Many people are unaware that they are experiencing nighttime awakenings but wonder why they wake up in the morning feeling exhausted even after a long night’s sleep. However, if you’re banking on a month-long break from alcohol to help you lose weight, Kumar said it’s not your best bet. Excess alcohol consumption may cause weight gain, which means that cutting out alcohol could lead to weight loss for some people. Since alcohol dehydrates the body (hello, hangovers), it can cause skin dryness, wrinkles, and a dull complexion. That’s because dehydration leads to a breakdown of collagen and elastin fibers, which accelerates the formation of fine lines.
What happens when you stop drinking alcohol for a month? Experts reveal the results to expect in less than 4 weeks
This can translate to a decrease in depressive symptoms, fewer angry outbursts, a reduction in mood swings, less anxiety, and an overall feeling of greater emotional stability and happiness. This period allows for the brain to heal from alcohol’s emotional dampening effects, facilitating genuine emotional processing. After successfully navigating the acute withdrawal phase, typically within the first week, individuals may notice stronger psychological cravings and urges for alcohol. The intense physical discomfort of withdrawal may have receded, allowing the brain more capacity to register alcohol’s absence from the system.
Other Benefits When You Stop Drinking
Katinka has previously been awarded grants by state governments and public funding bodies for alcohol and other drug research. Nicole Lee works as a paid evaluation and training consultant in alcohol and other drugs. She has previously been awarded grants by state and federal governments, NHMRC and other public funding bodies for alcohol and other drug research. A regular glass of wine is the equivalent of eating three Jaffa Cakes – which soon adds up. Not to mention, booze triggers cravings for salty snacks and sugar cravings tend to emerge with a hangover.
Commit to Sobriety
In 2024, 25% of US adults who regularly drink alcohol completed the Dry January challenge. But knowledge is power, and to help set expectations, I’ll be sharing some common experiences I’ve seen with my recovery coaching clients, and in my own sobriety journey. As research is starting to show, consistently drinking less alcohol can have some important health benefits—which are sure to linger long after the month has ended. In another survey of 857 British adults who participated in Dry January, participants also reported drinking less six months after giving up alcohol for a month. Some of the other benefits of giving up alcohol include improved sleep, improved mood, including a decrease in depression and anxiety, plus healthier skin and What Happens to the Body When You Stop Drinking Alcohol a healthier gut.
- Stopping drinking will reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and give the skin a healthier glow.
- It’s essential to stay hydrated during this time, as dehydration can exacerbate these symptoms.
- This can create dangerous withdrawal symptoms but will typically fully resolve within two weeks.
- You will likely feel a renewed sense of readiness to embrace significant life changes and fully inhabit your new, healthy routines.
On top of that, you’re likely feeling less anxiety and are drug addiction better able to regulate your emotions when life’s hiccups arise. But anything more than a drink or so a day has the opposite effect, especially if you abuse or are addicted to alcohol. After 30 days without alcohol, your brain and thought processes might become clearer, according to Larson. “A short-term break from alcohol will allow the liver cells to recover from the persistent toxic injury from the alcohol,” Larson said.
Will I feel more productive or focused during this period?
According to a 2022 review, giving up alcohol can help reduce anxiety and depression, enhance mood, and improve cognitive function. 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. In some cases, people who have been heavily dependent drug addiction on alcohol may experience severe withdrawal symptoms known as delirium tremens (DTs).
- Abstaining for 12 months is a massive achievement so celebrate your success whatever it may look like.
- So quitting can help improve brain health within a few days in light to moderate drinkers and within a month even for very heavy dependent drinkers.
- Even if you don’t drink a lot, the end of an alcohol-free month is a good time to reflect on your relationship with alcohol.
- But if you drink alone, or down multiple drinks a day, it could turn into an unhealthy habit.
- This is the time that withdrawal symptoms such as urges, cravings and thoughts around alcohol can start to reduce as well and become much more manageable.
Hopefully, you’ve started to experience some of those benefits from the 1 month list and it’s ok if it took a little longer than a month to notice them. It’s also not appropriate for those who experience alcohol dependence of addiction, and may need specialist support. But for many people who are motivated to change their drinking, it can be effective – and comes with numerous physical and psychological health benefits. During the first hours, you may experience acute withdrawal symptoms like headaches and sweating. However, as your body starts to stabilize, you may also experience improved hydration, decreased inflammation, improved digestion, and mood stabilization. If you want to cut back or quit drinking but don’t know where to start, consider trying Reframe.
Will I experience withdrawal symptoms if I stop drinking?
We aim to help you stop using alcohol and empower you to maintain lifelong sobriety.Quitting alcohol may seem daunting; however, you can do it! You don’t have to take this journey alone; we are here to help you through each step of the way. Contact us today to learn how you can gain lasting freedom from alcohol. Stopping alcohol https://ecosober.com/ will reduce the number of empty calories that you consume.
- We want you to be informed of the things you can start noticing after a couple of weeks, all the way to 12 months down the track.
- All of these risks can be reduced by quitting or cutting back on alcohol.
- This period allows for the brain to heal from alcohol’s emotional dampening effects, facilitating genuine emotional processing.
- Your healthcare team will help treat each symptom as soon as it develops and equip you for success.
It is important to remember, however, that if you are a heavy drinker or have been drinking to excess for a long time, the process of quitting can be difficult and can even cause dangerous withdrawal symptoms. To help you stay safe on your sobriety journey, we have put together a “Quitting Alcohol Timeline” to guide you through potential complications and how to combat them. On the first day after you quit drinking, the commitment might feel surprisingly manageable.
For people who have experienced weight gain due to drinking excess alcohol, weight loss may be part of the AF (alcohol-free) experience. Finally, you may start to experience a boost in your overall mood and a less intense experience of anxiety or depression. By days 4 to 6 after quitting alcohol, most of the major physical withdrawal symptoms should start to subside. During this time, your liver function, immune system, and cognitive function begins to improve. You may also notice an increase in your energy levels and a decrease in fatigue.
