What Happens When You Quit Drinking?

Millions struggle with alcohol abuse and alcohol use disorder every year. However, only a small percentage get the help they need to heal from the disease of alcohol addiction. Fortunately, with professional help, anyone dealing with alcohol use disorder can overcome and heal from the disease. What matters most is realizing you are not alone and that help is available. Perpahs you’ve struggled with a drinking problem for a while. But now, you’ve had enough and want to quit drinking. Are you curious about what it feels like? Beaches Recovery can show you what happens when you quit drinking and get you the support you need to recover and live a sober life.

Day One Is the Hardest

It’s a good idea to check into rehab. Because alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous, medical supervision of the process is essential. Besides that, medical personnel can intervene and assist with medication-assisted treatment. You’ll sail through the withdrawals much easier under proper medical supervision. In medically-supervised detox, you are in a safe, secure environment where you needn’t worry about hurting yourself or others due to the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms.

What happens when you quit drinking right now? Your liver works to purge the chemicals from your body. It may take a few hours. Of course, there’s a good chance that dehydration sets in.

If you overdid it, you’ll suffer the effects of a hangover. It’ll come complete with a pounding headache and a queasy stomach. Halfway through the day, withdrawal symptoms take over.

Because you’re in an alcohol detox center, you’ll be okay. If you were on your own, you’d feel pretty miserable right now. You might even go back to drinking.

What Happens When You Quit Drinking for the Next Five Weeks?

By day two, you’ll wake up with a carbohydrate craving. You’ll look for candy and any other junk food you can find. Therapists redirect you toward fruits and dark chocolate. They’ll intensify medical monitoring in case you develop delirium tremens.

Three days after quitting drinking, the worst is over. You sleep better. By day five, you no longer wake up with the intense craving for a drink. You’re noticing for the first time that your hands don’t tremble any longer.

You now start your rehab to break the psychological addiction. For the next 30 days, you work with addiction specialists to overcome post-acute withdrawal and cravings. Treatments might include:

• Dialectical behavior therapy that lets you shift the way you respond to emotional triggers
• Psychotherapy, which examines how alcohol snared you in the first place
• Coping skills development during talk therapy, which empowers you to make changes to stress responses
• Group therapy as a way to focus on accountability to others
• Experiential therapies that might include fitness, anger management, equine therapy, and similar modalities

During this time, the carbohydrate cravings go away. Nutritional counseling ensures that you know healthy alternatives when you graduate from the program. If you had lifeless hair and sallow skin tones before, you’ll notice a marked improvement. These have to do with proper hydration and absorption of vitamin B.

By the time you finish your treatment, you might have lost some weight. You feel energetic and hopeful. You no longer fear waking up in the morning wondering what happened the night before. This newfound sobriety is a great asset, and you plan to protect it.

Make This Change Happen for You!

Now that you know what happens when you quit drinking, don’t you want to experience it first-hand? You might have tried cutting back in the past but failed. That’s okay. Learn how to quit drinking from therapists at Beaches Recovery by calling 866.605.0532 today!