What happens to your body when you stop drinking alcohol?

13/08/2024

It’s true that taking a break from alcohol for any amount of time will be beneficial overall, with some research showing that liver function begins to improve in as little as two to three weeks. But a full detox is needed for the most benefit, and how much time that takes depends on a variety of personal factors. If you drink heavily for weeks, months, or years, you may have unwanted physical and mental symptoms when you try to stop. These symptoms, also known as withdrawal, can be mild or serious. Heavy drinkers may experience withdrawal symptoms more intensely than moderate drinkers. Whereas some people emerge from the first week of sobriety refreshed and on the mend, others come crawling out feeling they barely survived.

what happens when i stop drinking alcohol

Maintain a healthy diet

“For patients who are left with cirrhosis after severe injury to the liver from alcohol, even one drink of alcohol is toxic to the liver,” cautions Dr. Lindenmeyer. The team saw these results after adjusting for changes in diet, exercise and smoking, so the changes could be linked to people’s alcohol use. The prognosis (outlook) for someone with alcohol withdrawal depends greatly on its severity. The body is immediately affected when someone begins drinking heavily because it prompts changes in neurochemistry that impact cognition. After thirty days of sobriety, your energy levels will continue to increase. Some people don’t experience any of that for the first week or two and jump straight to the pink cloud, before getting hit with cravings.

For men, imbibing 15 or more drinks per week renders them a “heavy” or “problem” drinker. For women, it takes just 12 or more a week to enter the trouble zone. Being dependent on alcohol can cause physical withdrawal symptoms like shaking, sweating or nausea. If you have these symptoms if you miss a drinking session, it can be dangerous to stop drinking completely too quickly without proper support. Because alcohol deprives your skin of nutrients, when you stop drinking you may notice that your skin has a healthier glow.

If you drink heavily for weeks, months, or years, you may have unwanted physical and mental symptoms when you try to stop.
Dasgupta said for social and moderate drinkers, participating in a month-long break won’t make much difference to their bodies.
In severe cases of withdrawal when symptoms are not treated, a person may experience generalized tonic-clonic seizures, delirium tremens, and even death.
Since melatonin is a hormone that plays a pivotal role in a person’s sleep-wake cycle, also known as circadian rhythm, impacting its secretion can wreak havoc on a person’s ability to get some quality shut-eye.
Stopping alcohol is worth it, but it can be an uncomfortable and even dangerous experience.
Sometimes people have a glass of wine or a drink to unwind and relax before bed, thinking it will help them ease into a better sleep routine.

Your Body Starts to Detox

It can be hard to find (or even know) the balance of how much alcohol your body is able to handle. If you’re not sure if your drinking crosses a certain line or not, try measuring your alcohol intake. In these cases, she said that talking with a healthcare provider about taking specific withdrawal medication could be helpful. Talk therapy, either as an individual or as part of a group, can also offer support through the process of quitting. One way to represent the average drinker may be to focus on people who don’t have a history of alcohol dependence.

A Month Without Drinking

This is what causes you to feel light-headed or tipsy after multiple alcoholic drinks. The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can range from mild to serious. Healthcare providers typically prescribe short-term medications to relieve the symptoms of mild to moderate alcohol withdrawal. They think it has something to do with how fast or slow your brain adapts during recovery.

Your Blood Pressure Will Decrease

Alcohol dehydrates your body, including the skin, and this happens every time you drink. Whether you are stopping for good, or just having some time off, it’s a good idea to be prepared for the changes you could see. But first, if you think you may be dependent on alcohol, you should consult your doctor or another medical professional. As you eliminate alcohol, which causes dehydration, your body will begin to absorb more water, improving the functioning of every organ, including your skin and your brain. Gradually, as cell turnover increases, the damage alcohol may have done will begin to be reversed. Hany says sober house that once you stop drinking, you may initially find it more difficult to fall asleep.

A 2021 review of research notes that several studies determined that two to four weeks of abstinence from alcohol by heavy-alcohol users helped reduce inflammation and bring down elevated serum levels in the liver. They also noticed that levels of proteins in the blood that promote cancer growth, namely epidermal growth factor (EGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) decreased by around 73% and 41%, respectively. Moore hypothesized that instead of causing cancer to develop in the first place, these findings may suggest that alcohol instead promotes cancer’s growth once it gets a footing in the body.

You May Feel Happier

It’s difficult to predict who will and who won’t experience alcohol withdrawal — and how severe it will be. When you stop consuming alcohol after prolonged, https://northiowatoday.com/2025/01/27/sober-house-rules-what-you-should-know-before-moving-in/ heavy use, your CNS can’t respond or regulate itself fast enough. It becomes overexcited because there’s no more alcohol to slow it down. Go to the nearest emergency room or call 911 (or your local emergency service number) if you or a loved one has any concerning symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

Alcohol withdrawal is a potentially serious complication of alcohol use disorder.
You might think that a regular glass of red wine or other alcoholic beverages might be good for your heart.
But even if you don’t notice the change, if you look at the science of what happens to your body when you stop drinking, let’s just say you might have second thoughts about leaning into this habit.
The drinkers also experienced more cravings for high-fat (high-calorie) foods.

Your Risk of Certain Diseases Will Decrease

In The Mel Robbins Podcast, Mel takes you behind the scenes in real-time. Every episode is packed with tactical advice, hilarious screwups, compelling conversations, and the tools and inspiration you need to create a better life. Read on to discover how eliminating alcohol can transform your health. This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.

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What happens to your body when you stop drinking alcohol?

Maintain a healthy diet

Your Body Starts to Detox

A Month Without Drinking

Your Blood Pressure Will Decrease

You May Feel Happier

Your Risk of Certain Diseases Will Decrease

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