Rusty77

Hi everyone, this is probably not a new thread but I'm not sure where I can find the information I would like as I have never used a forum before I would just like to know the positive side effects that people have experienced since they have given up/cut down on alcohol over days/weeks/months/years. I have only stopped drinking (about a bottle of wine every night) for 3 days and I used to need a nanna nap every afternoon. Now I can't even get to sleep in the afternoon!

bigsombrero

Hi Rusty!

I'm just 2.5 years clean but I've seen tremendous benefits. I have a new flexible job, a new home, and I even live in a new country! I also used to have terrible anxiety and that's gone away too. I've lost 25 lbs that were just sort of hanging around. My body is functioning much better on all levels. Keep up the good work, you'll see so many benefits it could fill a book! Congrats on Day 3.

Dharmabum2012

Awesome to hear! I am new here but it is a motivator to hear about the health benefits of giving up alcohol/drugs!

Ptcapote

Hi Rusty, thanks for the post and starting the thread, it is always good to know/be reminded of the benefits of staying clean and sober.

I am 21 months sober and, physically, my health has turned around completely. I am a female and just under 40 but I was looking every bit of my age by the time I stopped. Now I am routinely mistaken as looking much younger and I feel at least a decade younger. My skin is clear and not blotchy or red anymore, I am not bloated, I wasn't really overweight but, like BigS says above, I also lost about 10 extra pounds that were hanging around. My eyes are not bloodshot anymore and the fact that I actually eat rather than drink my calories has done wonders overall My body works like it is supposed to now.

Best part? Sleep! I sleep as much as I need and wake up rested. I think this has a large part to do with my physical health as well as mental well-being.

I also drank at least a bottle of wine a night (more many times and always more on weekends) and it was taking a huge toll on me physically, that was obvious.

Congrats on your decision to stop and three days is great! Your body is just catching up on lost sleep and that will even out soon. In the meantime, expect great things to come!

AdmimalBlueEyes

I relapsed but I can say from my last stint of 90 days and 8yrs before that , that you sleep better , feel better , more then likely will loose weight , you skin will look better because the capillaries arnt constantly dialated , theres also some thing that goes on with your fingernails when your a heavy drinker that I read about ,

Most importantly your living a honest real life , that was my favorite side effect

matilda123

Already, only seven weeks in, I notice several enhancements to my life.

1) I no longer wake up in the middle of the night, heart pounding and sweaty. Instead, I sleep soundly.

2) While I drank due to anxiety, I notice that my anxiety has dropped significantly since I quit drinking. Just the other day I noticed that my fingernails are no longer bitten to the nubs!

3) I can deal with stress--work and home--in a much more even-keeled manner. While I cannot always control what is happening around me or how others are acting, I feel much more centered and in control of my actions.

4) I am happy. I am laughing--really laughing--for the first time in a long time.

5) I have firmer boundaries at work and home. I do not push myself to the state of exhaustion and then drink to "check out."

6) I am waking up each morning feeling fresh and not with a dry mouth and pounding head.

7) I am starting to feel things again. This isn't always easy, but I do see that I had cut myself off from a lot of joy because I drank so that I could avoid painful feelings.

Lorax1981

Better at basketball...

MelindaFlowers

I could list a hundred. 5 months sober (almost).

Feeling more comfortable in my own skin.
Blood pressure good again down from stroke levels.
I DO NOT SWEAT all the time anymore. Man, I hated that one!
Wake up feeling just fine, like everyone else.
Work is easier/better/more enjoyable/tolerable/EVERYTHING

Deckard

One number: 110/75. Current blood pressure on no meds. When I stopped drinking it just plummeted down into the normal range. Surprised me and my doctor both. If I needed hard, quantitative evidence that drinking, and drinking alone, was ravaging my body, there it is.

JanieJ

Hi Rusty, congrats on three days. Keep it going

I'm 39 days sober now.

Better skin, lost weight, no sweating, good sleep, food tastes better, more energy, more time to do things.

But the best thing is the calmness, I'm much calmer.

More humility, too, and gratitude for finding the sober path before it's too late.

MarathonMan

For me I look more to the social aspects as I never really seemed ill from drinking. A side effect of my drinking is people couldn't talk to me because they got a different person from conversation to conversation. When I'm not drinking I notice a difference in my family, they no longer watch what they say as I'm not so touchy and my wife will start to have fun, poking fun at me like when we were first together, that's due to me being more predictable. I'm a much more balanced individual sober so from that consistency my relationships will start to heal + I like waking up for work and not gagging on my tooth brush

sprout50

Much less anxiety, no shame over what I might have written on social media or how many debit charges to the liquor store are on my bank statement. Have discovered tthe joy in little things, lost 5 lbs and met a whole lot of great folks here on SR.

Conquest

I'll echo a few... Day 40 (woot!) and besides the complete lack of hungover probz, I've noticed...

Skin, nails, and hair have a healthier appearance
My blood pressure is back to normal
Anxiety is significantly lower and moments of frustration are short-lived
Sleep is better- I don't wake up in the middle of the night, worrying about things anymore. What a relief!
I've scheduled a dental appointment (ugh. I hate the dentist but can face it without all of that extra anxiety.)

And there are a ton of other positives. Actually, I can't think of one negative side effect besides my AV throwing mini temper tantrums here and there. Fortunately, my AV is easily pacified with chocolate (antioxidants, right?).

Best wishes to all!

Soberwolf

In 16 months my life has turned around

strategery

Hey Rusty, I'm at 9 days, but have logged around 3+ weeks of sober time the past month.
Things I've noticed or others have noticed
1. Skin complexion is brighter (others)
2. Hair is softer
3. Pores are smaller
4. Eyes are whiter
5. No bags under my eyes and I don't look tired
6. I feel better about myself and can look at myself in the mirror.
7. I don't worry about the effect drinking is having on my health.

Jets55

i noticed just after 2 weeks that my motivation was back,less sleep was needed,anxiety has greatly reduced, and more money in my pocket!

JT0626

I no longer wake up nauseous with an intense thirst. I also feel way more rested in the mornings. My wedding ring isn't as tight around my finger like it was before due to bloat. Overall I feel like I am radiant.

KChance

I needed to hear some of these. These are definitely good reasons to not drink so much. I am sick of bad sleep, dry mouth, headaches, and a lack of motivation to do much of anything. Poor skin and baggy eyes, that is there too.

leastofthese

Thirty days today! I have noticed the following:

1. I sleep much better and have lost 12 lbs though I have been eating more.
2. I don't lie in order to sneak off to bars or work late in order to get my fix.
3. I have consumed five books.
4. I am overwhelmed with feelings (some bad but a lot of good ones).
5. I feel forgiven.

biminiblue

Freedom from fear.