8 Things that Can Happen to You When You Stop Drinking Alcohol!
Spanish Version: 8 Cosas Que Te Puede Pasar Cuando Deje De Beber Alcohol!
“I feel like the life of the party when I drink.” “I feel comfortable in social situations when I drink.” “All of my friends drink.” “I drink to help me relax at the end of the day.” “It helps calm my nerves.” “Doesn’t red wine reduce heart disease and increase metabolism? Who wouldn’t want that!?” So, the journey begins with reasonable-sounding reasons for drinking.
As this journey continues, many drinkers become statistics. In the United States of America, in 2013, 10.8 million adult males (ages 18+), 5.8 million adult females, and 697,000 adolescents (ages 12-17) were classified as having an alcohol use disorder.
Having reviewed some of the rationales in favor of drinking, consider benefits of no longer drinking:
• More money: The money spent on liquor could be redirected towards savings, paying off debt, or buying that new suit. You could also avoid the expense of rehab if it is not yet necessary.
• No more hangovers!
• Better relationships: You would be better able to analyze the nature of your friendships.
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• Life! : In 2013, drunk driving was accountable for 30.8 percent of driving fatalities. Worldwide alcohol misuse is the fifth risk factor for dying prematurely, and for disability. It is first for those between ages 15 and 49.
• Good health: Alcohol consumption intensifies more than 200 diseases and health conditions. Some of those conditions are cancers of the esophagus, mouth, colon, and breasts, liver cirrhosis, and of course alcohol dependence. Alcohol dangerously interacts with numerous medications, and it can damage the brain.
• Personal safety: Estimates are that annually, thousands of college students age 18-24 die from unintended injuries and experience physical assault and date rape, due to the misuse of alcohol.
• Personal freedom: Being sober can keep you from being a victim of a crime or from going to prison because of a crime you committed.
• Happiness: You will have better control of your moods, and be more mentally alert. You won’t need to be dishonest and secretive about drinking, and you will look and feel better. Along with an improved love life, there will be peace with yourself and others.
If you have decided to stop drinking, here are a couple of suggestions to get you started. If accustomed to drinking daily, don’t for a day or two. If that worked for you, abstain the next week for three or four days. Continue increasing the number of consecutive days that you don’t drink. After you reach 30 days, set a goal for another 30 days.
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Another suggestion is to take care of yourself by focusing on eating right, increasing your water (not coffee, cola, juice, etc.) intake, exercising, and getting enough sleep.
There are better ways than drinking, to feel socially comfortable, relaxed, and calm. You can lower your risk of heart problems, without hangovers and addiction. When you think about the risks and benefits, you will know whether to drink or not.
