Alcohol affects gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate, key brain chemicals that regulate mood, anxiety, and sleep. As these systems recalibrate, individuals may experience mood fluctuations, sleep disturbances, and changes in anxiety levels. Quitting alcohol cold turkey isn’t an easy feat to achieve, and it doesn’t happen overnight. For many people, recovery is a slow process, and drinking less can be a great way to start.
Share Your Plan With Family And Friends, And Know What You’ll Say If Someone Offers You A Drink
Alcohol typically clears from the body within 12 to 24 hours, depending on factors like weight, liver function, and how much was consumed. However, full recovery from alcohol’s effects on the liver, brain, and immune system may take weeks or months. Medical detox and ongoing care, like that offered at Missouri Behavioral Health, can support this process. That said, If you’ve been drinking excessively, then stopping drinking cold turkey can lead to withdrawal symptoms. Within just a month of not drinking, your body can begin to reap the benefits. Your liver can start to heal, your risks of heart disease and cancer go down, and you may begin to sleep better.
Feel like you should be drinking less? Start here
When a craving hits, check if you’re Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. Often, addressing these basic needs can alleviate the 16 ways to stop drinking alcohol urge to drink. But if that’s all you do, they can leave you tired and fearful of urges.
- Treatment often includes counseling, group sessions, and personalized care plans.
- A shot of distilled spirits like vodka is 1.5 ounces and equally 40% alcohol.
- Options like naltrexone, acamprosate, and others can help reduce cravings or make alcohol less rewarding.
How to Know When It’s Time to Cut Back
Family and friends can provide encouragement and support when you stop drinking. By opening up about your relationship with alcohol, you might also encourage others to explore their own drinking habits. Becoming more aware of your alcohol triggers and reasons for drinking can help you plan ways to help manage the urge to drink. It’s important to know that if your body has developed a strong dependence on alcohol, trying to quit “cold turkey” can be hazardous to your health. For some people, it’s best to get professional help when creating your reduction plan.
Teen & Young Adult Treatment Tracks
Replace drinking with healthy coping tools—like journaling, exercise, or talking to a friend. It’s also helpful to keep a glass of water or tea nearby to break the habit of reaching for an alcoholic beverage. Over time, the cravings fade as your body and mind adjust to sobriety. The severity of your withdrawal symptoms and how quickly they progress determine whether you have mild, moderate, or severe withdrawal syndrome.
What Are the Benefits of 30 Days Without Alcohol?
However, even with precautions taken, it is likely someone will offer you alcohol during your sobriety journey. Preparing a response ahead of time can help relieve any pressure you may feel and let others know your boundaries. If you use alcohol as a coping mechanism, the idea of not having it available may be scary. However, the temptation that keeping alcohol in the house creates is often a catalyst for relapse.
- While you can’t make the urge go away, you can see it for what it is.
- Information provided on Forbes Health is for educational purposes only.
- Consider how giving into an urge keeps it alive while not giving into the urge slowly kills it.
- Your primary care provider may or may not be willing to prescribe you naltrexone for cutting back on your drinking if that is your goal.
- Feeling at your best physically can boost resilience and emotional strength, equipping you to weather challenges that trigger the desire to drink.
Sobriety didn’t fix all of that, but it gave me the stability to start healing for real. I just know I feel better, clearer, and more powerful alcohol-free. Initial changes occur within hours as blood alcohol levels drop to zero. The liver, which processes approximately 90% of consumed alcohol, begins focusing on other metabolic functions rather than alcohol breakdown.
Pinpoint Your Triggers
You will likely experience anxiety, depression, and sleeping issues. Therefore, when you quit drinking alcohol abruptly, the central nervous system may become overactive, producing many negative withdrawal symptoms. Remember, it’s essential for anyone struggling with alcohol use to seek professional help. Different approaches work for different individuals, and a healthcare provider can help tailor a treatment plan that fits the individual’s unique needs. Also, there is medication available that can help manage cravings.
Focus on the benefits—better sleep, improved digestion, lower blood pressure, and better mood. Avoiding alcohol also helps with weight control, reduces bloating, and stabilizes emotion, making everyday life feel more manageable. Over time, your sobriety becomes part of your new routine, replacing old drinking patterns with habits that support your health and well-being. Some people benefit from medications like naltrexone, which helps reduce alcohol cravings.
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You may also experience new symptoms, including tremors, seizures, hallucinations, and delirium tremens. This period can be the most dangerous for someone and may even be fatal without medical treatment. Along with the symptoms above, you may also experience nightmares, emotional mood swings, sleep disturbances, excessive sweating, and trouble thinking clearly. Sunnyside Med offers access to compounded naltrexone (50mg + B6 5mg), paired with behavioral tools to help you reduce your drinking over time. If you’ve decided to stop drinking alcohol on your own, here are a few tips that may help make the process easier.
A therapist can help you address underlying issues, develop coping strategies, and provide ongoing support in your recovery journey. Effectively managing alcohol cravings involves a combination of short-term strategies for immediate relief and long-term approaches for sustained recovery. To drop the number of drinks you have each week, start with a daily limit.
In addition, alcohol use can adversely affect your personal, professional, academic, and social abilities. It is time to seek help for an AUD if you are avoiding activities due to misusing alcohol, have lost or broken relationships, or cannot perform duties due to your drinking. If you are a heavy drinker, have a physical dependence on alcohol, or have attempted to quit and have been unsuccessful, it may be time to consider a professional alcohol treatment program. Crystal Raypole has previously worked as a writer and editor for GoodTherapy.
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