So what to expect when you decide to stop drinking. Firstly you become very enthused with the new you that is to be. You've probably just come off the back of a blinder of a session(s) and decided enough is enough, or something similar. The decision to stop is a big one, and with any big decision we make there is that initial enthusiasm and encouragement from others (if you have decided to tell anyone).
As you have probably just come off that 'last drink', you'll probably feeling a bit hung over so no real strong desire to drink on day one. But you might have the munchies and carbs seem to be the way to go. This generally makes you feel a bit more heavy and lethargic which does help the mood. Once you are into Day 2 the physical side affects start to ramp up. Alcohol has high sugar levels, so once that in take of sugar drops, so does our energy levels. You'll start to feel very tired. This in combination with a lack of sleep due to not having a gut full of grog to knock you out, will make you feel even more tired and generally grotty. The lack of sleep then leads to being grumpy. This can often be the stage when your nearest and dearest says, for goodness sake get a drink and stop being so miserable. Do not do that. This stage will pass.
LOWES
The key to getting over this stage is to start to eat healthier and do some exercise. Even a walk helps. Exercise will release endorphins which make us feel better. The other thing to do is to go to bed earlier, rest as much as possible and drink loads of water.
Anything between 2-5 days you can expect some headaches as the toxin leaves the body. Don't be brave, just take some headache tablets. You may also feel the shivers and be generally cold. You might get night sweats and feel sick. For very heavy drinkers it is worth seeing your doctor and getting onto a program. For most, these headaches and shivers will leave around the 8-10 day period.
After around 10 days you will start to feel really good. Your head will be clearer and you will feel generally positive and on top of things. This is the time Mr AV get's his act into gear. Mr AV? Well that would be the Addictive Voice talking. The classic will be 'well, I feel so good now, I can drink again'. He'll say things like: giving up drinking is ridiculous; you're OK to have just a few now; I can moderate my drinking etc. This is probably more difficult than the physical side affects. I'm told after 90 days the AV starts to dull down, but never really goes away for good. (what joy)!
The key must be to know why you are stopping drinking. You must be very committed to the reasons and they should be very personal. A reason like 'its bad for my health' is not strong enough. Something more along the lines of 'my liver is in trouble and I will not see my kids grow up unless I stop drinking' is more likely to help you achieve the non drinker status. Now, I don't mean to sound dramatic, but whatever the reason is, you need to be able to visualise it every time you think about drinking. Learn to hate alcohol and what it does to you.
Once you are through that first few weeks you will start to notice other side affects. But these are the good ones. You will start to sleep deeply. They call it REM sleep. This REM sleep is deprived from us when we are boozed up. It's the deep part of the sleep. With booze, we stay in the upper range of sleep and do not rest properly. This is one of the reasons we feel crappy in the morning. With this new deeper sleep comes some weird and wonderful dreams. Unfortunately these only last about a week, and then you sleep normally. But enjoy the dreams as these can be great fun.
Your eyes will become brighter. The white bits are white and the colour bits have brightness to them. The grey bloodshot look is not the norm! Your skin will become clearer and feel different to touch. Your mood will lighten and you'll be a better person to be around.
You might lose some weight, depending upon whether you replace that sugar craving with too much ice cream or not! You will be a better role model to others, especially kids if you have any. Your ambition will return and you will not take things as seriously. The little things in life will remain just that and not get blown out of proportion. Your temperament improves as will your sex life. You'll also feel like taking on new hobbies and interests.
So whilst there are some difficult affects to deal with in the first few weeks, just bunker down, suck it in and get on with it. The benefits that will emerge are more than worth it. Do not feel tempted to try the moderation drinking line. If you do, you will end up drinking more and finding it even more difficult to stop next time around.
There are lots of web sites, blogs and forums that can help. Forums and blogs of other peoples experiences are probably the most helpful. Good luck.
Giving Up Alcohol - What to Expect LOWES
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