How Stopping Alcohol Changes Your Body
By Adrienne Kaliszak
One of the most amazing things about stopping drinking alcohol are the awesome changes that take place in our bodies. Besides all the negative health problems, alcohol also affects how we look, how we feel, how we function, and how we think. By adopting a sober lifestyle, you can reverse many of the issues alcohol created in your life. It takes time, patience, education, and perseverance but you can indeed correct most of the damage done from alcohol through abstaining.
Puffiness and wrinkles will diminish
Drinking alcohol damages and dehydrates our skin. Drinking causes our face to be puffy, more wrinkled, dry, and blotchy. The great news is once you quit alcohol, you’ll notice these issues start to reverse themselves. The puffiness will go away, wrinkles will be less defined, and your face will be clear of blotchiness. In just 1 week of staying alcohol free you’ll notice the skin on your face start to look healthier and in one month you will definitely see the difference. Staying hydrated with water will help these changes occur quicker. I recommend taking pictures of yourself on your journey of becoming alcohol free, you’ll see the outstanding physical changes add up along the way.
The bloat in your stomach will go away
The bloat in your stomach will go away and you may begin to lose some weight after ditching the booze. Heavy or occasional alcohol drinking can lead to irritation and inflammation in the abdominal area. This is the reason for the bloating. In just a few weeks to a few months of stopping alcohol you’ll notice the bloating in your belly significantly decrease. You may lose weight as a result of not drinking. If you were a moderate to heavy drinker and you no longer drink you are automatically decreasing the number of calories you consume each day. If you’re anything like I was you may also have gotten into the habit of eating junk food after a night of drinking. When I quit drinking, I cut the calories from the alcohol as well as my late-night binge drinking and just from doing that, I lost 25 pounds in under a year. Not everyone will see that drastic loss in weight, as many replace alcohol with sugary treats, but it is possible.
Brain function improves
At 16 months alcohol free I have noticed significant improvement in my brain function. I can focus more, remember things I have long forgotten about, and no longer have brain fog. My thoughts are crisp, clear, and more organized. I am engaging in activities that stimulate my brain as well- reading, writing, and drawing. Those enjoyable activities took a back seat when alcohol was in the picture.
Emotions stabilize
This took some time for me, about 11 months. My swing in emotions became much more normal and steadier. I am more on an even keel these days. I do feel a lot more joy and have a ton of hope. I am rarely sad or depressed and my anxiety is much better.
Alcohol had caused me to be depressed, numb, and non-caring about myself as well as others. Today I actually give a hoot and love deeply (myself and others).
Sleep is Amazing
I can’t say enough how great sleep is now that I’m sober. I no longer wake up at 3 am feeling miserable and full of regret. I now sleep until around 6 am most days and wake refreshed and revitalized, looking to seize the day. I also dream now, something I didn’t do when I drank. Sleep is so important; it affects how we think and feel. Not enough can make you agitated and grumpy and it can be difficult to complete your tasks the next day. I especially love getting a good night’s sleep on Friday nights. I swear there’s nothing better than waking up on a Saturday morning feeling refreshed and getting to enjoy the beautiful day ahead.
Sex is Better
Often when drinking men find it difficult to get and maintain an erection while women have a tough time climaxing. This all changes when we take alcohol out of the equation. Plus, you’re truly present and enjoying the moment and will remember what happened the next day. You may even discover you are having sex more often. This is what happened between myself and my husband. Both of our sex drives improved, and we went from having sex once every 3 or 4 months to 1-2 times per week. That was a drastic change, and our marriage is stronger than ever now as a result. We feel bonded, connected, and in love.
I hope you can now see the awesome changes that take place when you adopt a sober lifestyle. It takes time and patience to see these results, they don’t happen overnight, but they do happen. Be willing to put forth the effort, get educated, find a group like Be Sober, to get connected to, and give it a go. I promise it will be worth it and a decision you’ll never regret.
'Your windshield is bigger than your rearview for a reason; the mirror is there to help you glance back at where you’ve been, but if you focus too much on it, you’re going to crash.
We are ALL affected by our past and we are ALL reminded of it now and again, but we cannot live in it unless we want to repeat it over and over again. We need to learn from it, take lessons from it, know what’s good (and not good) for us, and adjust accordingly. Mistakes are only mistakes until we learn from them and then they become lessons.'
Love this from the Your Tango blog, it sums up the need for a forward focused growth mindset in sobriety and life in general.
#keepmovingforward #positivequotes #positivity #yourtango #growthmindset #growthquotes #motivationalquotes #motivation #soberquotes #sobrietyquotes #lookforwardnotback #leavethepastbehind #movingforward #quotestagram #selfhelpquotes #positivemindset
Having an amazing time in #Japan and managed to head south out of Tokyo for a few days today to Kamakura by the ocean.
The drinking culture here is totally different to the UK, but all the bars are full, not many AF options either, but I wouldn’t want to visit such an amazing place and spoil it by boozing.
#tokyo #kamakura #tokyonight #tokyoneon #kamakuratemple #japaneseshrine #buddhisttemple #japantravel #tokyotrip #ramen #japaneseculture #japanlife
Wow! Rock Bottom & Rising has won the GOLD medal at the @nautilusbookawards for the best Addiction Recovery Memoir.
The book has 21 incredible stories by real people who have quit alcohol and turned their lives around, it is a truly inspirational read.
So this award is for everyone who contributed to the book, congratulations and thank you!
#bestbooks #nautilusbookaward #nautilusbookawards #nautilusbookawardwinner #sheldonpress #hatchettebookgroup #hodderandstoughton #addictionbooks #adictionmemoir #alcoholbooks #sobrietybooks #soberbooks
Woohoo! Just seen one of my books on the shelf @theworksstores #anxiety #anxietybook #theworks #bookshop #selfhelpbook #bookstore
Just finished recording a piece with @itvnews about the growing number of people quitting alcohol and the sobriety movement as a whole.
It airs next week, so look out for my shiny head on your TV screens.
#itv #sobriety #itvnews #sobermovement #sobercoach #tvinterview #newsstory #alcoholfree #soberlife #sobrietyrules
These two inspiring books from leading sobriety coach Simon Chapple are out today!
Read more...Repost @sheldon.press
Featuring contributions from some of the most well-known personalities in the Sober Space, Rock Bottom and Rising brings us real, raw, relatable stories from individuals who’ve found joy in an alcohol-free life.
The perfect companion to Rock Bottom – The Sober Life Journal captures the essence of journaling and provides space to grow and develop as you embark on a sober life. With hundreds of writing prompts, pages for reflection, focus, inspiration and guided exercises, this beautiful new journal supports your intention to create something lasting and meaningful to accompany you on your journey to an alcohol-free life.
Ideal for anyone contemplating a sober life come the new year, or from #dryjanuary.
Find out more in our bio.
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Watch the best videos from my YouTube Stop Drinking Channel
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2 – Awesome tactic to stop alcohol cravings fast – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GedYoBZ_W2M&t
3 – 7 tips for the first week of sobriety – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq4x0vBEwMw&t
4 – Does alcohol cause depression and anxiety – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkrQpZPHBls&t
5 – Weight loss and stopping drinking alcohol – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyw9jM0kj5U&t
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