How to Stop Drinking: Benefits of Quitting Alcohol

The Negative Impacts of Alcohol

According to a survey of Americans aged 12 or over, more than half (nearly 133.1 million people) reported drinking alcohol within the last month, in 2021. Additionally, more than 85% of people aged 18 and over reported drinking alcohol at some point in their life.^1,2 Almost 60 million people admitted binge drinking within the last month (that means men had 5 or more drinks; women had 4 or more drinks in one sitting).¹ Heavy drinking is defined as binge drinking on at least 5 occasions within a month, and 16.3 million people admitted to heavy drinking.¹ Furthermore, 29.5 million people were diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder (AUD) in 2021.¹

Alcohol can have a harmful effect on many of the organs and systems in the body, including:

• The brain. Alcohol can change how the brain functions and appears, altering moods, behavior, coordination, and memory. Alcohol has been associated with depression, anxiety, memory loss, and increased risk of dementia. It can also cause permanent damage and a disorder known as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a brain disorder caused by a lack of vitamin B1, that affects brain functioning and vision.^2,5
• The heart. Both chronic alcohol consumption and binge drinking can affect the heart, leading to cardiomyopathy (stretching and drooping of heart muscle), irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), increased risk of stroke, and high blood pressure.^3,5
• The immune system. Alcohol impairs the body’s ability to fight diseases. Chronic drinkers are more likely to get pneumonia and tuberculosis (infection of the lungs). And binge drinking or drinking heavily on a single occasion slows the body’s ability to ward off infections—even a full 24 hours after getting drunk. Clinicians have also observed an association between excessive alcohol consumption and slower, less complete recovery from infection and physical trauma, including poor wound healing.^3,6
• The liver. Over time, alcohol can cause inflammation and liver diseases, including fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.^2,3,4
• The pancreas. Alcohol causes the pancreas to produce toxic substances that can cause pancreatitis, a condition—which can range from mild to severe—involving inflammation and swollen blood vessels that impairs digestion.³
• An increased risk of developing cancer. Evidence indicates that the more a person drinks regularly over time, the greater the likelihood they have of developing an alcohol-related cancer, such as breast, mouth and throat, esophagus, voice box, liver, and colon and rectum. Even moderate drinking—one or two drinks per day—has been linked to an elevated risk of breast cancer in women. And heavier or prolonged drinking increases the probability of any of these cancers.^4,7
• The stomach. Alcohol misuse can also contribute to gastric bleeding.⁴

Take Our Alcohol Misuse Self-Assessment

Take our free, 5-minute alcohol misuse self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might be struggling with alcohol misuse. The evaluation consists of 11 yes or no questions that are intended to be used as an informational tool to assess the severity and probability of an alcohol use disorder. The test is free, confidential, and no personal information is needed to receive the result.

Timeline for Quitting Alcohol

After a prolonged period of heavy drinking, alcohol withdrawal can occur, with symptoms lasting for days or weeks.⁸ Alcohol withdrawal is directly related to alcohol dependence, meaning that, over time, your body becomes physically dependent on alcohol to function and when you cut back or quit drinking, your body has a high likelihood of experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Not every individual experiences withdrawal symptoms, especially if they are not physically dependent on alcohol. Additionally, not every individual in the acute withdrawal stage experiences every symptom, but the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal that do appear follow a predictable pattern.⁸

Timeline

0–6 hours

Minor, moderate, and severe withdrawal symptoms typically begin about 6 hours after the last drink is consumed.

6 hours

Some people with a long history of alcohol misuse may start to experience seizures, which peak around 10 hours then taper off and subside entirely within 2 or 3 days.

22 hours

Minor withdrawal symptoms peak somewhere between 18 and 24 hours. These generally include feeling anxious and irritable, having trouble sleeping, and loss of appetite.⁹

24 hours

Hallucinations begin for some and peak around 36 to 48 hours.

36 hours

Moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms peak around the 36-hour mark and may include tremors, sweating, elevated heart rate, restlessness, nausea, vomiting, vivid dreams or nightmares, trouble concentrating, hypersensitivity to noise and light, and brief periods of seeing and hearing things that aren’t there.⁹ Severe alcohol withdrawal may be associated with seizures, which can be life-threatening.⁹

48 hours

The severe complication delirium tremens (DT) involves disorientation, agitation, altered consciousness, and difficulty regulating body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. This can start 48 hours after the last drink.^8,9 Research indicates that it affects less than 5% of people experiencing withdrawal.¹⁰

4 days

By day 4 or 5, minor withdrawal symptoms subside.

6 days

Sometime between days 5 and 7, moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms typically lessen.

1 week

Hallucinations usually diminish after 7 days, though for some, they can last up to 1 month.

2 weeks

By day 14, delirium tremens ease.

What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Drinking Alcohol?

While alcohol is known to cause harm to physical and mental health, the good news is that quitting drinking may improve or reverse some of alcohol’s negative effects.¹¹ Sobriety can also have major long-term benefits on your health, which may include:^11,12,13

• Improvement or reversal of most of the cognitive damage, including memory, planning, organization, behavior control, and reaction time.
• Lower blood pressure.
• Maintaining a healthier body weight.
• Potential regeneration of damaged liver cells.
• Reduction in insulin resistance.
• A lowered risk of cancer with each year of sobriety.

How to Stop Drinking Alcohol on Your Own

Quitting drinking is a process, and taking it step by step can be helpful. The journey to sobriety may be different for each person, but following some helpful tips can help you stop drinking:^14,15

1. Write down your reasons for wanting to stop drinking. Listing the positive impact this can have on your body, mental health, finances, relationships, and other areas of your life can help keep you motivated.
2. Explore your current relationship with alcohol. You may want to consider why you drink, such as socializing or coping with stress, and how much you drink. Keeping track of how much and how often you drink and how you feel when you drink can be especially helpful.
3. Consider whether you want to cut back or stop drinking completely. Talk to your doctor to decide what makes the most sense for you right now. Think about your habits. Can you stop drinking once you start? Try taking days off from drinking or pacing yourself when you do drink by not having more than one alcoholic beverage in one hour.
4. Remove alcohol from the house. It is a lot easier to cut back or stop drinking completely when alcohol isn’t readily accessible.
5. Set aside time for self-care. Ensure that you take care of yourself by getting enough sleep, eating properly, getting exercise, and meditating. These practices provide healthy alternatives to drinking.
6. Reach out for support. Encouraging friends and family members can help reinforce your decision and help you manage difficult situations.
7. Attend a formal rehab treatment program. Sometimes it may be hard to stop on your own and a formal treatment program with structured schedules and therapies can help you to overcome your addiction.

Tips to Stop Drinking and Quit Alcohol

If you’ve decided that you want to know how to stop drinking and quit for good, there are some effective tips and strategies that can help you, including:^15,16

• Learn how to say no. If drinking has been a big part of your life, you are likely to encounter situations where alcohol is present, and you might be offered a drink. Plan for these instances. Ask a friend to role play with you and request a non-alcoholic drink instead.
• Find ways to occupy your time. Replace alcohol-centered activities with healthier pursuits, such as exercise, catching up with old friends, or learning a new skill.
• Stay away from high-risk situations. Identify trigger situations and avoid them if possible. If you can’t, bring a supportive friend or family member to help you cope with temptation.
• Ask people for support. Consult friends, family, people in mutual-help groups, or professionals, such as a doctor or a therapist, to get helpful tips and strategies for avoiding alcohol.
• Consider joining a support group. Many people find that attending a mutual-help group such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), which provides support and effective techniques, helps them stay sober.
• Don’t get discouraged if you slip. Relapses happen, but it doesn’t mean that you’ve failed. Talk about it with your support group and examine what you can do differently next time.
• Learn how to manage urges. Cravings for alcohol are common, and they will pass. When they arise, remind yourself of the reasons why you want to change, talk things through with someone you trust, or distract yourself with a healthy activity that doesn’t involve drinking. On the other hand, it might be best to ride the wave (it’s temporary) and let it pass without giving in to the craving.

Finding Alcohol Rehab and Treatment

If you struggle to quit on your own, have an AUD, or experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking, attending an alcohol rehab may be the best option for you.^9,17 Since there isn’t a one-size-fits-all model for recovery, treatment has to be tailored to your needs.¹⁸ Finding the best fit means the program addresses all aspects—including alcohol use, co-occurring mental health disorders, and any social, legal, or employment issues, too.¹⁸ Effective treatment programs incorporate behavioral therapy and medication as needed and regularly assess the plan to make adjustments when necessary.¹⁸

Treatment typically starts with alcohol detox, where a medication taper helps ease withdrawal symptoms. This medication taper is provided to keep you safe and comfortable as you withdraw from alcohol.^8,9 This doesn’t address the addiction or associated underlying triggers, however, so long-term alcohol rehab is recommended.¹⁸ This may take place in an inpatient rehab center, where you stay at the facility for the duration of treatment, and staff is available 24/7 to provide support and monitoring.^18,19 On the other hand, an outpatient facility allows you to live at home or in a sober living environment and follow your normal routine while attending scheduled treatment appointments.^18,19 Both types of care offer group and individual therapy sessions and may include family or marriage counseling as well.¹⁸

Aftercare is ongoing support to help you stay sober as you transition back to life after treatment and may include follow-up appointments, attending mutual-help meetings, living in recovery housing, or ongoing counseling sessions.¹⁷ Alcohol misuse hotlines are another available resource. You can call these free hotlines at any time and speak to someone who understands what you are going through and who can provide information, compassionate support, crisis management, and referrals to treatment.