If you’ve stumbled across our article, it is most likely because you want to stop drinking alcohol, whether that be forever or just to cut down on your excessive alcohol consumption; this can be a huge revelation in your life.
Each individual has a different background with alcohol, how much they consume, and what their motivating factor is behind drinking alcohol. Still, everyone can make a change and get back on track, whatever their goal is.
In this article, we’re going to look at what exactly happens to your body when you drink, what happens to your body when you don’t drink, and the overall benefits of quitting alcohol. Let’s see what you can take away to join millions of others in their journey to sobriety.
What Happens to Your Body When You Drink Alcohol?
When you begin to drink these empty calories, the effects of alcohol, although you may not see them, will be eating away at your body. Whether you face short-term or long-term repercussions is all dependent on the individual, but we all know alcohol misuse is not great for your body. Yet, what exactly happens to it while you continue to drink?
Short-Term Effects
When you drink alcohol, it enters your bloodstream, affecting the central nervous system immediately. In the short term, it leads to altered brain function, making you feel relaxed, but also slower reaction times and handicapped coordination.
These effects can change based on factors like the amount consumed, your tolerance as an individual, and your body weight. You may also experience a warm feeling due to blood vessel dilation.
Furthermore, alcohol acts as a diuretic, increasing urine production but actually making you less hydrated, which can result in headaches the next morning. A step further, if you consume way too much alcohol, this will lead to nausea and vomiting.
Long-Term Effects
Prolonged and heavy drinking can have serious, long-term consequences. Your liver is responsible for alcohol metabolism and can suffer major damage, leading to conditions like fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis.
Additionally, alcohol use disorder may lead to high blood pressure, heart problems, and an increased risk of stroke, along with your brain having trouble coping, leaving it susceptible to mental health issues.
It is essential to be aware of both short-term and long-term effects, as responsible alcohol consumption is crucial for maintaining good health. Seeking professional advice is advisable if you are concerned about alcohol's impact on the body.
What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Drinking Alcohol?
Now, if your body is accustomed to all of these symptoms and is having to work hard to keep your body functioning when you do consume alcohol, what will happen to your body when you stop drinking and give your body a break from digesting all the substances you’ve indulged in?
Short-Term Effects of Quitting Alcohol:
When you go alcohol-free, your body will see some immediate positive changes, but we’ll get to more of the health benefits later in this post.
However, when you stop drinking, your digestive system will help get rid of problems like indigestion and stomach discomfort. Additionally, you will now have better concentration and brain function due to alcohol damaging your nerve cells. Also, over the first few days, you may notice a drop in inflammation due to your nervous system being intact.
Long-Term Effects of Quitting Alcohol:
Quitting alcohol, whether that be countless glasses of wine, too much beer, and so on, will give you numerous long-term health benefits. You will lower the risk of developing liver diseases like cirrhosis, and you will be less likely to develop heart diseases.
You may also notice changes in your body composition, as the empty calories from alcohol can certainly add up. Alcohol can also interfere with chemicals in your brain, impacting your physical and mental health, so you may see positive changes, such as reduced anxiety and depression.
Additionally, quitting alcohol can allow you to speak to your loved ones more deeply and allow you to get back on track with work, as you’ll be less focused when you can go for a drink, along with all the chemical responses that benefit focus.
Benefits of Quitting Alcohol For Good
To summarise all the points above, we’re going to give you a list of the key benefits of quitting alcohol so you can work towards feeling them, not only on the outside, but getting concrete results of it helping you on the inside. Here are the main advantages of quitting alcohol for good:
Short-Term Benefits
Firstly, we’ll look at the short-term benefits of quitting alcohol for your health and mindset to see what you will notice within a short time period:
- No more hangovers
- Improved physical and mental health
- Improved energy levels and mood
- You will have more hydrated, better-looking skin
- You will most likely be losing weight
Long-Term Benefits
Now, we will look closer at the lasting benefits that quitting alcohol can have for you over a longer period of time:
- Lower chances of heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancers
- Staying clear of potential liver disease
- Staying clear of immune system-related issues
- Lowers the risk of sexual dysfunction
- Weight management will be easier in the long run
These are just a few of the many benefits of quitting alcohol, because when you first experience it for yourselves, you’ll realise that it may become overwhelming with how much better you feel.
To say that there aren’t thousands of neurological pathways and mental responses occurring would be arrogant, and experiencing it yourself so you can make your own judgement would be the best way to go about it.
Not only will you feel great in the short-term, but you’re also showing that you’re developing more self-respect in terms of your long-term health. You want to live as long and as happily as possible, and this will be your first step!
Get the Support You Need
Of course, if you’re more dependent on alcohol than others, you may experience more withdrawal symptoms in the first 24 hours and potentially longer. However, there is always a way to regain control of your life, and our challenges and complete control program could be a great way to make it a fun experience.
For example, we asked our 90-Day Challenge members to tell us about the benefits they experienced at the end of their 90-days without alcohol. The results were pretty transformational!
- 79% of our members had experienced improved sleep
- 81% felt their anxiety had reduced
- 71% said they had been more productive
- 53% had lost weight over the 3 months on their challenge
- And a staggering 92% said they felt noticeably better after going alcohol-free for 90-days
Get in touch with our team today or complete our online quiz to see what will be the best solution for you; we look forward to hearing from you!
Take a chance to complete our online quiz in the top right corner of the screen and we can see how we can be of any help to you on this transformative journey. For any doubts you can always contact our team at [email protected].
An entrepreneur and former senior oil broker, Ruari gave up drinking after excessive consumption almost cost him his marriage, and worse, his life. Going alcohol-free improved his relationships, career and energy levels, leading to him founding OYNB to provide a support network for others.
