One of the most significant benefits of giving up alcohol is that you may increase your lifespan. Alcohol misuse can lead to serious health problems like liver disease and cancer. So, giving up alcohol can help you to avoid these potentially deadly diseases. If you’re a heavy drinker, you’re at an increased risk of developing certain diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

Choose a healthier alternative like sparkling water, soft drink or a mocktail. You might hear psychologists refer to something called the “rule violation how to take a break from drinking effect”. This is when you’re working hard to not drink, but one day give in and have a glass of wine or two, then give up on your goals altogether.

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“All my drinking was really centered around community and wanting that connection so badly with other people,” he says. “Not everybody wants to get wasted when they go to the bar,” says Forte. Sometimes, being there is just about wanting to be social and fit in. Another social club member, Kathy Kuzniar, says she used to obsess over whether there was enough wine in the house. She says she feels calmer since she became sober, and she has lost 30 pounds.

How fast you’d potentially lose weight ultimately depends on how much you were drinking beforehand. “Say, hey, it’s dry January,” and tell them why you’re taking a break. If a friend isn’t supportive, it may be time to assess that friendship. It’s OK in moderate amounts — which means no more than 1 drink a day for women — no more than 2 per day for men.

Clearer skin

As well as finding support through community groups, Dr De Visser recommends the Try Dry app. There are also other helpful apps for Dry January which can also be used across the year to help people in their efforts to drink less. Dr De Visser argues that it is good for most people to drink less alcohol than they do currently, however they achieve it. After 30 days without alcohol, your brain and thought processes might become clearer, according to Larson.

But if you’re committed to sobriety, it’s possible to achieve your goal. Quitting drinking can have many important benefits for your physical and mental health, but there are many other types of benefits you may experience as well. “The findings of these studies are actually very surprising,” White says. Health risks linked https://ecosoberhouse.com/ to heavy, long-term drinking are well known, but this is some of the first evidence to help scientists understand how the body responds to even a short break from moderate alcohol use. Drinking increases fatigue and decreases energy – it puts the body in recovery mode, fighting inflammation and repairing cell damage.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

A lot of other people told me that, look – a one-month break helped them to kind of set a new habit and drink a little less. The brain also begins to repair some of the damage and shrinkage you may have experienced while drinking. One study showed that after 6 weeks of abstinence from alcohol, brain volume increases by an average of 2%. The first day is always the hardest, but it’s also an important milestone.

Alcohol use disorder frequently occurs alongside other mental health conditions. Pre-existing mental health conditions can sometimes lead people to turn to alcohol to cope with their symptoms. In other cases, long-term alcohol exposure can increase a person’s risk of developing a psychiatric illness. After one week without alcohol, your risk of seizures is much less. Also, your risk of developing cardiovascular disease will start to decrease.