If you are reading this, there is a fairly high chance that you may have a problem with alcohol, and hence be thinking about stopping drinking. If this is the case, there is also a relatively high chance that the thought of stopping is one that, on some level, scares you. Knowing what to expect from alcohol detox and how stopping drinking can benefit you can help make the process a bit less scary, so let us have a look at what changes you could experience by quitting.
What Effects Does Alcohol Have on the Body?
So, we know that alcohol is harmful – after all, every alcoholic drink has a warning label on it – but how harmful is it? What bad things does it actually do to the body?
Drinking long term can have a serious impact on several parts of the body; some of these are well known, but others may be less so. We are all aware that alcohol damages the liver – there have been several celebrities who have ended up with liver damage due to alcohol abuse. This happens because as the liver tries to process alcohol in the bloodstream, the chemical reaction causes the liver cells to become damaged, leading to scarring. Alcohol can also cause other changes in the body, and inside the brain itself, which can result in other problems. These can include an increased risk of cancer as body cells are damaged by the alcohol, an increased risk of cardiovascular problems, heart disease and strokes, and problems with the digestive system. There is also a higher likelihood of developing mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, and even the possibility of degenerative disorders of the brain, such as dementia.
If heavy alcohol intake continues for a long time, then there is a risk of some of these problems becoming permanent. Nevertheless, if someone with an alcohol problem does manage to stop, the good news is that many of these issues can be reversed as the body works to repair the damage done by alcohol.
What Health Benefits Are There to Stopping Drinking?
Stopping drinking gives the body a chance to repair the damage that alcohol has done to the cells, helping to reverse some of the changes that long-term drinking causes. It may take some time for the improvements in health to be noticed, but if you are an affected individual, then you should experience some of the following benefits when you stop drinking and have gone through the detox process.
- Your body will be able to absorb vitamins and minerals better, so the beneficial effects of these will be felt.
- Your metabolism will improve, and you may begin to lose weight.
- As your body repairs itself, you will start to have more energy.
- Your stress levels will decrease, and the risk of cancer will return to a normal
- Blood pressure will fall back to a normal level, and the potential for heart disease, stroke and cardiovascular problems will also drop.
- You will become ill less often as your immune system is able to work normally again.
- Provided the damage had not gone too far, your liver will begin to repair the damage done to it by alcohol.
All these changes combine to improve general health and feeling of well-being, an undoubted benefit to quitting drinking.
How Long Before I Feel the Benefits of Not Drinking?
Nobody can really predict how quickly you will feel the benefits of stopping drinking. The length of time it takes your body to get rid of all the toxins that have built up from the heavy consumption of alcohol will vary from one person to the next. It also depends on a number of factors including how long you have been drinking for, how much you were drinking, and your individual body.
The first stage is to go through the detox process, which can have some very unpleasant withdrawal symptoms associated with it; how long it takes will again depend on your individual circumstances. The initial symptoms of your body going through detox usually appear within six hours of you stopping drinking, and completing the detox process can take up to two weeks for some individuals.
Once you have gone through detox and your body is able to combat some of the damage that has been done to it, you should start to feel an improvement in your health.
Where Can I Get Help with Alcohol Detox?
Given the severity of some of the potential withdrawal symptoms, it is best that an alcohol detox programme is carried out under medical supervision. Addiction Helpline can give you free and confidential advice, and information on the treatment options available to you, and help you decide what sort of treatment would be best for your individual circumstances. We can also help you to find a place in a suitable rehab centre, sometimes within twenty-four hours. For more information, please call us now.
Source: (Yahoo! Finance) Alcohol Addiction Experts Reveal What Happens to Your Body if You Stop Drinking
