What Happens When You Give Up Alcohol?

Becoming an alcoholic is easy and some people do not even realize that they are addicted to it. Once they realize or some loved one steps forward to help them, there are a number of things that both parties have to face. Giving up alcohol is not a piece of cake. It takes a lot of will power and positive external factors to help you out in quitting. Being an alcoholic is obviously not good but if you are strong enough to quit then you should not wait for a second and get some guidance. This guide will tell you the after-effects of quitting alcohol and the benefits you will achieve.

What happens when you give up on alcohol? Let’s find out through this informative post.

The after-effects of quitting alcohol

As mentioned earlier, it is not easy to quit. Your body gets addicted to alcohol and not having it will result in a lot of disturbing situations. Your will power should be strong because it is the only thing that will help you go through the process. Here are some key effects that you will feel once you stop drinking:

• Nausea, vomiting and flushing are the most common after-effects.
• Slight fits or tremors.
• Lashing out on others.
• Getting cold chills in the body
• Drowsiness
• Headaches
• Extreme anger or agitation

These are the basic ones that will be a part of the quitting process. You have to be strong-headed and it is best that you get some guidance too. Things get easier when you have someone to talk to.

The benefits of quitting alcohol

Alcohol is a life-destroying substance. You get many benefits if you give up. Some of these benefits are immediate or short-term and some can be witnessed after a few months. Both types of these benefits have been discussed here.

Immediate benefits of quitting alcohol

These benefits are visible within a month. You will clearly see the below stated changes.

Better sleeping cycles

The symptoms of alcoholism include sleeplessness or extra sleeping hours. In both cases, the sleeping cycles go back to normal. The energy levels boost up and the patient starts feeling better. This can be witnessed within a few weeks. For some time, the lazy feeling will stay but you will not feel the need to sleep for an hour. If you faced sleeplessness, you will sleep for enough time and feel energized the next day. But, be clear that this takes a few weeks to happen.

Better physical appearance

Alcohol has the worst effects out of which physical appearance is one too. Once you quit alcohol, your appearance will be better. No dark circles, no lines will be there. Soon you will see a healthy and attractive body.

Money and time saved

These are the most important and most prominent benefits that you will feel. The time and money you wasted on drinks will be in front of you. You will realize that you have wasted a lot of time and money on parties, bars, and clubs.

Dehydration and extra calories removed

Alcohol removes the water in your body and ultimately you feel the need to have alcohol instead of water. Quitting alcohol will make your body hydrated. Alcohol consumption leads to dehydration. You may have noticed your throat getting dry after drinking a couple of hard drinks. On an average, an alcoholic takes 960 calories and upon quitting you can reject these calories or take the same amount in a different and healthy form.

Heart rate gets better

Alcohol becomes the reason for heart problems like high blood pressure. After three weeks of alcohol rejection, your blood pressure will get normal. The difference will be experienced by you.

Long term benefits

The long-term benefits of quitting alcohol are even more attractive and surprising. People do not realize the advantages of quitting but they are many.

Anxiety level decreases

Most people choose to drink because they are anxious or stressed out. An alcoholic will feel more anxious and stressed out because his body gets addicted to alcohol. It gradually becomes useless. Moreover, the anxiety level is increased. Once you quit drinking, you will feel a change in your anxious behavior. It takes months but you will feel the difference.

Better digestion

Alcohol decreases the digestion ability. You crave for drinks only because you do not have the ability left to eat anything healthy. This addiction is a source of a lot of problems among which digestion is one too. During the quitting process, you will have nausea or vomiting. Your body is used to alcohol and once you do not drink, it will give certain reactions. Once you are past that phase, the digestive system will improve and you can get back to the healthy diet pattern again.

Better immunity

The worst part of being an alcoholic is decreased immunity. You get sick often and the conditions get severe easily. After leaving alcohol, you will experience improved immunity and you will get less sick. It will also decrease the signs of cancer. The fatty liver will get back to normal and all other functions will be normalized.

Alcohol makes your body easily available for germ attack and cancer-causing agents make their way too. In a nutshell, you will have an increased lifespan if you give up drinking.

Giving up alcohol is very difficult. There are often relapse situations which are not motivating to the patient. You do not have to be worried about it because it is completely it is completely normal. Here are some tips that you might keep in mind while giving up alcohol:

• Be consistent.
• Do not lose hope.
• It is not impossible to give up on alcohol.
• Never feel let down by the setbacks you face. These are temporary.
• Keep the will power strong.
• Guidance will be a bonus point and you will feel motivated too. Make sure the guidance is either professional or from a loved one.
• Talk to some friend or family member if you feel anxious.

Alcoholism never has a good end. To avoid any problems socially or professionally, make sure you drink in a controlled way and when you crave for it, try to find a way to divert your mind. If you feel the need for alcohol to feel better, speak to a psychiatrist or a friend. The former is better!