Drinking alcohol moderately may be good for health. But there are thousands of men and women who do not know where to draw the limits. Over a period of time, they become addicted to alcoholic drinks and then getting out of the habit becomes a serious issue. However, if you are committed and firm in your resolve to give up alcohol once for all, you should be aware about a few things. To begin with, you must understand that alcohol gets into your bloodstream and leaving it suddenly could lead to many reactions and they are often referred to as withdrawal symptoms.
In this article, we will try and look at a few things that could answer the question WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU QUIT DRINKING TIMELINE. Understanding the timelines will help you and your family to manage the withdrawal symptoms better. More importantly, you will know what to expect at different timelines once you have given up drinking. While the timelines mentioned below are based on research and experiences of thousands of people who want to give up this habit, there could be some slight variations on this.
We are breaking this into 12 different timelines so that you are aware as to what is likely to happen as you go through the process of complete remission as far as the withdrawal symptoms are concerned.
Two to 12 hours – During this time period the withdrawal symptoms may start setting in. The patients may report retching, excessive sweating, hand tremors, anxiety and restlessness.
12 to 24 hours – There could be increased cravings for alcohol and the energy levels may come down significantly. The patients may also feel depressed and in a negative mood. Sleep disturbances may also occur.
12 to 72 hours – This is often considered to be one of the most crucial and dangerous periods for those who are facing severe withdrawal symptoms. The patients could see huge increases in heart rates, seizures and increased blood pressure.
48 to 72 hours – This could be the time period where the withdrawal symptoms start receding and the patient may become more manageable.
3 to 7 days – In most cases the withdrawal symptoms will cease and most people will start getting back to normal. However, there could be a few cases, there the symptoms could worsen. A few patients may need emergency medical care and they could start developing what is known as Delirium Tremens or DT. Common symptoms may include confusion, sweating and disorientation. This perhaps is the reason why seasoned drinkers should give up alcohol only if they have medical help and assistance.
1 Week: Most people should see significant improvements in sleep patterns. However, it may take around a month or even more for normal sleep patterns to return.
1 to 2 weeks: In most cases, the clinical detox period comes to a close.
2 weeks: Many people often report significant weight loss because of removal of alcohol calories from the body. People with damaged livers or fatty livers can also expect recovery of the liver conditions.
3 to 4 weeks: High blood pressure caused by drinking may slowly getting back to normal
1 month: There are chances that your skin may start to look healthier and better.
3 months: Most people will feel that they are having more energy and a better sense of health.
1 year: However, there could be a few people who will continue to report some degree of low energy levels. They also may report issues with regard to normal sleep. There have been instances where these people may also report alcohol cravings.
Once the patients and the family members are able to get over the 12 month market, in most cases, they should be over the most difficult phase of their life as far as alcohol addiction is concerned. They can start enjoying the normal benefits associated with persons who are not into drinking or alcohol use.
WILL HEAVY DRINKING LEAVE PERMANENT HEALTH IMPACTS?
There have been some research studies to suggest that people who are into heavy alcohol use are at a higher risk when it comes to developing different types of cancers. Once they give up drinking, the risks of these types of cancers will come down quite significantly. Many research papers also talk about increased risk of cancer of the breast, esophagus, mouth and upper throat areas. Further, those who are into drinking of two or three pegs a day could also see an increased risk of colorectal cancer. People who drink three or more than three drinks every day may also have a higher risk of liver and stomach cancer.
GENDER WISE RISK BREAKUP
It also would be interesting to have a look at the gender wise break up of health risk of those who are into alcohol use on a regular basis. Women who are into the habit of drinking 14 to 35 units of alcohol each week may run a 15% higher risk of developing breast cancer. This compares to 11% for those women who are not into drinking. Men who consume around 14 units of alcohol a week have 1% lesser chance of being affected with colorectal cancer. However, the risk increases by 11% if they consume 35 units per week.
Heavy drinking can also impact male fertility quite a bit. However, the impact can be reversed soon once the drinking is stopped. Men who are into heavy drinking report many types of sexual problems such as erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation. Women may experience vaginal dryness. But as mentioned above, in most cases, the problems are self-correcting both for men and women, as and when they give up drinking.
AFTER HOW MANY DAYS WILL A PERSON START FEELING BETTER?
As mentioned above, physical withdrawal symptoms could be quite difficult to handle during the first two or three days. However, if the patients are able to overcome these crucial first few days, they should start feeling much better in a couple of weeks. However, there could be some emotional issues that may hang on with these people. We need to bear in mind that the recovery stages post-alcohol abstinence will vary. As mentioned above, while the above are general timelines, it may not be possible to straight jacket each and every case based on the above general guidelines and time periods. The age of the patients, their current health conditions and the period for which they have been into drinking could impact the overall recovery period.
CONCLUSION
We are sure that we have been able to give a reasonably good account into the most important timelines once a person decides to quit drinking and gets into the rehab center for complete remission and cure.