Whether it’s during happy hour, brunch or a tailgate party, drinking is a part of many people's lives. In fact, more than half of adults age 18 and older reported that they drank alcohol in the past month.
But what happens to your body when you stop drinking? Charles Westfall, LMFT, manager of Sharp McDonald Center, explains how reducing alcohol intake can help your body.
Alcohol can dehydrate you, making the body lose essential fluids and electrolytes. “Reducing your drinking can help prevent dry skin and dark circles while improving skin elasticity,” says Westfall.
Alcohol can cause sleepiness at first, but this goes away after a few hours due to alcohol’s effect on the brain’s neurotransmitters that regulate sleep.
“Alcohol can disturb our sleep, making us wake up often in the middle of the night and, ultimately, feel tired,” says Westfall.
Many alcoholic drinks, like cocktails and beer, are made up of empty calories. “A bottle of beer can have about 150 calories," Westfall says. "And other drinks, like a margarita, can have lots of sugar content, making it about 200 calories."
Drinking can also cause cravings for greasy and salty foods, leading people to make unhealthy choices.
Alcohol is a depressant, meaning it slows down the body’s central nervous system.
“In high amounts, a depressant can poorly affect our memory, ability to make sound judgment, and our bodily coordination,” says Westfall. “Drinking a lot can cause us to make more mistakes and lead to accidents. When we stop drinking, we have the chance to think more clearly.”
While alcohol can initially help us feel better, the aftermath of drinking brings more negative emotions. Westfall explains that drinking temporarily depresses the amygdala, which is the part of the brain that controls the fight-or-flight response.
“But eventually, the adrenal glands release the stress hormone cortisol, raising blood pressure," he says. "Over an extended period, this can produce anxiety or depression. When we stop drinking, our cortisol levels can be more regulated, which can help stabilize mood.”
Alcohol has been linked to many types of cancer, including breast, mouth, colon and liver cancer. The type of drink — whether it’s beer, wine or a cocktail — does not matter, as the alcohol itself increases cancer risk.
The more alcohol is consumed, the higher the risk of developing cancer becomes. For breast cancer, any amount of alcohol increases the risk. Alcohol increases cancer risk by damaging the DNA in our cells and may hinder our body’s ability to take in nutrients.
For people who regularly drink excessively or have alcohol use disorder — what’s commonly referred to as alcoholism — Westfall encourages receiving help from a medical professional or an addiction treatment center. “Suddenly stopping drinking can lead to dangerous life-threatening withdrawal symptoms like delirium tremens (DTs) or seizure,” he says.
Signs of delirium tremens include:
Whether you would like to reduce your alcohol intake or stop drinking completely, be patient with yourself through the process, Westfall says. And take it one day at a time.
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