Alcohol & Health
Treatment
Helping Alcoholics
Medically Reviewed by Annamarie Coy, BA, ICPR, MATS
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Heavy drinking and alcoholism can take a serious toll on your physical and mental health. So cutting back or quitting altogether have major health benefits.
Alcohol affects the way your brain operates.
It can change your mood and behavior, making it more difficult for you to think and move properly.
You lose your inhibitions and coordination when you drink alcohol.
But that’s not all. Alcohol is linked to serious health conditions that can be life-threatening.
It can affect your heart, liver, pancreas, and more.
Drinking alcohol is even linked to some types of cancers.
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There are tons of benefits to quitting drinking. The pros to not drinking certainly outweigh the cons. But it’s not always easy to quit. These benefits may provide some incentive:
Alcohol is linked to a whole host of heart problems. This includes cardiomyopathy (the drooping of the heart muscle), arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat), stroke, and high blood pressure. Alcohol is also linked to heart disease.
When you quit drinking, you improve your heart health and lessen your risk of cardiovascular concerns.
Alcohol is also correlated with liver problems such as hepatic steatosis (fatty liver), alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Therefore, cutting back on alcohol consumption can improve your liver health.
Alcohol affects the way your brain both looks and functions. This is because it interferes with your brain’s communication pathways. So quitting alcohol is certainly better for your brain.
While some brain damage from alcoholism is irreversible, you may be able to heal other parts of your brain by quitting. A number of factors, including how much alcohol you consumed over what period of time, affect your level of brain impairment.
Alcohol is a possible cause of weight gain. Therefore, cutting back on alcohol or quitting altogether can help you shed some pounds if you are trying to lose weight.
Alcohol can lead to inflammation and puffiness, especially in the face. Quitting can lead to decreased inflammation and puffiness.
Alcohol is a depressant. It can also make you hungover. Without alcohol, you’ll have more energy to dedicate to your work, your family, exercise, etc.
Alcohol doesn’t just have physical and mental health consequences. It can also affect your personal relationships, including those with family, friends, and partners.
You may notice improved relationships without alcohol, which may be a result of different reasons. Perhaps you feel more rational, present, and engaged.
Alcohol is tied to some types of cancers, including esophageal cancer, breast cancer, head and neck cancer, liver cancer, and colorectal cancer. If you don’t drink alcohol, you’re at a lower risk of developing these types of cancers.
Alcohol can take a toll on your libido and cause sexual dysfunction, especially for men. So ditching the alcohol can actually improve your sex drive.
Alcohol can affect your sleep patterns. Because it is a depressant, it slows brain activity and can make you feel tired. But it’s also linked to poorer-quality sleep. People with alcohol use disorder commonly deal with insomnia. That’s why quitting alcohol can improve your quality of sleep.
It’s no secret that alcohol can hurt your immune functioning. Chronic drinkers have weakened immune systems, making them more susceptible to certain illnesses. But cutting back or quitting can improve your immune system.
Alcohol and high blood pressure go hand in hand. And high blood pressure can lead to several cardiovascular issues. But you can lower your blood pressure by no longer drinking.
While many people abuse alcohol as an escape mechanism, alcohol can actually have adverse effects. Alcohol has well-researched effects on mental health. For example, it’s been linked to depression.
You can improve your mental health by not drinking. If you have an alcohol use disorder and a mental health problem, it is essential to seek help for both conditions.
How long it takes to feel better after you stop drinking will vary from person to person. Generally, you will start to feel healthier within a week or so of quitting alcohol. But, for some people, the process can take months.
How serious your alcohol addiction is and how bad withdrawal symptoms are can affect the length of time it takes to feel better after quitting.
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While quitting an alcohol addiction is critical to your health in the long run, it can be a difficult journey. There are potential side effects of quitting if you start to experience alcohol withdrawal.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms include, but are not limited to, the following:
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can start as soon as a few hours after your last drink. For example, you may experience seizures as early as about six hours after drinking your last alcoholic beverage. Hallucinations may occur within a day.
Don’t try to detox at home or alone. If you feel the need to detox, you may be struggling with alcohol addiction. In this case, you need professional treatment.
If you start to feel withdrawal symptoms, it’s important to reach out to a professional for help. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can range from uncomfortable to deadly. Don’t take the risk.
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If you or someone you know needs help to stop drinking, there are tons of treatment options available.
If you are experiencing any of the following signs and symptoms, it’s time to reach out for help:
Self-Assessment is a great first step to determining if you have a problem. Ask yourself, “Am I an Alcoholic?” There are many options available to help answer that question as well.
Alcohol rehabilitation centers, support groups, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and other options exist to help you get better.
It’s worth looking into the inpatient and outpatient rehab facilities in your area. It’s also worth reaching out to local groups to meet with like-minded people on similar roads to recovery.
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