Even though the side effects of quitting alcohol can be scary, the impact this disease is having on the United States is even more frightening. It’s hard to believe, but one in eight Americans, or 12.7 percent of the total population, can be diagnosed with alcohol use disorder. With this number on the rise, it’s essential for long-time drinkers to look past the adverse effects and seek help.
The problem is that while many people want to stop drinking, their worries keep them attached to their addiction. This is more common than most people are led to believe, and our goal is to provide the help people need to put down the bottle once and for all.
The truth of the matter is that while some of the symptoms are undesirable, you’ll find the effects far outweigh them. Read on to gain the insight you need to stop drinking with confidence.
If you or a loved one need alcohol treatment, please contact our Miami rehab today by calling 1-800-626-1980.
Your call could save a life.
The Good
Keep these in mind as you focus on your sobriety. While you might feel bad in the beginning, getting past the initial adverse symptoms brings benefits that make the discomfort worth the struggle.
Saves You Money
While many people choose to focus on the adverse side effects, they forget about how much money they’ll save by putting the bottle down. And this doesn’t even include the money one saves by avoiding poor financial decisions driven by their drinking. Legal problems coming as a result of binge drinking? They’re quite pricey, and preventing them from happening is going to save you money.
For those of you who are curious about how much money you’ll save by quitting drinking, check out the National Institute of Health’s alcohol spending calculator. With this tool, you’ll determine how much money you’re spending on alcohol. Or how much money you’ll save by putting down the bottle.
Social Stability: Helps You To Reconnect With Family & Friends
Isolation is a common as an alcoholic, so it’s no wonder that one of the good things is the ability to reconnect with loved ones. Reforging former bonds with the people you care about is one of the best results of giving up drinking. Whether you’re estranged from your children or missing some of your friends, abandoning the liquor and becoming a better person in the process gives you the option to attempt to reconnect.
Improves Your Physical & Mental Health
Alcohol use disorder leads to physical and mental health problems. The toxic chemical processing forces the body to perform at sub-par levels. Drinking also impedes upon one’s ability to make good decisions, typically resulting in regrettable and undesirable actions.
When you stop drinking, your body focuses on improving its functionality. Your body begins performing better and your brain becomes unfogged as time progresses. All in all, the improvements you’ll feel on your physical and mental well-being will have a tremendously positive impact on your life.
A Healthier Heart
Liquor damages the heart and pulmonary system, especially in individuals prone to these kinds of issues. Reducing the risk of heart disease is one of the good side effects you should keep in mind. With 500,000 Americans receiving a heart failure diagnosis each year, heart health should always be a priority.
A Healthier Liver
According to the American Liver Foundation, “Fatty liver is present in approximately 90 to 100 percent of heavy drinkers.” With this in mind, diminishing fatty liver and getting back on track for optimum health is a major benefit of quitting drinking. Over time, your liver will become healthier as it repairs itself from the damage.
Healthier, More Youthful Skin
Alcohol is terrible for your skin because it promotes body tissue inflammation. This is why having a red face is so common when people are drinking. Eventually, this inflammation damages the skin. By quitting drinking, you’re avoiding this inflammation and your skin will no longer deteriorate as fast.
Decreases Empty Caloric Intake
Liquor incorporates undesirable empty calories into your diet. How many calories exactly? Well, that all depends on how much you’re drinking. To get a better idea of how many empty calories you’re ingesting, check out the National Institute of Health’s Alcohol Calorie Calculator.
As you calculate your calories, keep in mind that 3,500 calories is the equivalent of 1 pound of body fat. With this being the case, consider how much weight you could lose, or avoid putting on, simply by cutting alcohol out of your diet!
The Bad
The way alcohol impacts the brain — depressing it and slowing it down — eventually forces your brain to adapt to these depressing effects. If you’re a habitual drinker, your brain is releasing an excess of stimulating chemicals when you’re not drinking to compensate for the dulling effects of the liquor.
Over time, the overproduction of these chemicals becomes normal to the brain. With this being the case, the brain continues producing this surplus of stimulating chemicals after you quit drinking.
While your brain will eventually readjust, you might feel a little sick while getting your head back to a state of normalcy. The following symptoms come as a result of this overstimulation:
The Psychological Symptoms
- Nervous or jumpy feelings
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Foggy thoughts
- Nightmares
- Shakiness
- Feelings of anxiety
- Becoming excited or irritated with ease
- Roller coaster of emotions
The Physical Symptoms
- Headaches
- Sweating, particularly the face or palms
- Cold/clammy skin
- Pupils of different sizes (enlarged, dilated pupils)
- Involuntary, abnormal movements of your eyelids
- Paleness
- Rapid heart rate (palpitations)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diminished appetite
- Difficulty sleeping
- Abnormal movements
- Tremoring hands
Conclusion
While the side effects of quitting alcohol cold turkey can be daunting, treatments are available to help alleviate these symptoms. The sad fact of the matter is that these withdrawal symptoms can severely hinder a person’s efforts to quit drinking.
In fact, the effects of these symptoms have the potential to drive a relapse in the early stages of recovering. Fortunately, medications are available to ease these effects. Allow the good to motivate you to a brighter future.
Take a step towards a better transition of yourself. If you or someone you love are struggling with alcohol addiction and need alcohol rehab treatment, please contact our rehab in Florida today by calling 1-800-626-1980.
