22 Jul

   

The Benefits Of Quitting Drinking

Deciding to give up alcohol and quit drinking is a smart and healthy decision. However, kicking this habit can be challenging if you drink regularly, binge drink, or are a heavy drinker. Hence, things are even more difficult if you are addicted to alcohol. Fortunately, no matter what type of drinker you are, there are numerous benefits of quitting drinking.  

Health Risks of Regular/Heavy Drinking

To help motivate you to quit drinking, it is essential to learn about the risks of drinking alcohol and its effects on the body. The more frequently you drink and the more alcohol you consume, your health risks increase and can include:

• • Anxiety
• • Depression
• • Weight Gain
• • Digestive Problems
• • High Blood Pressure
• • Cirrhosis of the Liver
• • Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• • Alcoholic Hepatitis
• • Pancreatitis
• • Stroke
• • Heart Disease
• • Liver Failure
• • Kidney Problems
• • Dependency
• • Addiction

Alcohol Dependence vs. Alcohol Addiction

Dependence is where you are physically dependent on alcohol as your body adapts to the effects of alcohol. Because of this, you also begin experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms, like a hangover, when you stop drinking. 

Addiction is a disease resulting in intense cravings for alcohol due to the physical changes in the brain after repeated exposure to alcohol. As a result, these cravings can lead to uncontrollable alcohol use, where you drink simply to function. 

Physical Benefits of Quitting Drinking

Once you quit drinking and the alcohol leaves your body, you will gradually start to feel better physically and mentally. One of the most important physical benefits of quitting drinking is your body will begin to heal the damage caused by drinking. Various treatments, including medication assisted detox can help ease the hardships of quitting drinking. Other benefits you can experience include:

• • Regaining a Healthier Weight – You will no longer be consuming the empty calories found in alcohol. As such, you should notice a weight reduction. In addition, if you exercise and eat healthy meals, it will not be long before you shed all the weight you accumulated when drinking. 
• • More Restful Sleep – The effects of drinking alter sleep cycles and cause you not to get enough restful sleep. Even though alcohol can make you sleepy, long-term use can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. 
• • Improved Skin – Alcohol causes the skin to become less elastic, dries it out, and causes other skin problems. When you quit drinking, your body begins to heal the effects alcohol had on your skin. 
• • More Money – You will notice more money left over since you are not wasting it on alcohol.
• • Better Immunity/Immune System Response – Alcohol prevents the immune system from producing sufficient white blood cells to fight infections. So, you should notice you get less frequent colds, flu, and other illnesses after you stop drinking. 
• • Reduced Cancer Risk – The risks of developing certain cancers decreases after you quit drinking, including breast, liver, throat, rectal, colon, oral, and esophageal cancer. 

With such great benefits right around the corner, it is no wonder that more and more people are choosing to quit drinking once and for all.

Mental Health Benefits of Quitting Drinking

The mental health benefits of quitting drinking include: 

• • Improved Concentration
• • Better Reasoning and Problem Solving
• • Improved Memory
• • Better Overall Mental Health
• • Increased Self-Confidence
• • Decreased Anxiety
• • Decreased Depression

These benefits can generally be seen after only a few weeks of sobriety.

Signs and Symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder

Most people are familiar with the signs and symptoms of drinking too much alcohol, such as:

• • Slurred Speech
• • Poor Coordination
• • Impaired Thinking
• • Feeling Relaxed, Calm, and Euphoric

As they continue to misuse alcohol, they will continue to experience these common signs and symptoms. However, they will often start experiencing other signs and symptoms that indicate they have alcohol use disorder (AUD), an addiction to alcohol, including:

• • Engaging in risky behaviors
• • Drinking more often and in larger quantities to achieve the desired effects.
• • Drinking to avoid hangovers and withdrawal symptoms.
• • Looking forward to drinking
• • Drinking more on their own rather than socially
• • Taking time away from family, friends, work, and other responsibilities just to drink
• • Denying the seriousness of their alcohol use.
• • Hiding their drinking from concerned friends and family
• • Abruptly ending relationships with others that have concerns over their drinking
• • Hanging out with other people who misuse alcohol frequently.
• • Experiencing short-term memory problems and blackouts.
• • Inability to stop drinking or limit how much they drink once they start.

• • Desire to quit drinking but cannot do so because of the intense cravings for alcohol.
• • Continuing to drink even when they know it is causing personal, relationship, financial, physical, mental, and social problems. 

Knowing these signs and how to recognize them could effectively mean the difference between a new lease on life and tragedy.

At-Home Detox for Alcohol Use Disorder in Beverly Hills, CA  

When you want help to quit drinking, whether you are a heavy drinker, binge drinker, or are addicted to alcohol, MD Home Detox can provide the support and care you need with our at-home alcohol detox treatment programs. 

We offer access to experienced medical professionals who can recommend detox options appropriate for your needs and reduce the severity of withdrawal systems. In addition, we also provide medication assisted treatment options that can be beneficial in some instances. 

After your detox is complete, we can make recommendations and referrals to other professionals if you wish to continue seeking alcohol use disorder treatment. 

Please feel free to contact us today to learn more about our at-home alcohol detox programs and to start your detox in Beverly Hills or the greater Los Angeles area.