Key Tips For Quitting Alcohol #10 Prioritise Your Own Happiness
This can feel a little self-indulgent, but it is a big part of this journey. After all, you are going to have more time, more money, more energy, and a load more self-esteem, so why not put it to good use?
Life is for living – make sure you live it. Quitting alcohol, and reminding yourself what makes you genuinely happy is important. Taking practical steps to push your happiness back up the priority list is crucial.
When I first set up Sober in Seven, one of my early clients was struggling with what to do on a Saturday evening – she and her husband used to polish off several bottles of wine on the sofa and fall asleep in front of the TV.
She was determined to break the cycle but got in touch as she was feeling a little stumped.
When we chatted, I suggested that if the Saturday night was such a challenge, why not get an early night, and then see what Sunday morning brings?
I didnt hear from her for a few weeks and then received an email out of the blue.
She told me she had considered that advice and decided to go to bed around 8.30 pm. After all, she was generally asleep by then anyway, so why not do it in her own bed?
She lived on the coast of Wales in the UK and mentioned there was a beautiful little beach near her house. It used to break her heart to see all the plastic waste that washed up and various bits of rubbish from careless visitors.
As she put it, Nobody knows I do this, but I feel 10 feet tall for the rest of the day!
Key Tips For Quitting Drinking #12
There are plenty of so-called ‘truths’ out there.
“Addiction is genetic- there is something wrong with you”
“My Uncle drank a bottle of whisky a day and lived until he was 90”
“You will be boring without a drink”
“A little drink every day is good for you”
“You have to hit rock bottom first”
“You never truly recover from this – you will battle this every day”
You get the idea.
Addiction lies in the subconscious mind. The subconscious is enormously powerful, but it tends to believe everything it is told. Bummer.
In the FREEDOM Programme, we spend a bit of time having some fun exploring a lot of this stuff. I firmly believe that if we can do this in a threatening way and have a bit of a laugh at ourselves for falling for some of the utter rubbish that circulates about alcohol abuse and alcoholism, then this is a big part of healing and getting past this.
I was chatting with a lady on one of my exploratory calls, and she asked, “So, are you going to brainwash me then?”
My reply was pretty blunt – “I have bad news, you are getting brainwashed anyway, we are just making sure we choose our own brand of soap!”
I wasn’t actually joking, even though we had a laugh about it.
Subtle pressure to drink alcohol is everywhere.
I did an audit of adult birthday cards in a UK supermarket, and a staggering SIXTY-FIVE percent of cards basically said, “It’s your Birthday – get drunk”
Often when I speak with people, they may say, “I am not sure how I ended up here” and my response is,
The Symptoms Of Alcohol Withdrawal
Depending on your personal level of alcohol dependence, withdrawal symptoms could be mild or severe. In the worst case scenarios, alcohol withdrawal syndrome can include:
- Extreme agitation and confusion
- Visual, auditory, and/or tactile hallucinations
These symptoms could start occurring as soon as 6 hours after your last drink and potentially last for weeks. The severest symptoms are part of delirium tremens , the most dangerous level of alcohol withdrawal that should be undergone only in a hospital or rehab setting as part of a substance abuse recovery process.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has an online questionnaire to help you evaluate your level of alcohol use and better decide your body’s ability to quit “cold turkey” or with the aid of a treatment center. This post-acute withdrawal phase is often the hardest part, and the more recovery resources you have, the better your chances of maintaining sobriety and not relapsing the next day because the withdrawal symptoms are too overwhelming.
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You Have More Free Time
Most people are not aware of how much time drinking consumes until they quit. Heavy drinkers often block off time specifically to drink, which means they arenât doing other things with that time.
Alcohol also distorts your perception of time, especially when you start missing chunks due to blacking out. Whatâs more, alcohol often makes people and activities seem more interesting than they really are. When people quit drinking, they suddenly find they have a lot of free time on their hands they can use to spend time with people they care about, engage in new hobbies, read, get things done, or whatever else they want to do.
A lot of good things happen when you quit drinking. The benefits described above are only the ones you might notice pretty quickly and donât even include many of the health or relationship benefits that will become apparent with time. At The Foundry, we know that recovering from drug and alcohol addiction is about far more than just abstinence itâs about becoming free to live the life you want to live. To learn more about our treatment programs, call us today at or explore our website.
Hair Dryness And Thinning
As previously mentioned, alcohol can dehydrate the individual which can create a lot of consequences on your body and appearance. Hair changes is another example as to how alcohol affects you. Alcohol dries your hair as well as your skin, making it more likely to break and split. Dehydration is also a contributing factor to dandruff and hair loss. Alcohol can create complications for an individuals thyroid which is also known to be a direct result of changes in your hair including hair loss and thinning.
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The Amazing Attributes Of Abstinence
Now you have an idea of what the body must go through to repair itself once you quit drinking, plus the various ways you can support a natural recovery. Keep in mind that alcohol’s effects don’t stop at damage to your body, and thus quitting drinking can improve even more aspects of your life: alcohol detox and abstinence can save you money, can save your relationships from the consequences of binge drinking, and can help save your overall emotional and mental health going forward.
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How Long Will It Take To Feel Better
It may take a full month of not drinking alcohol to feel better. Although positive changes may appear earlier, 3 months of not drinking can not only improve your mood, energy, sleep, weight, skin health, immune health, and heart health. It can even reduce your risk of cancer.
For heavy drinkers and binge drinkers, not drinking alcohol may be enough to improve their health. But regular exercise and a healthy diet are very important to maintain a healthful lifestyle.
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Dehydration Is The Issue
Drinking is classified as two drinks a day. Theres a huge amount of damage to the skin that occurs alcohol affects any mucous membrane, from the pancreas and liver to the skin. The first effect is dehydration, as it actually takes all the fluid out of the skin. If you look at a woman who has been drinking for 20 or 30 years, and a woman the same age who hasnt at all, we see a massive difference in the skinmore wrinkles from that dehydration damage, which can make you look 10 years older.
Health Benefits Of Recovery
Research shows that some of the damage caused to the brain, liver, cardiovascular system, and gut will slowly heal when you stop drinking. After you get past the temporary though sometimes severe discomfort of alcohol withdrawal symptoms, you’ll notice increasing improvements in your physical and mental health. Here are a few to consider.
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Key Tips For Quitting Alcohol #6 Celebrate The Small Wins
This tip can feel a little obvious, but as adults, we have this thing called an EGO . Our ego is full of self-importance and a sense of how the world should be.
Your ego is the voice inside your head that criticises you for slip-ups, robs you of your confidence, and sets you on the path to repeated failure. We tend to instinctively know how to learn when it comes to others, but we lose sight of this when it comes to ourselves.
Think of a child learning to walk do we criticise it, berate it, or tell it that it should have sorted this out by now? Of course not. We look for signs that it is ready to take a step, and we encourage it and support it.
When that first step is made, we celebrate and cheer! But, we also know this is not the end of the story we are not going to see that little infant running the New York or London marathons the following day.
Stumbles will occur and when that happens, we dispense love and reassurance that it is Ok to try again. This is what learning is all about, and this shift in thinking is one of the biggest challenges on this alcohol-free journey.
The Effects Of Dehydration From Alcohol
- Loss of elasticity, leading to wrinkles and sagging skin
Alcohol is known to dehydrate the skin, depriving it of the moisture and nutrients it needs to keep our complexion looking radiant, supple and youthful,” says Dr Rita Rakus , Cosmetic Doctor.
“Alcohol removes the fluid in the skin which can increase the appearance of wrinkles, dryness and sagging skin. As alcohol is a diuretic, it means that it actively draws water away from the body, significantly lowering the bodys water level, therefore causing dehydration. Dehydrated skin can look dry and unhealthy, both in the colour of the skin as well as the texture.”
According to Dr Ioannis Liakas, Medical Director at Vie Aesthetics, dehydration can also lead to congestion, “Dehydration due to alcohol can also dilate the pores of the skin, leading to an increase of blackheads and whiteheads. If this is poorly treated, it can go on to cause acne and rosacea. In the long term, this ages skin and can cause permanent scarring.”
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Ways To Reduce The Effects Of Alcohol
First and foremost its important to be able to take a step back and look at the whole picture. Does the individual show these physical characteristics? If so then the important step is to begin the process of trying to decrease the intake of alcohol. The physical effects can start to be managed including the blood shot eyes, the bloating, and the body odor after just a few weeks of refraining from alcohol use. Everyone is different and depending on the amount of alcohol and the frequency of the alcohol intake the time for these conditions to be managed can vary from person to person.
Over Indulging In Alcohol Can Affect The Way Your Skin Looks The Next Day And In The Future
- Alcohol dehydrates the bodydue to the diuretic effect alcohol has on the renal system.
- Drinking alcohol may be a trigger for some skin conditions such as psoriasis and can exacerbate the severity of those already suffering from psoriasis.
- Drinking is also associated with another skin disorder, Rosacea which can lead to flushing, dryness, irritation and in extreme cases may eventually lead to thickened skin around the nose.
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/ Youll No Longer Drink Just For The Sake Of It
Im astounded it took me so long to arrive at this revelation: if youre not having a good time, you can always just leave. Have you ever been on an awkward date, or stuck in an uncomfortable social situation, and said, Im going to have to drink through this one? Same here. But why not think of the gloriously happy mood youll be in the next day if you forgo the booze and head home instead? Its always good to put your mental health first, just saying.
What Effects Does Alcohol Have On The Body
Considering there is a long list of things one would do while under the influence, that one would never in a million years do when not its safe to say that alcohol has a profound, and often scary, effect on the human body.
Alcohol is classed as a metabolic toxin. When consumed, it triggers a diuretic response in the body, prompting us to pass more urine quickly, in an effort to rid the system of the intruding toxin as quickly as possible.
Aside from interfering with the brains communication pathways, alcohol can break down brain tissue which in turn can affect moods and behavior long term. Alcohol is also no friend to the heart either. High blood pressure, arrhythmias and strokes are all linked to excessive alcohol consumption.
One of the more notable long term effects of alcohol on the body would be the lasting damage it can do to organs like the liver and pancreas. These organs are responsible for the filtration of this substance, and thus spend a lot of time in close contact with it when consumed. The acidity and general toxicity of alcoholic substances will eventually become too much for these very delicate masses of matter to handle.
Effects of Alcohol on Skin and Aging
She also adds that the loss of electrolytes has a negative impact on the skin as electrolytes are necessary in maintaining proper cellular hydration and function. Dehydration from alcohol consumption can take approximately 24-48 hours for the body to rebalance cellular hydration and electrolytes.
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What Happens To The Body When You Stop Drinking
When you stop drinking, your body will begin to detoxify and repair. Depending on how much you drank and for how long, you may experience symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Severe withdrawal can require a visit to the doctor or ER. To learn more about how you can proactively manage mild or moderate withdrawal symptoms and heal faster, check out this article on alcohol detox supplements.
Quit Drinking And Regain Your Natural Face Shape
Alcohol does serious damage to your health, both mental and physical there is no question about that.
A quick google search, or indeed a look around this very website will tell you of the damage that alcohol does to your body and mind.
Here, we are going to look at one specific damage that alcohol does to you it bloats you, both in feeling and in the way you look.
Lets talk about
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Thanks to stress, a lack of sleep, and, um, eating popcorn for dinner three nights in a row, week two threw my face into a bit of a tailspin. I started breaking out in a way I havent broken out in years. I knew it was the stress and my diet, but of course, I started whining as if abstaining from alcohol had caused my acne.
A few people I talked to even backed up my unsubstantiated theory that a lack of alcohol was ruining my face. Your skin is PURGING! Its normal, they told me. When I asked Dr. Zeichner about this skin purge theory though, he pretty much nixed it. Theres no proof that your skin has to rid itself of leftover alcohol by breaking out. He did tell me that a sudden change in my gut bacteria could directly affect my skin. Alcohol has a pretty severe effect on your gut flora so that could explain my woes!
*Carrie Bradshaw voice*
But then I got to thinking, if I had been drinking heavily enough that my gut was accustomed to a certain level of alcohol, thats not great. Its just more proof I needed this break.
One Year Later Your Skin Should Have An Overall Healthier Appearance
Your skin will definitely reap from the benefits of going sober for good: according to Dr. Mauricio, since your liver will be significantly repaired from the damages of alcohol by this point, your skin will have an overall healthier appearance and naturally radiant look.
“Over one year of not drinking alcohol, your liver will be healthier and better at detoxifying your body,” she said. “The healthier you are, the more beautiful your skin looks, so our skin will be more healthy and glowing.”
For more great stories, head to INSIDER’s homepage.
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Where Can You Get Help For Alcohol Detox
The best way to detox from alcohol is to enter an inpatient detox facility or addiction treatment center for medical detox. This can offer 24-hour supervision and medical treatment.
Alcohol detox programs may also be offered by some outpatient treatment providers, although this is not recommended for people with severe alcohol dependence.
How Long To Quit The Drink For Better Skin
The good news is that if you’re planning to quit the drink, there’s a high chance you’ll be able to see an improvement.
“It takes approximately 28 days for your skin to renew itself”, says Imogen. “This process varies from person to person and is age dependent, so to see a difference in the condition of your skin you would need to give up drinking for at least a month to see an improvement.”
After this time, your skin should feel more hydrated, and plumper – and its also likely that you will have more of a glow and healthier complexion.
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