How Quitting Drinking Affects the Body

How Quitting Drinking Affects the Body

• Mandy Sandhu
• 29 Jan 2025

Alcohol is the most widely used—and abused—substance in Canada. Though culturally viewed as acceptable and even harmless, alcohol addiction can lead to serious health consequences.

What happens to your body when you quit drinking? Quitting drinking will lead to considerable changes in your body and mind—sometimes within mere hours of your last drink. Understanding what follows can inspire you to take that crucial first step in your recovery journey.

In this article, we’ll provide a quitting drinking timeline to help you understand what happens to your body when you quit drinking before exploring the long-term health benefits of quitting alcohol.

What to Expect When You Quit Drinking: A Detailed Timeline

When you stop drinking, your body begins to detoxify almost immediately. Unfortunately, this can cause severe withdrawal symptoms, especially for heavy drinkers. 

Note: Due to the severity of withdrawal for those with alcohol use disorder, we recommend seeking professional help before quitting if you believe you fall under this category. Stopping immediately can lead to alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Please consult a doctor or learn more about our alcohol addiction treatment program. 

Although experiences will vary, here’s a general outline of what happens when you stop drinking:

The First Three Days

The First 12 Hours

• Onset of withdrawal: Symptoms such as hand tremors, nausea, sweating, fatigue, and anxiety may begin to appear.

12-24 Hours:

• Increased alcohol withdrawal symptoms: Alcohol cravings, reduced energy, and mood changes are common when you stop drinking alcohol. Sleep may be disrupted.

24-72 Hours:

• Critical withdrawal period: Severe symptoms like elevated heart rate, high blood pressure, or seizures may occur. Heavy drinkers may experience delirium tremens, a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention. 
• Beginning of recovery: Hydration levels improve and the central nervous system begins adjusting, leading to reductions in symptoms.

One Week Sober

For most people, dangerous withdrawal symptoms cease after three days. After one week, your body will begin showing signs of alcohol recovery:

• Liver repair: Assuming the absence of cirrhosis, your liver will begin to show reductions in fatty tissue.
• Improved digestion: Healing of the stomach lining may reduce bloating.
• Better mental clarity: You may experience sharper focus and reduced brain fog.

Between one to two weeks is generally when a medical detox period comes to an end. 

Two Weeks Sober

After two weeks, what happens to your body when you quit drinking becomes even more noticeable:

• Weight loss: Weight loss may occur due to the elimination of calories from alcohol.
• Healthier skin: Improvements in hydration may lead to clearer skin.
• Lower blood pressure: Blood pressure may return to healthier levels, improving cardiovascular health.

One to Six Months Sober

After a few months, the health benefits start becoming much more apparent:

• Enhanced organ function: The liver continues to heal, heart health improves, and the brain starts to reverse alcohol-induced shrinkage.
• Improved physical and mental vitality: Energy levels rise, sleep patterns improve, and cognitive functioning sharpens.

One Year Sober

The one-year mark of sobriety is a major milestone—be proud of yourself! At this point, the effects of quitting alcohol will be striking:

• Optimized organ function: The liver, heart, and other organs are much healthier, decreasing your risk of disease.
• Emotional stability: You will experience improved overall mental health.

The quitting drinking timeline doesn’t end after just a year, though! All the benefits we highlighted will continue to compound and complement each other, paving the way for a healthier, happier life. 

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The Relationship Between Alcohol Addiction and Mental Health Disorders

Alcohol addiction is commonly concurrent with other mental health disorders. A meta-analysis found that individuals suffering from alcohol addiction were twice as likely to have another mental health disorder (e.g., depression). 

This reflects a complicated bi-directional relationship. Alcohol abuse often begins as a coping mechanism that can worsen pre-existing mental health issues—but it can also induce mental health problems in healthy individuals.

These reciprocal effects can snowball, leading to a spiral of addiction and declining well-being. By quitting drinking, you can break this cycle.

Mental Health Benefits of Quitting Alcohol

Quitting alcohol results in physical and mental health improvements. A study found that moderate drinkers who quit alcohol experienced significant improvements in mental well-being. After four years of sobriety, these individuals’ well-being was comparable to that of lifetime abstainers—the group with the highest level of well-being!

Another review of 63 studies concluded that quitting alcohol led to lower levels of anxiety, depression, and stress, as well as improved self-confidence. Notably, for heavy drinkers, abstinence was key; simply reducing alcohol consumption did not lead to improvements in mental health.

Image source: Shutterstock

Physical Health Benefits of Quitting Alcohol

Going through the quitting alcohol timeline also benefits your body physically in many ways:

Better Liver Health

The liver is the organ most affected by heavy drinking, leading to fatty liver disease or even cirrhosis over time. When you allow it to heal, the liver goes back to carrying out its vital functions, including detoxifying harmful substances and producing bile for digestion.

Improved Heart Health

Heavy drinking increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases by oxidizing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, leading to arterial blockages. By quitting alcohol, you can decrease your blood pressure and improve your heart functioning. 

Reduced Cancer Risk

Alcohol has been classified as a human carcinogen; the more a person consumes, the more likely they will develop cancer. These include cancers of the breast, colon, and liver.

All in all, research has revealed that alcohol addiction markedly increases all-cause mortality rates. What happens when you stop drinking isn’t just improved health. It can actually save your life!

The Next Step After Quitting Drinking

If you or someone you love is a heavy drinker and are debating quitting drinking, we are here to help you through every stage of what happens when you stop drinking. Our alcohol addiction treatment and detox programs ensure the highest level of care and assistance in a serene, nurturing environment. 

Our programs are run by a team of licensed medical professionals to provide treatment for those struggling to overcome alcohol use disorder. We’ll guide you through the process, advising you on what to expect when you quit drinking with medical assistance on hand.

For more information about our alcohol addiction treatments, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. A member of our team will get back to you shortly.