When you give up alcohol, having been a dependent drinker, you’ll move through various stages of recovery.
There are always going to be individual variations to these but broadly speaking we can make some assumptions about what we expect to happen and when.
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Anyone who has been a heavy or dependent drinker should seek medical support and advice before they quit drinking due to the potentially dangerous – even fatal – impacts of going cold turkey without the right monitoring. However, no one should be scared off giving up drinking due to this – the right help for you is out there.
What happens when you quit drinking – timeline
This timeline is a broad estimate of what will happen and when after a dependent drinker has their last alcoholic drink.
Everyone is likely to experience slight variations on this.
Can the health impacts of heavy drinking be reversed?
Whilst drinking alcohol has been shown to increase the risk of developing many cancers, ending alcohol consumption will reduce the risk compared to if you continue drinking.
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Research suggests any amount of alcohol consumption increases the risks of cancer of the mouth, voice box, upper throat, oesophagus and breast.
Drinking in the region of two or more drinks every day increases the risk of colorectal cancer. Whilst drinking three or more drinks per day increases the risk of stomach and liver cancer.
Alcohol Change UK says, women who drink between 14 and 35 units of alcohol per week, have a 15% chance of developing breast cancer, compared to an 11% chance for those who don’t drink. It says men who drink up to 14 units of alcohol per week have a less than 1% chance of developing colorectal cancer, but an 11% chance if they drink more than 35 units per week.
Male fertility can be impacted by heavy drinking, but it is felt those impacts can be quickly reversed when drinking stops.
Sexual function problems are very widespread among heavy drinkers, including premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction. In women, vaginal dryness can be an issue. These issues are reversible when drinking stops.
How long does it take to feel better after quitting alcohol?
Whilst physical withdrawal symptoms are likely to be at their worst during the first couple of days and are usually very much improved in a couple of weeks, emotional issues may remain for longer.
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There are many other stages of recovery after drinking and the timeline for those will be very dependent on the individual.
The Jellinek Curve, a tool that outlines signs and symptoms of alcoholism and indicators of addiction and recovery, details some of the other formative milestones people may experience as they get well.
These milestones are hugely important and knowing that they will come is hugely reassuring to people in recovery.
In the early stages, these milestones are things like reaching the point of honestly desiring help, beginning not to obsess about alcohol and improved thought processes. Later they’ll include moving towards feeling hope, returning self-esteem and may include creating new circles of stable friendships or reviving and rebuilding relationships.
Recovery is not one smooth upward curve. Almost everyone will have moments of feeling worse before they feel better, experiencing a sense of being stuck or of relapsing either emotionally or physically, but everyone has the capacity to move forward. With the right support, you can feel better, you can leave alcohol and addiction behind and you can create a new, healthier, happier future.
Further information
For further information about drinking problems and alcoholism please visit our resources:
- Alcohol addiction treatment
- Alcohol detox
- Alcohol rehab
- Alcohol counselling
Source: https://t-tees.com
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