DISCLAIMER: PlushCare is unable to treat severe alcohol addiction and withdrawal. We recommend in-person treatment with a physician, addiction specialist, or therapist.
How to Quit Drinking Safely: Timeline, Benefits, and Tips
Have you been wondering how to quit drinking alcohol? For most people, it is not as simple as just deciding not to drink anymore, and, in rare cases, stopping drinking can actually cause potentially fatal side effects. There is no need to despair, though. It is possible to quit drinking, and the benefits are numerous.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You should see an addiction specialist if you are battling moderate to severe alcoholism. However, the following tips may help many people quit or cut back on their drinking.
Benefits of Quitting Alcohol
Quitting alcohol has many physical and emotional benefits, including:
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Better skin. Heavy alcohol use can cause many skin conditions, including worsening psoriasis, jaundice showing serious liver damage, and dilated capillaries on your face and nose.
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Healthier weight. Alcohol contains a lot of empty calories. Plus, many people who quit drinking choose to take better overall care of their health.
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Improved sleep. Alcohol interferes with your sleep-wake cycle and may cause sleep apnea. The longer you go without drinking, the more your sleep quality should improve.
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Lower cardiovascular risk. Heavy drinkers are more likely to have heart problems than non-drinkers.
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Reduced risk of cancer. Heavy drinking increases your risk of developing several types of cancer, including liver, breast, oral, throat, laryngeal, esophageal, colon, and rectal.
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Improved immunity. Alcohol negatively impacts your immune system, making alcoholics more prone to things like pneumonia or tuberculosis.
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Better mental health. While many people drink in an attempt to manage or mask their mental health symptoms, heavy alcohol use can negatively impact your mental health.
How to Quit Drinking on Your Own Safely
What is the best way to quit drinking? There is no one way that will work for everybody to stop drinking. However, there are some steps that may help, including:
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Determine how much you actually drink
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Figure out why you drink
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Come up with a plan to stop drinking
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Tell your loved ones
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Find a community of nondrinkers to spend time with
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Plan ahead about how to turn down a drink when offered
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Do not keep any alcohol in your home
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Find a new favorite (nonalcoholic) drink
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Start keeping a journal
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Change your routine to avoid places and situations that cause you to want to drink
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Take up a new hobby
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Focus on your health
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Start going to therapy to address underlying issues causing you to drink
Quitting Drinking Timeline
While everyone’s timeline will be different, a typical quitting drinking timeline looks something like this:
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2-12 hours since last drink: Beginning of withdrawal symptoms, which may include anxiety, insomnia, retching, headache, excessive sweating, and hand tremors.
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12-24 hours: Continued withdrawal symptoms, including visual, auditory or tactile hallucinations, depressed mood, alcohol cravings, reduced energy, and disturbed sleep.
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12-72 hours: Severe withdrawal symptoms, including seizures, increased blood pressure, or raised heart rate.
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3-7 days: Withdrawal symptoms stop for most people.
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1-2 weeks: The end of clinical detox, improved sleep, potential weight loss.
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3-4 weeks: Decreased blood pressure and improved skin.
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3 months: General sense of better health and more energy.
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1 year. Almost everybody stops experiencing lingering side effects from quitting drinking.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does It Take to Quit Drinking?
For most people, recovery is a lifetime effort. With that being said, the worst withdrawal symptoms usually stop within a week and most people have a better sense of wellbeing after 3 months without a drink.
What Happens to The Body When You Stop Drinking?
Apart from the many benefits of quitting drinking, you may experience physical withdrawal symptoms, including:
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Elevated blood pressure
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Nausea and vomiting
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Seizures
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Sweating
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Racing heart
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Hallucinations
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Shakiness
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Fatigue
Delirium Tremens
Some people can experience a severe form of alcohol withdrawal called delirium tremens (DT). About 37% who have DTs die from it without proper treatment, so if you have any of the following symptoms after you stop drinking, get immediate medical attention:
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Excessive sweating
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Agitation
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Increased heart rate
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Visual hallucinations
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Confusion
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Fever
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High blood pressure
What Happens to Your Body After a Week of No Alcohol?
After a week of no alcohol, you should see a decrease of symptoms or stop experiencing symptoms of withdrawal. You may also notice improved sleep and some weight loss.
How Long Does it Take to Feel Better When You Stop Drinking?
Results will differ for everybody. However, withdrawal symptoms usually stop within a week, and most people report an improved sense of wellbeing within 3 months.
Talk to a Doctor or Therapist Online About Quitting Drinking
If you want to talk to a doctor about more tips for quitting drinking, or if you want to talk to a therapist to address some of the underlying reasons causing you to drink, PlushCare can help.
While our doctors cannot treat alcoholism or alcohol withdrawal, they are available 7 days a week to talk to you about any concerns you have related to your drinking or how it is affecting your health.
Many people drink alcohol to manage symptoms of stress, anxiety, or depression. If that sounds like you, online therapy from one of our licensed therapists may help.
DISCLAIMER: PlushCare does not have addiction specialists, and we CANNOT treat severe alcoholism or those struggling with alcoholism or alcohol withdrawal. We can help people who have mild alcoholism or who may not be alcoholics but are looking to quit drinking and are struggling. However, if you are struggling with moderate to severe alcoholism or alcohol withdrawal, then you should see an addiction specialist.
Read More About Quitting Drinking
Sources
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Alcohol.org. Alcoholism. Accessed on March 17, 2021 at https://www.alcohol.org/alcoholism/
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Harvard Medical School. 11 Ways to Curb Your Drinking. Accessed on January 21, 2021 at https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/11-ways-to-curb-your-drinking
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National Institutes of Health.Alcohol and Alcoholism: International Journal of the Medical Council on Alcoholism. The Association Between Health Changes and Cessation of Alcohol Consumption. Accessed on January 21, 2021 at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5397877/
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U.S. National Library of Medicine. Nutrition reviews. Alcohol consumption and body weight: a systematic review. Accessed on March 29, 2021 at
