Quitting Alcohol: What Happens Next?

Addiction is something that is becoming increasingly prevalent in the 21st century, whether it is due to drinking, drugs, sex or even stuffing with chocolate. Whatever the addiction it is certainly harmful to yourself, but can also be extremely harmful to others, and it often changes your personality for the worse, not for the better. Making the decision to give up a vice can be extremely tough, but it will also be the best decision that you have ever made. In this article, we are going to concentrate on alcohol and will take a look at what happens next when you decide to give it up, not only from the changes that your body will undergo but also the steps necessary to ensure that you will recover from your addiction and then can go on to live life to its fullest.  

When you decide to quit drinking for good the start is always the hardest part because your body is going to go through the withdrawal process and there will be many unpleasant symptoms of this. You will find that you start to sweat profusely and that you have trouble sleeping at night, and you may become restless and suffer from anxiety. Some people will start to have hand tremors and you may start to feel low and depressed. Cravings for alcohol will start to manifest themselves within the first week, and if you can get through this stage you know that you are well on the road to recovery. 

After the first week is over you should start to feel more normal, depending on the severity of your addiction. The withdrawal symptoms should stop, however, hardened drinkers may start to feel the DT’s, or delirium tremens, and may need to seek medical attention. Your sleeping should start to improve as there will now be no alcohol in your system, and you ought to start experiencing weight loss due to the fewer calories you are consuming. Your liver, being one of the most amazing organs in your body, will start to repair itself and gradually your whole body will start to return to normal, as it was before alcoholism manifested itself. 

It will be at this stage that you will most likely fall off the wagon if your addiction is severe, or if you are unable to say no to those cravings that are nagging you at the back of your head. Now is the time to seek help, according to experts from iRecover.ca, because you don’t want to undo all your hard work, and you have to recognise that the recovery period will be so much easier if you do it alongside others that also have the same addiction problems as you do. Joining alcoholics anonymous is one option, or a rehabilitation centre may be necessary for those with extreme issues. Sometimes just having a conversation with a professional counsellor can be the answer to your problems as you will be able to talk through your fears and receive the reassurance that you need that you are on the right path to recovery. 

When your cravings for a drink really hit their peak it is paramount that you replace the time you spent drinking with something else. You must find an activity or a hobby that you enjoy that can take the place of the dreaded booze. The first stage to this is understanding what your triggers are so that you can take yourself away from the environment that causes your drinking, and then replacing it with something else. You should find that you have more energy so taking up a sport such as running or cycling can really help you to replace the cravings for a drink, with the endorphins that your body releases after strenuous exercise helping you to feel exhilarated and alive.

After one year of being alcohol free, you should notice huge changes to your body and your lifestyle in general. Your sleeping should have returned to normal and your skin complexion will look 10 years younger. All your cravings should have dissipated and you will feel as if you have endless energy to get on with your life. Your relationships with your friends and family will have improved and you will have developed a new sense of self-esteem that allows you to tackle life head-on, rather than cowering in the shadows. 

As we have discovered, there will be many changes to your life once you stop drinking. Initially, it will be hard as you experience withdrawal symptoms and will suffer from intense cravings, but if you get through this period you will start to see the benefits of being alcohol free. Getting help will ease the path to sobriety and spending the period with others going through the same process will help you to feel a sense of camaraderie that will make the process that much easier. One year on, you will feel and look much better, your sleeping will have returned to normal and you will have a new zest for life. So, if you feel like you need to quit, don’t hesitate to start today.