Deciding to quit drinking alcohol involves making big changes in your life. If the hobbies or activities you normally partake in include alcohol, you will likely need to start substituting those for new things to do.
Overall, living a sober lifestyle does have many benefits, including those to your mental and physical health. In some cases, damage that has been done may even be reversed when someone stops drinking alcohol for a significant amount of time. With this being said, there are some strategies you may need to learn and treatments you may need to receive to accomplish this new lifestyle. Here at Harmony Recovery Center, we can help you to do this.
Alcohol Has Negative Impacts on People’s Lives
Research shows that over half of those 12 years old and over have consumed alcoholic beverages at least once over the course of a month on average throughout the past year. In addition, over 65 millions people admit they binge drink occasionally.
It is important to know that alcohol has many negative impacts on people’s lives. Some of these negative effects are those on the:
- Brain (often causing memory loss, anxiety, depression, brain damage, and an increased risk of dementia)
- Immune system (sometimes leading to tuberculosis and pneumonia)
- Heart (may cause arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, high blood pressure, and other heart-related issues)
- Pancreas (high risk of developing pancreatitis)
- Stomach (often causes gastric bleeding)
- Liver (risk for cirrhosis, liver cancer, alcohol hepatitis, and fatty liver disease)
- Risk of cancer (throat, mouth, voice box, esophagus, rectum, colon, liver, and more)
If you or someone you know has been negatively impacted by alcohol, don’t hesitate to reach out for help from our Harmony Recovery Center team today.
Alcohol Withdrawals When You Quit Drinking Alcohol – What Do You Need to Know
After someone has abused alcohol for any length of time, they are likely going to experience some withdrawal symptoms when they quit drinking alcohol. Some of these symptoms may only last days. However, there are others that might last weeks, months or even longer. Generally, the more severe and intense withdrawal symptoms will last the shortest amount of time.
It is also important to note that not everyone will experience the same withdrawal symptoms when they quit drinking alcohol. With this being noted, the general alcohol withdrawal timeline goes like this after the last drink:
- 0 to 6 hours – minor, moderate, and severe symptoms generally start about 6 hours after someone has their last drink
- 6 hours – often those who have been abusing alcohol for a long time may have seizures which usually peak about 10 hours after the last drink and taper off a day or so later (which is why professional addiction detox treatment is highly recommended for those with an alcohol use disorder)
- 22 hours – minor symptoms may peak about this time such as irritability, anxiousness, trouble sleeping, and losing your appetite
- 24 hours – hallucinations may start and then peak about the 36 to 48 hour mark
- 36 hours – moderate to severe symptoms will likely peak around this time including sweating, tremors, restlessness, high heart rate, nausea, vomiting, nightmares, vivid dreams, hypersensitivity, concentration issues, hearing and seeing things that aren’t really there, and seizures
- 48 hours – chances of the serious complication known as delirium tremens or DTs that involve agitation, disorientation, trouble regulating own body temperature, altered consciousness, blood pressure issues, and high or low heart rate
- 4 days – most minor symptoms should subside
- 6 days – moderate to severe symptoms should lessen
- 1 week – hallucinations should start diminishing at this point, but may last a few more weeks
- 2 weeks – delirium tremens should ease up
Now that you have a general guideline of what may happen when you quit drinking alcohol, you can and should reach out to our alcohol addiction treatment facility for the help that you need.
How Getting Sober Can Help You
Most people know the extent to which alcohol can cause detrimental effects of a person’s mental and physical health. With this being said, there are numerous benefits that you can see when you quit drinking alcohol that are well worth the effort you need to put in during your recovering lifestyle.
Some of these benefits that are worth noting include:
- Lower blood pressure
- Reversing memory loss, cognitve issues, behavior control problems, and difficulties with reaction time
- Better management over body weight
- Potentailly regenerating liver cells that were damaged
- Being able to take better control over your life
- Reduction to insulin resistance
- Less of a risk for cancer every year that you are sober
- Better job and life opportunities
- Improved relationships
- More and better self-confidence
- Happiness
- More energy
- Better sleep
As you can see, when you quit drinking alcohol, you can experience benefits to every area of your life. If you are ready to take this journey, please reach out to our Harmony Recovery Center today.
Quitting Alcohol – What is the Process
The process to quit drinking alcohol is a bit differently for everyone. However, there are some guidelines that can give you a good idea of what you can expect such as:
- Making physical or mental notes of why you want to quit drinking alcohol (finances, mental health, relationships, physical health, motivation, etc.)
- Talking to a professional addiction treatment team to determine your current relationship with alcohol and what you need to do to quit drinking alcohol
- Make sure alcohol is completely removed from your home and/or other environments you are in regularly
- Take time needed for self-care (eat properly, get better sleep, exercise, meditate, go to treatments, etc.)
- Get all the support you need and can get (addiction treatment program staff, AA groups, family, friends, etc.)
- Learn how and when to say no (so many alcoholics say yes to please others, but you must start thinking about yourself and your own well-being)
- Find healthier ways to spend your time (support groups, AA meetings, exercising, spending time with those who support your recovery, learning new things, etc.)
- Stay out of higher-risk situations and environments (by identifying your triggers, you can learn what places, people, activities, and other things you may need to avoid)
- Asking for help (learn that you deserve help in your life and you shouldn’t be ashamed to ask for it)
- Don’t get discouraged (there are obstacles that you will need to overcome in recovery, potentially even a relapse, if these happen pick yourself back up and keep going in the direction of your recovery plan)
- Learn to manage your cravings (these are common and you can get over them)
Now that you have a good idea of what you can do to get sober and improve your life in recovery, there isn’t anything stopping you. All you have to do is make that first phone call to reach out for help from our Harmony Recovery Center team.
Get Help to Get Sober Today
Do you struggle with alcohol abuse or alcoholism? If so, you are definitely not alone. Here at Harmony Recovery Center, we have a team of experts who can help you to get sober and create the life in recovery that you want and deserve.
Contact us today to get help, so you can quit drinking alcohol right away.