Life After Quitting Alcohol: 10 Proven Ways to Improve Health

“Alcohol Addiction” is the term that is thrown in our faces now and then, either through some media or educational campaigns.

Do you believe you are overindulging in alcohol? 

How much is too much for you?

There’s a very thin line between drinking for taste and drinking to quench addiction. People suffering from addiction experience cravings, compulsions, control, and consequences

You may be thinking about quitting or are already cutting down on alcohol, and your desire to continue seems to be dwindling. 

Don’t worry, we are there to support you.

Considering how much better your life becomes after quitting alcohol, it may help you decide whether you want to continue on this path or not.

1. Improved Physical Health

The first change one will notice in the initial few days of quitting alcohol is improved physical health. Alcohol has many detrimental effects on a person’s body. Be it liver, heart, skin, intestines, weight and the list goes on.

Alcohol inhibits the absorption of essential nutrients. After quitting, your body becomes better at absorbing essential nutrients, and your immunity improves, along with skin texture.

2. Better Mental Health

Many people may be ignorant of this fact but most people who indulge in alcohol abuse may also struggle with underlying mental health conditions. Alcohol slows down the brain process and often leads a person to experience episodes of anxiety, outbursts of anger, irritation, and frustration. 

Alcohol is a depressant; quitting it altogether will help improve your mental health. Initially, it may feel like an unbearable task, and you will have to fight back dreaded withdrawal symptoms.

However, once you overcome it, you will no longer be reliant on alcohol to cope with depression, stress, or anxiety.

3. Stronger Relationships

Alcoholism ruins relationships. Be it with your immediate family, friends, or society at large. Addicts tend to showcase more self-centered behavior patterns. They are emotionally unavailable and tend to become violent and abusive whenever they are unable to satisfy their craving for alcohol.

Life of sobriety helps you get rid of impaired judgment, have better control over your emotions and be patient, which helps in building stronger relationships.

The major depressant in your life was alcohol. Needless to say, a life free from alcohol will enhance your productivity.

4. More Financial Savings

It’s a no-brainer; in life after quitting alcohol, you end up saving more money in comparison to what you saved before. 

Addicts’ sense of judgment blurs when they are intoxicated, and their constant need to drink just one more sip results in them spending all their hard-earned money on alcohol. 

It is not uncommon for addicts to steal from family and friends in an attempt to quench their thirst. They can even lead their family into a life of generational poverty by exhausting every penny of their inheritance.

5. Better Sleep

Alcoholism is one of the main reasons to disrupt sleep cycles. One may feel that under the influence of alcohol, he or she may get better sleep but that’s a myth.

Under the influence of alcohol, you feel drowsy and might nap for 1-2 hours but that 1-2 hour sleep nowhere compares to the good 8 hour sleep one gets after giving their 100% during the day.

It is all connected, a change in lifestyle after quitting alcohol results in better sleep which in turn improves mental health, increased energy levels, productivity, physical health, and overall well-being.

You will find yourself in a better financial position and with this newfound freedom you can explore various paths for personal growth and development.

6. Happy Liver and Heart

Excess drinking can take a toll on your liver and heart. It can result in fatty liver and you are at a high risk of experiencing heart failure. Fortunately, the day you gave up alcohol was the day your recovery journey began.

Life after quitting alcohol is all about healing, giving your liver and heart time to recover. 

A healthy liver and heart are essential for maintaining good health.

7. More Time for Hobbies and Interests

Having quit alcohol, you will realize that you have a significant amount of free time which you have never had before due to being intoxicated most of the time.

You can reset your life and focus more on pursuing your hobbies and interests. 

Happiness is pursuing activities that bring you joy and satisfaction.

8. Reduced Risk Of Cancer

People who are habitual drinkers are more at risk of developing alcohol-related cancers such as breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, voice box, liver, and colon.

Removing alcohol from your life places you at a lower risk of developing cancer.

9. Weight Loss

Alcoholics may gain weight as a result of an excess intake of calories.

Abstaining from alcohol may result in weight loss, improvements in body composition, less stomach fat, and lowered triglycerides.

10. Improves Digestion

Drinking alcohol can alter your gut microbiome, which helps you digest food. Gut microbiomes are full of both good and bad bacteria that, when in balance, help regulate different body processes. A disturbed gut microbiome may lead to digestive symptoms such as stomach aches, bloating, gas, and even piles.

Quitting alcohol improves digestion, which further enhances the metabolism process. 

Tips for Quitting Alcohol

Quitting alcohol can be way more challenging than one might think. Depending on what spectrum you are, whether a once-in-a-while drinker, a habitual drinker, or a heavy drinker. Based on your severity, the withdrawal symptoms one may experience may vary to a great extent. 

The following tips may prove to be beneficial in your journey:

1. Set Realistic Goals:

No one can overcome alcohol addiction in a day or two. It’s a continuous process that requires dedicated efforts to fully recover from alcohol. 

Cutting back or quitting drinking altogether cannot be achieved in one day. Set clear goals. Will you start cutting down on daily consumption by taking one step at a time, or will you undergo a treatment process to quit once and for all?

Make realistic targets for the week and try your very best to achieve them. For example: surviving one week without alcohol then slowly increasing it to 15 days and then 30 days and like this eliminating it from your life.

2. Avoid triggers

No one can overcome alcohol addiction in a day or two. It’s a continuous process that requires dedicated efforts to fully recover from alcohol. 

Cutting back or quitting drinking altogether cannot be achieved in one day. Set clear goals, will you start cutting down on daily consumption by taking one step at a time, or will you undergo a treatment process to quit once and for all?

Make realistic targets for the week and try your very best to achieve them. For example: surviving one week without alcohol then slowly increasing it to 15 days and then 30 days and like this eliminating it from your life.

3. Self Control

Practice self-control. It’s not easy to overcome the urge to drink alcohol. Withdrawal symptoms make it even tougher. During those times the only thing to fight back the urge is by practicing self-control. Distract yourself, and put your energy into some other work. For example, go for brisk walking, exercise, and clean your house. Make sure to fully exhaust your body.

Alternatives to Alcohol

One of the best ways to overcome the constant thirst to drink alcoholic beverages is to replace them with other non-alcoholic beverages. 

One can choose their pick from the following alternatives:

1. Kombucha 

Kombucha is a sweet and sour drink made of black or green tea. Also, it includes lactic acid bacteria which make it a great probiotic drink.

2. Mocktails

Also known as a cocktail without liquor, made of various combinations of juices, sodas, and water to provide a variety of flavors.

3. Sparkling Juices

As sparkling juices use the same fermentation process as sparkling wine, they make a perfect alternative to Prosecco or champagne.

Try Alternative Medicines

Many people may not know about this but various practices in different alternative medicines can help enhance the process of quitting alcohol.

Acupuncture, Mindfulness, Ayurveda, and Homeopathy are some examples of such alternative medicines.

The market is currently filled with numerous ayurvedic medicines that claim to help in quitting alcohol addiction.

Addiction Killer is an ayurvedic symphony of various herbal extracts and herbs that combat addiction naturally. The formulation has proven to be effective for people who struggle to quit alcohol.

The product comes in both variants that is Addiction Killer Liquid and Addiction Killer Powder and is 100% safe for consumption.

Conclusion

The road to recovery from alcohol addiction is not a park walk. 

It requires a lot of discipline, willpower, and dedication. 

Withdrawal symptoms can be unbearable and make one feel agitated, angry, and frustrated all the time.

You need to ask yourself whether it is worth it: The answer will be always yes

It is worth the effort to achieve happiness, good health, and life satisfaction.