“First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.”

– F.Scott Fitzgerald 

While drinking alcohol may give you temporary bliss, the pleasure involved soon fades away. Alcohol drink side effects occur due to heavy drinking regularly and soon turns into alcoholism which has adverse effects on your body and overall health. 

What happens to your body when you stop drinking alcohol?

The pitfalls of alcohol abuse or alcohol health effects are known to everyone. Increased anxiety, irritability, conflict with people around you, nausea, hangovers, digestive problems, memory loss, and several other side effects pile up and worsen with time. 

Quitting alcohol benefits are known to everyone, but you must decide to quitting alcohol for a better lifestyle. Cutting off alcohol comes with added services such as healthy liver, heart, and various other risks such as cancer, etc., are reduced. Although completely quitting alcohol effects can be dangerous for heavy drinkers and have severe alcohol abuse problems. Alcoholism can also be attributed to certain medical factors such as hereditary, psychological factors such as depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, social anxiety, etc. Hence, it is always better to seek the help of an alcohol abuse counsellor.

 If you’re looking for ways to stop drinking permanently, here are a few tips- 

  • Consult a doctor

In some cases, complete withdrawal from alcohol can cause serious damages to the person. Hence it is essential to consult a doctor before you start cutting off alcohol. Also, a doctor will help you gain proper treatment for alcohol abuse, plan a routine, give appropriate medications and draw you a diet plan. Opting for alcohol abuse counselling will help you throughout your journey and provide you with relevant resources with respect to your needs. Doctors can be of great help for those who face the problem of alcoholism because of certain medical factors. In such cases, therapy and proper treatment can help you overcome the disorder. 

  • Set goals 

If you want to quit alcohol, it is necessary that you’re focused on it. You won’t be able to give up drinking in a day. It needs time to get rid of the addiction. By setting goals, you can slowly and gradually limit your alcohol intake and quit alcohol permanently. Set small goals at first, and gradually plan your schedules accordingly. Observe if you’re able to keep up with the goals that you’ve set and keep track of the progress you make. Setting goals and failing to keep up with them is common; however, don’t lose hope or give up. Come up with new goals every time you fail and mould yourself accordingly.

  • Avoid temptations  

In the early stages of your journey, avoid going to places where you shall be tempted to drink. This could be clubs, bars, or parties. Make plans to places where they don’t serve alcohol. Get rid of all the alcohol in your house too. Try to find a substitute for booze.  Identify your triggers where you end up drinking, such as when you’re alone, angry, sad, stressed, etc. Find solutions to your triggers. You can also consult an alcohol abuse counsellor who can help you get rid of alcohol. 

  • Go for a detox 

Detoxification is one of the first steps in being sober. It is a process where efforts are made to help your body break down its physical addiction to alcohol. Detoxification is usually done in hospitals or centres of detoxification. Your doctor will be able to guide you in the detoxification process. 

  • Stop Binge Drinking 

Binge drinking is just as harmful and toxic as heavy drinking regularly. Binge drinking for men is usually up to 5 drinks in an hour, whereas around four drinks are in women. Alcohol and Diabetes, alcohol and blood pressure are directly proportional to each other. Binge drinking can lead to serious metabolic syndrome, weight gain, greater risks such as heart disease, stroke, blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, etc. To prevent binge drinking, limit the amount you drink, have some food along with drinks, and drink slowly. Find out the reason why to indulge in drinking, change your environment, and engage yourself in activities that will keep you busy. 

  • Indulge in activities you like 

Keeping yourself busy and engaged in activities you like will help you get rid of drinking. Replace drinking with healthy activities such as exercise, swimming, trekking, art, and craft, etc. Join clubs where you can do these activities. Maintain a diary where you record all your daily experiences. You can look back at the experiences in your journal and reflect on how far you’ve come.

  • Alternatives for alcohol

Finding alternatives for alcohol that are healthy as well as appealing to your taste buds is a great way to overcome your drinking habits. Some of the drinks you can try as an alternative – 

  • Kombucha –a drink made from black or green tea and a sprinkling of bacteria is a great probiotic drink.
  • Sparkling juices- made by using a fermentation process is an excellent substitute for alcohol.  
  • Mocktails – made from fresh fruits and sodas, there are plenty of super tasty mocktails and can be drunk as a substitute for alcohol. 

  • Join support groups 

Support groups can be a great way to overcome addiction. They can be of great help in recovery,  avoid you from relapsing, and deal with the challenges of being sober. Support groups give a sense of identification with people in the same boat as you and on the same journey. By sharing experiences and stories, together, you can find a solution to alcoholism. 

The road to sobriety can be a difficult one; there are chances of you relapsing. However, don’t lose hope. Be in touch with your loved ones. With their support, you can cross the hurdles in your way. For further treatment, consider consulting the best gastroenterologist in India, Dr. Nivedita Pandey who is also well known for her nutritional counseling services and teleconsultation services. She is also famous for her care from afar service. You can also find her as a hepatologist in Patna or the best doctor for hepatitis b in Patna, a gastroenterologist in Faridabad, the best gastro doctor in Delhi, NCR, a gastroenterologist In Uttarakhand, a liver specialist in Jhansi, best gastroenterologist in Jammu take advantage of the online gastroenterology consultation to gastroenterologist live chat and receive the best treatment that your body deserves!

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