 48 and 72 hours after your last drink, your body continues to detoxify. It’s essential to stay hydrated during this time, as dehydration can exacerbate these symptoms.
Normalized REM cycles substantially improve sleep quality, contributing to better overall well-being. Digestive health improves as the stomach lining heals, and energy levels stabilize. This timeframe requires careful monitoring for severe complications such as delirium tremens, which commonly occurs 48 hours after stopping alcohol abruptly. I just know I feel better, clearer, and more powerful alcohol-free. I was prescribed a medication that meant I had to stop drinking for a while.
After One Day
As your body undergoes restorative processes during sleep, you will start to feel more energized throughout the day. However, as your body starts to stabilize, you may also experience improved hydration, decreased inflammation, improved digestion, and mood stabilization. Drinking alcohol excessively can increase blood pressure, weaken heart muscles, and increase the risk of heart diseases. After a year of not drinking, the body’s inflammation markers significantly reduce, bolstering your overall health.
- Because alcohol can affect nearly every aspect of our life, abstaining from it can bring numerous benefits to our overall level of health, happiness, and well-being.
- As you approach the 24-hour mark, your body continues to stabilize, and it starts to recover from alcohol’s effects.
- Giving up drinking may let you focus on your relationships, work, and health.
- This can help you avoid much of the unpleasantness that can occur as withdrawal symptoms develop.
- It’s no wonder why alcohol consumption can lead to reduced mood, increased anxiety, and even depression.
Long-Term Benefits of Quitting Alcohol
Alcohol causes a “steady depletion of the vitamins and minerals that our body needs to feel our best,” explains Brooke Scheller, DCN, CNS, doctor of clinical nutrition. That’s because alcohol use disrupts communication in our immune system, the body’s way of safeguarding against viruses and bacteria. “There’s a high correlation between alcohol use disorder and other mental disorders, including depression and anxiety,” McGrath explains. It’s no wonder why alcohol consumption can lead to reduced mood, increased anxiety, and even depression. “Additionally, alcohol impacts the quality of your sleep.”
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Stopping alcohol can reduce many of these risks, potentially adding decades to your life expectancy. Serious alcohol misuse can decrease your lifespan by as much as 28 years compared to those who don’t drink. While any scarring caused by liver inflammation (called cirrhosis) will be permanent, the effects of inflammation itself will be almost completely resolved by week four. After stopping alcohol, inflammation in your liver caused by alcohol will subside. After four weeks of hair growth without the effects of alcohol, your hair may appear fuller and more supple.
You May Feel Irritable, Anxious, or Moody
After the intense physical strain of withdrawal, people will often be fatigued. If physical symptoms last beyond seven days, they will generally be over sometime in the middle of week two. Physical symptoms will be much better by a week after stopping for most people. The peak of withdrawal often occurs after about 48–72 hours after your last drink. If you are struggling with addiction and co-occurring mental health, our expert team is here to guide you every step of the way. As new symptoms develop, they will become more and more intense as withdrawal progresses.
Six Months In: Mental Health Improvements
- And balanced hormones like testosterone and estrogen can naturally lead to an increase in sexual desire and performance.
- Going booze-free can result in some major health benefits.
- According to DaVeiga, this is because alcohol triggers inflammation that can tax your cardiovascular system.Alcohol also contains calories and can contribute to weight gain.
- When you’re drinking heavily on a regular basis, it can overwhelm the liver’s capabilities, causing a cascade of health issues, including liver disease, liver cancer, and acute alcohol-related hepatitis — all of which can be deadly.
- I was prescribed a medication that meant I had to stop drinking for a while.
After a year of not drinking, the body’s inflammation markers are significantly reduced, helping bolster your overall health. Additionally, the liver starts to process carbohydrates more effectively, helping lower blood sugar levels and reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Two weeks after quitting alcohol, many people start to notice a decrease in sugar cravings and some even start experiencing weight loss.
This can create dangerous withdrawal symptoms but will typically fully resolve within two weeks. When you quit alcohol after using it consistently, your body spends about a week to a week and a half adjusting to its absence. Being intentional about the environments you choose to spend time in can significantly support your efforts to reduce alcohol intake. And do your best to avoid or minimize exposure to these triggers—at least while you’re adjusting to a not-drinking period. Recognize situations or environments that may lead you to drink more (like certain friends who like to party or Thursday night karaoke). Plus, improved blood circulation enhances arousal and sensitivity.
Your gut microbiome is full of bacteria (both good and bad) that, when properly balanced, help regulate different processes in the body. Plus, sobriety gift 60+ gift ideas for 2024 alcohol can dehydrate you, contributing to the headaches. Drinking can send your hormones into a frenzy—it impacts our endocrine system, which allows our body to respond appropriately and cope with changes in our environments. Did you know alcohol use can actually make you more prone to getting sick by undermining the immune system? We also share some tips on curbing your alcohol intake and how to get the support you need. Here are some science-backed perks of taking a break from alcohol.
That, in turn, can lead you to develop cardiovascular risk factors such as dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. Additionally, alcohol can damage DNA, impair the body’s ability to absorb important nutrients, including vitamins A, C, D, E, and some in the vitamin B complex, and make it easier for the mouth and throat to absorb harmful chemicals. “You will often wake up either because you have to go to the bathroom, to get some water because you are dehydrated, or because the alcohol has disrupted your sleep cycle,” said Keith Humphreys, PhD, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford Medicine. By now, it’s clear that Americans are drinking less.
While your liver and stomach can usually rebound if you stop drinking, with inflammation comes an increased cancer risk over time. When you’re drinking heavily on a regular basis, it can overwhelm the liver’s capabilities, causing a cascade of health issues, including liver disease, liver cancer, and acute alcohol-related hepatitis — all of which can be deadly. When a person stops drinking alcohol, the body starts detoxification and healing processes. “One of the single best things you can do to improve your health,” he said, “is to cut down on or stop drinking alcohol.” On the flip side, many people lose weight when they stop drinking, which helps lower those risk factors and reduce strain on the heart.
As you have four weeks of better hydration, improved sleep and better overall health, it will noticeably affect your skin and hair. By the end of your first month of sobriety, the benefits of better sleep, improved hydration, spending less and decreased calorie intake will be growing. While you will still likely have some alcohol cravings, you will probably feel pretty good about quitting alcohol. After two weeks without alcohol, the benefits will start to compound. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms generally begin within 12–24 hours after your last drink.