5 Benefits of Giving Up Alcohol

Deciding to quit drinking is never an easy decision and it’s also not always going to be an easy process. This is especially true for people who have been misusing alcohol for several years.

However, it’s important to note that there are many benefits of taking the necessary steps needed to quit your alcohol use. The benefits are both physical and mental and can help to improve your life significantly.

In this article, we will discuss five of the main benefits of quitting alcohol. We hope that this will give you the motivation you need to give up drinking for good.

The Health Risks of Heavy Drinking

Before we go into the benefits of stopping drinking, it’s important that you understand the risks that come with a continued use of high levels of alcohol. Heavy drinking can negatively affect a range of different aspects of your health.

Abusing alcohol regularly can elevate your risk of all of the following:

• Anxiety
• Alcoholic hepatitis
• Cirrhosis
• Various cancers
• Arrythmia
• Depression
• Dementia
• Stroke
• Digestion problems
• Sexually transmitted infections
• Fibrosis
• Pancreatitis
• Hearing problems
• High blood pressure

Once the alcohol begins to leave your system and you develop healthier habits, you will begin to feel much better. You may even find that you feel better than you’ve felt in many years.

Top Five Benefits of Giving Up Alcohol

Below is a list of five great benefits that come with giving up alcohol for good:

Improved Mental Health

There is a very high correlation between alcohol addictions and mental health problems. These problems may include things like depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and schizophrenia. Many alcoholic addicts will experience mental health problems, however, they will not seek treatment for either problem.

Although scientists have not yet discovered the exact link between addictions and mental health problems, we do know that a lot of people will turn to drinking or drugs in order to self-medicate for their symptoms of mental illness. However, many people fail to realise that drinking alcohol can ultimately make the mental health problems worse. This is why, when you stop drinking, you’ll find that your mental health problems will likely get much better.

As you start to achieve your goals of sobriety and work towards becoming a much healthier version of yourself, you will start to notice big improvements in your mental health. This can include a range of noticeable things such as self-confidence, decrease depression and anxiety, and increased self-respect.
 

Improved Skin Appearance

When you excessively consume alcohol, this can have some very negative effects on your skin. Some of these negative effects on the skin may include the following:

• Dry skin because of the dehydration
• Broken capillaries on your face and nose
• Inflammation
• Reduced levels of collagen which can result in loose, saggy skin
• Jaundice

Heavy consumption of alcohol can also lead to psoriasis. This is an inflammatory skin disease. Once you stop drinking, your body will then gradually restore its elasticity to the skin. This means that the redness and yellowing around your eyes will start to slowly fade away.
 

Improvements in Sleeping

Poor sleep and using alcohol are both closely linked. This is due to the fact that alcohol can interfere with the sleep and wake cycle. This can make it much more difficult for you to fall asleep and stay asleep. Drinking heavily can also relax the muscles in the throat, making it more common for you to snore or experience sleep apnea.

You can expect a few sleep issues when you are in the early stages of your recovery. However, the longer you stay away from alcohol and practice good sleeping hygiene, the more you will notice the improvements in your quality of sleep.

Heightened Immunity

Alcohol can interfere with your immune system. It can prevent your immune system from producing enough white blood cells. These are needed to fight of bacteria and germs. That is why so many people who consume larger amounts of alcohol over long periods of time will tend to struggle with things like tuberculosis and pneumonia.

So, what exactly does this mean in your everyday life? What it means is, when you stop drinking alcohol, you will also prevent many other things. This can include things like the flue, bugs, colds, and any other illnesses that you may have struggled to ward off in the past due to your chronic drinking.

Lower Risks of Certain Cancers

Alcohol is known to be a carcinogen. The more alcohol you consume, the higher your risks of developing certain cancers are. Some of the cancers that heavy drinking can put you at risk of include the following:

• Breast cancer
• Throat cancer
• Colon cancer
• Oral cancer
• Rectal cancer
• Liver cancer
• Oesophageal cancer
• Laryngeal cancer

Stopping your consumption of alcohol when you are undergoing treatment for cancer can also help to prevent any potential complications. This can include things like the development of secondary primary tumours or cancer recurrence.

As you can see, there are many benefits to giving up drinking. The benefits don’t just stop in the ones that we have listed here. There are several additional benefits that come with giving up drinking alcohol. As the risks are so high when it comes to alcohol addictions, it is very clear to see why it is so important to get the help you need to overcome your addiction as soon as you can.

Are You Worried You Might Be Dependant on Alcohol? Contact Us Today

Are you struggling with an addiction to alcohol or are you feeling worried about your levels of substance abuse? If so, it’s important that you reach out for the help you need to recover today.

If you want to find out more about alcohol addictions or the treatments available in rehab, get in touch with our team of professionals today. We are here to help you get started with your recovery journey and we can provide you with the important advice you need to get the right foot forward.