What Happens to Your Body When You Don’t Drink Alcohol for a Month?
Long-term sobriety is more likely when individuals engage in comprehensive aftercare programs that provide continued support, which may include therapy, 12-step programs, and wellness activities. These programs can improve relationships, life skills, and mental health, all contributing to a robust recovery. The path to long-term recovery is unique for each individual, with the common goal of embracing life changes that support a sober and fulfilling life. After a week of abstaining from alcohol, you may begin to notice significant improvements in your physical and mental health. Your sleep patterns may improve, and you may have more energy and a better mood. It’s important to celebrate these victories and continue to stay vigilant against relapse.
How to Start Self-Discovery During Sobriety
In summary, quitting alcohol can improve relationships, alter social activities, lead to discovering new interests, build a strong support network, and promote a healthier lifestyle. For more details on the specific changes, check out what going alcohol-free does to your body. Heavy drinking is linked to several types of cancer, including liver, breast, and colon cancer. By stopping alcohol, you reduce these risks significantly. Stopping alcohol intake also leads to changes in mental and emotional health. In the short term, someone might feel anxious and depressed.
Better mental health
Dr. Sarah Wakeman is a physician and addiction medicine expert, dedicated to advancing compassionate care and treatment for substance use disorders. And so you don’t have to go to your primary care, you don’t have to go. All https://ecosoberhouse.com/ of the MinuteClinics that are popping up are places where you can go if you’re going to do those things to order the blood draws.
- We can help you with alcohol addiction treatment, and our holistic treatment ensures we are with you every step of the way.
- They think it has something to do with how fast or slow your brain adapts during recovery.
- This is because alcohol is a depressant, so when it’s no longer in your system, your body has more energy to work with.
- The sooner you start treatment (which often includes both medication and therapy) the better your outcome.
- As you progress into the weeks of sobriety, the benefits become more evident.
This Season, Give Yourself the Gift of a Fresh Start.
If you want to cut back or quit drinking but don’t know where to start, consider trying Reframe. We’re a neuroscience-backed app that has helped millions of people reduce their alcohol consumption and develop healthier lifestyle habits. On the positive side, your what happens when you stop drinking alcohol body is working hard to repair itself. Your liver function begins to improve, and your blood sugar levels start to stabilize. Your sleep patterns may also start to return to normal, allowing you to feel more rested and alert during the day.
- Getting support from friends and family can help keep you on track too, so telling them you are cutting down can be helpful.
- These changes unfold over weeks, months, and beyond, offering significant physical, mental, and emotional benefits.
- But when we think about sleep architecture, there’s different cycles to sleep.
Improves Mood
So there’s this idea that all of our desire and urges should just be conquered by our intellect, and that doesn’t make any sense. I was very quickly like, oh, this is the solution to all my problems. We don’t have to feel awkward, we don’t have to feel anxious. I don’t have to listen to any of my internal critic or any of my hangups. And then the weekend for me was my outlet to be like, okay, finally, not only do I get to stop feeling anxious and awkward and have these hangups, but also I can be a little wild and mess up. And this is the way to feel sexy and confident and have fun.
Mild to moderate alcohol withdrawal treatment
If you stop drinking for a week, you might notice some positive changes in your gastrointestinal system. The digestive tract heals quickly after someone cuts out alcohol, according to Debbie Petitpain, MBA, RDN, a registered dietitian based in Charleston. In January, I tend to see an uptick in patients who have been admitted due to alcohol dependence.
But even if you try it, you may still have withdrawal symptoms. Doctors will monitor your symptoms and risk for alcohol withdrawal complications. They’ll also help manage any ongoing health issues you have. It may feel hard to talk honestly to your doctor about your alcohol use.
Our brains don’t like this artificial imbalance and will try to overcompensate by decreasing the amount of GABA and increasing the production of glutamate. For those with alcohol misuse and dependence, the conditions are connected to chronic sleep disturbance, lower slow-wave sleep, and more rapid eye movement. Dasgupta said the best people to avoid alcohol always are those under 21 years old, and not just for legal reasons. Data from 2013 published in the American Journal of Public Healthestimated that about 3.5% of cancer deaths in the United States were alcohol-related. Amitava Dasgupta, PhD, medical director of clinical laboratory at the University of Kansas Medical Center and author of the book, “The Science of Drinking,” agreed. If you don’t already have other hobbies or interests, now is a perfect time to get some!
Stopping alcohol allows the stomach lining to heal, making digestion smoother. Moreover, your liver, which bears the brunt of alcohol metabolism, gets a respite, allowing it to focus on detoxification and repair. “People often describe to me Oxford House that they now realize how much the alcohol altered their behavior and relationships.