I’d have more time and energy for the people and activities I care about. Benefits of NOT drinkingMy relationships would probably improve. Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy. Your liver fat reduces by up to 15 percent, increasing its ability to filter toxins out of the body. But that has nothing to do with money or possessions, it has to do with freedom, happiness and joy. I had no idea that my life was going to have all of this meaning.

Now, instead of comparing myself to others, I compare myself to the way I was yesterday. For me, that’s the secret sauce; it’s the best lesson I’ve ever learned. And I’m now able to be more present with, and for, my wife of 13 years. My life isn’t consumed by alcohol, drunkenness or desperate thoughts about finding my next drink. In that first week I had to call a complete stranger, someone who had been through the program, and ask them to be my sponsor.

You’ll Improve Your Heart Health

And while all alcohol affects the liver’s ability to get rid of excess estrogen, beer contains phytoestrogens—plant-derived estrogens that dampen virility and fertility. Taxing the liver with alcohol can Sobriety make it less effective at metabolizing hormones, which can convert androgens into estrogens, resulting in a diminished sex drive. You can lower your risk of liver damage and diabetes in just one month.

Treatment success depends on examining the way alcohol abuse has impacted you and developing a new way of living. Partial hospitalizationis for people who require ongoing medical monitoring but have a stable living situation. These treatment programs usually meet at the hospital for 3-5 days a week, 4-6 hours per day. Some people are able to stop drinking on their own or with the help of a 12-step program or other changes after quitting alcohol support group . Others need medical supervision in order to withdraw from alcohol safely and comfortably. Which option is best for you depends on how much you’ve been drinking, how long you’ve had a problem, the stability of your living situation, and other health issues you may have. After three months, I will cut back my weekend drinking even more to a maximum of two drinks per day and three drinks per weekend.

Alcoholics Anonymous Aa Great Britain

But as Dr Dan explains, it’s very much a case of quality over quantity with sleep. “Alcohol is very high in calories that don’t provide any nutritional value,” he tells us. “Your body will always prioritise getting rid of empty calories first. And this means that lots of other important processes have to wait, including burning off fat.

However, you may begin feeling sad and confused about your relationship with drugs and alcohol. Feelings of shame, guilt and depression are all normal, and these feelings can be worked through. You may also begin grieving the relationship you had with your substances of choice. In extreme cases, alcohol withdrawal can cause delirium tremens , a potentially life-threatening condition that involves symptoms like fever, severe confusion, hallucinations and seizures.

Not Drinking Alcohol Can Help You Lose Weight

It is a lot easier to cut back or stop drinking completely when alcohol isn’t readily accessible. Low blood sugar is just one condition that follows malnourishment. Low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia, can cause harm to a person if left untreated.

• Those things will happen, but perhaps not quite in the way you think.
• Over time, heavy drinking can really begin to take a serious toll on a person’s physical and mental health.
• Men consume an additional 433 calories on those days they drink a “moderate” amount of alcohol, according to one study.
• Instead, there is a series of stages that often make people feel worse before they feel better.

Alcohol consumption has been linked to cancers of the head, neck, esophagus, liver, breast, colon, and rectum.

Explore Personal Interests And Find New Hobbies

Instead, there is a series of stages that often make people feel worse before they feel better. There is also no magic number of how many days or weeks it will take for the benefits to kick in. When you enroll in 24/7 care, you can expect treatment options that address both the physical and psychological effects of alcohol abuse.

Even cutting back your drinking by a third can lower the number of injuries and sick days. Habitual drinking or even occasional heavy drinking can interrupt your sleep cycle. When you drink before bed, you’re more likely to spend time in non-rapid-eye-movement sleep rather than in the more restorative rapid-eye-movement sleep. However, research has found that not all alcohol-related brain damage is permanent. Moreover, people who went teetotal for a month also got drunk a lot less frequently later on in the year. Rates of excessive drinking fell from an average of 3.4 times per month at baseline to 2.1 times per month on average. Many of us will have enjoyed numerous glasses of wine, beer, champagne, or other alcoholic beverages over the winter holidays.

They may even be able to prescribe medication to help you quit. For 3 to 4 weeks, write down every time you have a drink and how much you drink. Reviewing the results, you may be surprised at your weekly drinking habits. Make a table like the one below, weighing the costs and benefits of drinking to the costs and benefits of quitting. Gaining weight can be uncomfortable, but it can also be unhealthy in some circumstances, especially if the additional weight you’re carrying around is due to the alcohol you drink.

Benefits Of Not Drinking Alcohol

The effects of short-term alcohol abstinence on fatty livers. You startsleeping more deeply, causing your physical and mental energy to increase.

If alcohol is used over the long term, it can actually affect the brain’s electrical potential. Aside from a heaping dose of apprehension, quitting drinking has the immediate benefit of self-empowerment. The simple act of consciously choosing to eschew alcohol is the single most significant catalyst of the recovery process. Electing to participate in a detox program greatly increases the likelihood of a successful recovery.

Alcohol raises our blood pressure both temporarily and permanently. And excessive alcohol consumption over the years can lead to high blood pressure – one of the main causes of heart disease. Especially when you note the long list of heart related problems long-term drinking can cause. Fewer wrinkles, firmer skin and a healthier complexion are therefore just some of the benefits of not drinking alcohol. Because this is such a vulnerable time, and your risk of relapse is high, most people enroll in an alcohol detox program at this stage of recovery. This will keep you safe and sober and empower you to have a constructive, successful recovery.

Verywell Mind’s content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. By structuring treatment to fit individual needs, including the identification of co-occurring disorders, Burning Tree facilitates an environment of healing and holistic wellness. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, now is the time to reach out for help. At Renewal Lodge by Burning Tree, you will find a team of compassionate, knowledgeable professionals ready to coach each client through the 12-steps and beyond.

When I was drunk, I would look in the mirror and say, “How did I get like this?” and then the next might I would be drunk again. Answering affirmatively to one or more of the above questions is a sign that your consumption of alcohol is beginning to affect your quality of life, whether you realize it or not. With this in mind, a month or more off alcohol can make sure our immune system is on top form. National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that chronic drinkers showed “evidence of malnutrition” and bodies lacking in “amino acids, proteins and certain vitamins”. Researchers observed French hospital admissions between 2008 and 2013. And found that of those diagnosed with early-onset dementia, 38.9% of the cases were related to alcohol and alcohol misuse.