9 Things That Happen When You Quit Drinking

Men consume an additional 433 calories on those days they drink a “moderate” amount of alcohol, according to one study. Cut those from your diet—and don’t replace them with desserts or snacks—and you’ll start to drop pounds without much effort. It can make your family and friends feel as if you are choosing an addiction over them and cause you to act in ways that are destructive to relationships. The effects of alcohol can even make you abusive or cause you to harm others emotionally.

Long-Term Benefits of Quitting Alcohol

As individuals achieve milestones in their sobriety journey, their self-esteem and confidence grow. They develop a greater belief in their abilities to overcome challenges and make positive life choices. This newfound self-assurance can extend to various aspects of life, including personal relationships, professional endeavors, and overall self-image. Detox addresses physical dependence on alcohol, and ongoing inpatient treatment helps you explore the root causes of your addiction and learn healthy coping skills for sober living. Medications may be used throughout treatment, as well as during detox. If you or a loved one are struggling with alcohol abuse or alcohol use disorder and need to detox safely, reach out to Gratitude Lodge today.

Your Heart Gets Healthier

After four or five successive days without alcohol in the system, Johnson says sleep cycles typically begin to normalize, and people start waking up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

Benefits Recommended For You

First of all, alcohol in moderation is mostly fine and maybe even good for you, according to some research. The problem lies in the fact that it’s surprisingly easy to exceed what the experts call “moderate” drinking. For men, imbibing 15 or more drinks per week renders them a “heavy” or “problem” drinker.

Signs of Alcohol Addiction

Our programs are designed to treat alcohol use disorder effectively and with dignity.
This is far more effective than solo attempts, which often miss essential skill-building and comprehensive care.
Reducing alcohol intake can lower your risk of developing these cancers significantly.
Delirium tremens has a fatality rate of 37% if untreated and is considered a medical emergency.
Keeping an alcohol use journal can help track your patterns, triggers, and emotions related to drinking, offering valuable insight.
There is no shame in this — a chemical dependency on alcohol can cause severe withdrawal symptoms, and seeking medical attention is important to ensure recovery.

The only exception is if you’ve already developed cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver, in which case you need a transplant. However, even things that happen when you stop drinking conditions like alcoholic hepatitis will start to improve when you quit drinking. Whether you have an alcohol use disorder or you just feel like it might be a good idea to cut back, you may feel conflicted about quitting alcohol. The costs of drinking might be apparent to you, but no one drinks without getting something out of it.

Detox addresses physical dependence on alcohol, and ongoing inpatient treatment helps you explore the root causes of your addiction and learn healthy coping skills for sober living.
Your commitment to sobriety can serve as a catalyst for change in their own lives.
Although each person’s experience will be unique, here’s a general timeline of what happens when heavy drinkers give it a rest.
Reflect on moments when you’ve wanted to drink; recognizing these patterns can empower you to avoid these situations or develop coping strategies.
Have you ever been out to dinner and the first person to order gets an espresso martini and then suddenly everyone else at the table orders an espresso martini?
Embrace the excitement of exploring new passions and watch as your life becomes enriched with meaningful experiences.

When you stop drinking, it can feel like entering a whole new world and like a fog that you didn’t even know was there has suddenly lifted. While there are many potential benefits that you should expect to see in your first month of sobriety, the positive effects of stopping alcohol will continue to follow you and grow throughout your life. You will probably be well out of withdrawal and mostly recovered from the ordeal.

Establishing an Action Plan and Support System

Since alcohol dehydrates the body (hello, hangovers), it can cause skin dryness, wrinkles, and a dull complexion. That’s because dehydration leads to a breakdown of collagen and elastin fibers, which accelerates the formation of fine lines. Therefore, reducing or eliminating alcohol intake can help restore skin hydration—making it look more supple over time. Hangovers, or alcohol withdrawal, cause hormonal changes, too, which explains why we might feel so crummy after drinking. Alcohol has quite deleterious effects, as ethanol, an organic compound in alcohol, is a toxin to our body, Scheller explains.

What Happens When You Stop Drinking Alcohol?

Either way, whether you’re fully committing to an alcohol-free lifestyle or just testing the waters, here are some tips to help you cut back or cut it out entirely. If you drink in excess, cutting out alcohol for a period of time can help your liver, heart, and body composition. One of the immediate benefits of quitting drinking is the positive impact it can have on your finances. Alcohol consumption can quickly accumulate expenses, from the cost of drinks at bars or restaurants to purchasing alcohol for home consumption. By eliminating these expenses, individuals who choose sobriety can save a significant amount of money over time.

However, individuals who have been drinking heavily for long periods of time may still experience some symptoms of withdrawal and may even have hallucinations or delirium tremens (DTs) and seizures. Because alcohol slows down your metabolism, you can easily gain weight when drinking. When your metabolism slows, your body needs to work harder to process fats and sugars.