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According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), addiction involves changes to the brain’s limbic system, which affects motivation, pleasure, and impulse control. This understanding helped me shift away from self-blame and approach my alcohol use disorder with more compassion. I began to see that overcoming cravings wasn’t about sheer willpower but about giving my brain a chance to heal and rewire itself. Being prepared for social gatherings will aid in staying strong in your sobriety while helping soothe anxieties about going out, especially in the early stages. Additionally, if you are someone who suffers from alcohol addiction, many find that their relationships have been tainted due to their disease.
- Remember, the journey to sobriety is a continuous process, and finding the right resources can make a significant difference in maintaining your alcohol-free commitment.
- That’s around 6 medium (175ml) glasses of wine, or 6 pints of 4% beer.
- With proper nutrition, hydration, and medical support during detox, the body regains its ability to fight off infections and recover more efficiently from injuries and illnesses.
- While fertility can be affected by a range of factors, research shows that both ovulation and sperm quality can be negatively affected by drinking alcohol.
Reasons to Love an Alcohol-Free Lifestyle
There’s no completely safe level of drinking, but sticking within these guidelines lowers your risk of harming your health. Try using Alcohol Change UK’s unit calculator to work out how many units you drink and watch our video guide to alcohol units. Being involved in rounds makes it easy to end up drinking more than you meant. Try to avoid them if you can, and do not feel like you have to say yes to a drink just because someone else is buying. As a rule of thumb, white and rosé wines are lower in strength than reds. Or try swapping some or all of your drinks for no or low-alcohol alternatives.
- This can make you feel energetic and even extremely happy (euphoric) shortly after you drink alcohol, but the effects don’t last.
- So many women who complete my 30-day challenges feel confident to extend their alcohol-free journey and set new health goals.
- That sad, tired and overly emotional state you find yourself in after a few too many?
- Whether it’s a little added stress relief or an attempt to add a little fun to your evenings, many of us are adding another cocktail, beer, or glass of wine at night.
- According to Cancer Research UK, alcohol is responsible for around 4,400 breast cancer cases in the UK every year.
The benefits of drinking less alcohol
Many of us will have enjoyed numerous glasses of wine, beer, champagne, or other alcoholic beverages over the winter holidays. Thus, in January, we may feel the need to take a break from alcohol. An alcohol-free month is the best choice we could possibly make for our health, British researchers conclude. Your doctor can recommend medications that can help with alcohol withdrawal symptoms and cravings during your recovery. Naltrexone is one type of medication that can help reduce alcohol cravings, making it easier for some people to stop drinking.
Health Conditions
Getting through the challenges of becoming sober has given me the confidence to handle anything that comes my way. This is supported by one five-year study published in alcohol rehab The Lancet, which presented some scary statistics. Researchers observed French hospital admissions between 2008 and 2013, and found that of those diagnosed with early-onset dementia, 38.9% of the cases were related to alcohol and alcohol misuse. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it makes you pee more, flushing water from the body and leading to dehydration. When skin cells are parched, the face looks dull, dry, tired, and old.
While alcohol can make us fall asleep faster, it decreases our quality of REM sleep, and causes us to wake up more frequently throughout the night. Now, I stick to an alcohol-free nighttime routine and wake up fully rested. I have found meditation to quiet my busy mind and, with practice, I am no longer afraid to be still with my thoughts. Quitting alcohol allows your body to begin a healing process, and many physical benefits can be observed in as little as a few days.
FAQs: Quitting Drinking Without AA
In recent years, the term Sober Curious has become popularized for individuals who aim to dabble in sobriety without any hard set rules or regulations. Many who began as a Sober Curious individual do end up living an alcohol-free lifestyle once they’ve experienced the benefits from no longer drinking. Alcohol can exacerbate mood swings and lead to emotional instability. It’s common for people to experience heightened feelings of anxiety after drinking. Your liver works overtime when you consume alcohol, breaking it down into less harmful substances. However, heavy, or regular drinking overwhelms this process, leading to liver damage over time.
What Are the Benefits of Quitting Alcohol?
ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. The Center conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, computational social science research and other data-driven research. Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder. Diet soda, club soda or sparkling water, and other caffeinated beverages tend to be preferred.
Finding a therapist can help you navigate the “why” behind your drinking habits by assisting with the emotions that come with such a big life change. While cutting alcohol out of your life remains a positive decision, navigating the mental load that comes with it can be difficult. Talking to a non-biased source that can help you look at the bigger picture will make remaining alcohol-free more doable. Wherever you stand on the spectrum of alcohol abuse, these physical parts of your body will begin to improve once you give up drinking. However, results may take time, depending on the severity of your drinking habits. Because alcohol is a known toxin and can wreak havoc on our body’s systems, cutting it out from your life will likely provide immediate improvement to a plethora of areas.
Access resources to learn about naltrexone and the Sinclair Method, a proven approach to reduce drinking. If you’re struggling with alcohol and traditional methods haven’t resonated, I want you to know there are alternatives. It is possible to break free from alcohol’s grip without white-knuckling it or adhering to a one-size-fits-all approach.
Indeed, one study published in the European Journal of Nutrition has shown that heavy alcohol consumption was a contributor to abdominal obesity. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that when you give up alcohol, you won’t see this benefit right away. Some people who go sober will notice a craving for sweet food as the body misses the sugar from alcohol. If this is the case, go with it, it’s better to cave in to a bag of giant buttons than a bottle of wine. Quitting alcohol significantly improves physical health—it improves your liver function, heart health, immune system, and more. It reduces the risk of chronic conditions like liver disease, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular problems, allowing your body to heal and function more efficiently.
People mistakenly believe that alcohol initially eases anxiety or depression, but it often worsens these conditions in the short term and also in the long run. Many people report feeling more balanced emotionally after quitting, with fewer mood swings and a greater ability to manage stress. Quitting alcohol lowers your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It reduces the risk of developing conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. Your heart muscles can also regain strength, reducing the risk of cardiomyopathy. From improvements in physical health to a better state of mental well-being, limiting or avoiding alcohol can be transformative.
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