It is better not to drink alcohol at all. Life without alcohol: no need to be afraid of change

Alcoholism is a terrible misfortune that destroys families and human personality. No one is immune from this misfortune. And it all starts with a harmless desire to relax and unwind after hard everyday life, to move away from heavy worries at work, worries. And gradually, without noticing it, a person begins to drink more and more often, being drawn into a deadly circle, from where it becomes very difficult to get out.

But probably. Thanks to modern methods of getting rid of alcohol addiction, many people have already managed to overcome addiction and live a sober and healthy life. For an addict to stop drinking is a very serious act, associated with poor health and negative symptoms. And what will happen if you stop drinking alcohol, how will the body react to the deprivation of its usual doping?

When a person stops drinking, he has to deal with a number of unpleasant symptoms.

It is very difficult to predict and predict what consequences a person will have to face after giving up alcohol (especially if you stop drinking abruptly). Each person is unique and all possible troubles depend on many factors, in particular:

Heredity.
Gender and age of the person.
The quality of alcoholic beverages.
Regular drinking.
duration of alcohol consumption.
Features of the body (psychosomatic and physical).

Experts, studying what happens to the body when you stop drinking, have divided the possible negative symptoms into two large groups. These are failures and problems occurring in the body itself (physical consequences) and troubles associated with psychological factors.

Alcohol harms all internal systems and human organs

If the feasts accompanied by alcohol were infrequent, the refusal of alcohol will be much milder and without any serious consequences for the body.

Physiological problems

In a long-term drinking person, all metabolic processes are already completely dependent on the presence of residues of alcohol compounds in them. Not receiving the next usual dose, the drinker is faced with big troubles that brings withdrawal syndrome.

Withdrawal can be compared to drug withdrawal, which torments a person for a long time. This condition is accompanied by:

nausea;
insomnia;
vomiting;
severe migraine;
tremor of the limbs;
indigestion;
sharp mood swings;
muscle and joint ache;
irresistible desire to drink.

Withdrawal syndrome can last up to 2-3 weeks. This is the consequences of non-receipt of the usual doping poison into the body. After all, alcohol not only adversely affects the functioning of internal organs and systems, but also becomes an integral part of their functioning.

Psychological symptoms

Alcohol dependence is not only manifested on the physical level. The human psyche also suffers from it. After all, being in a consciousness altered by alcohol, a person perceives the surrounding reality in a completely different way, is not able to adequately respond to the changing reality.

Alcohol lingers in the internal organs for a long time and acts destructively on them.

After giving up alcohol, the withdrawal syndrome, which manifests itself on the physical plane, is combined with manifestations of a mental disorder. Sometimes a person even loses the meaning of his existence.

The psyche and brain structures during the period of close “communication” with alcohol undergo irreversible changes. Unfortunately, the degradation processes that occur in the body of the drinker are irreversible.

The earlier the decision is made to forget about alcohol, the more likely it is to preserve the personality, its mind and level of intelligence. The one who decides to stop drinking will have to make a huge effort on himself, working in the following directions:

undergo social adaptation;
change habitual routine and living conditions;
completely part with the usual social circle;
change all the old habits that have already become familiar;
re-build a new life, where there is no place for drunkenness.

These steps are extremely difficult and they always go "on the edge". There is a very high risk of breaking loose and returning to the previous existence. Comprehensive support of relatives and close people who are not indifferent to the fate of this person will help to overcome these problems.

But the individual himself will have to make great efforts on himself. Find the strength to fight depression. To educate and root in oneself an internal setting for sobriety and instill the idea that alcohol is a terrible poison that breaks the whole person, destroying life.

Stop drinking calendar by day

To understand what consequences will follow, and what the person who quits drinking will have to face, there is a certain calendar. With its help, you can mentally prepare in advance for troubles and meet them fully armed..

How alcohol affects the body

Narcologists say that the most difficult in terms of negative symptoms are the first 2-3 weeks from the moment of parting with alcohol.

So, when you quit drinking, you can find out the consequences for the body by day using the following table:

Time since breaking up with alcohol	Symptoms	Notes
1 day	these days a person is visited by a hangover known to many, which is accompanied by: nausea; headache; tremor; increased excitability; tachycardia; mood swings; gastrointestinal disorders	according to observations, some people often have insomnia, but others experience the opposite effect - drowsiness, they literally "hibernate" and can sleep for days on end
2-3 day	hangover symptoms continue, irritability and nervousness increase, but problems of the stomach and intestines recede	sometimes hallucinations and seizures may develop
4-7 days	a person leaves an apathetic state and lethargy, energy appears, working capacity is restored (though not fully); the skin returns a healthy color, the skin becomes more elastic, puffiness decreases; restoration of the liver and pancreas continues, heartburn goes away; sleep normalizes	the cause of favorable changes is the complete purification of the blood from toxic ethanol toxins
8-30 day	after a month without alcohol, a person recovers and works the brain, the result is the return of clarity of thinking and the return of a long-forgotten human personality; there is also an improvement in the functioning of the heart and lungs (shortness of breath, arrhythmia passes)	the period of the first month without alcohol is the most difficult in the process of personality recovery, experts advise quitting drinking under the guidance of experienced doctors and using the necessary auxiliary medications

This calendar is appropriate in all cases of parting with alcohol, even if you quit drinking beer, the consequences for the day will be the same. After all, negative symptoms are based on a lack of ethyl alcohol in the body, which is present in all alcoholic beverages without exception.

Resuscitation of the body

Is it possible to alleviate the negative consequences that significantly worsen the life and condition of a former alcoholic? The recovery process of the body affects the entire body. Therefore, the first month, the most difficult after quitting drinking, passes against the background of problems in the work of almost all organs:

The cardiovascular system. You will have to go through jumps in blood pressure, malfunctions of the heart. You will often feel dizzy and have a headache.
GIT. Digestive problems are accompanied by long-term disorders (constipation / diarrhea), nausea, vomiting. Very often there is a sharp weight loss of a person.
CNS. Disorder from the nervous system is based on a background of prolonged headache and sharp mood swings. In special cases, a person may visit auditory / visual hallucinations and develop a convulsive syndrome.

General negative symptoms in the form of fever, tremor, complete weakness usually leave the former drinker on the 5-6th day after breaking up with alcohol. But sleep problems will have to endure for several months.

Alcohol is especially dangerous for the liver, so it needs to be restored.

All negative symptoms will gradually go away as the body recovers and cleanses the accumulated toxic metabolites of ethyl alcohol.

Help with the gastrointestinal tract

Being constantly in drunken oblivion, a person practically does not eat normal and healthy food. Food replaces alcohol. By the way, ethyl alcohol is quite high in calories, but only it supplies the body with toxic and poisonous energy, where there are no nutrients and essential vitamins.

To establish the processes of digestion and restore the work of the gastrointestinal tract, it is necessary to include enzyme preparations in the rehabilitation program. These funds will improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, restore digestion systems. The weight lost in the first days will soon return.

Pressure recovery

Regular drinkers are constantly faced with jumps in blood pressure. In drunkards, complaints that often hurt and feel dizzy stop only after a complete detoxification of the body.

If a person suffers from severe headaches for a long time after parting with alcohol, a complete medical examination should be performed.

You should know and remember that no matter how bad it is, you can’t take alcohol to reduce unbearable pain. This is fraught only with a deterioration in the condition and the development of a prolonged binge. The best way out is to see a doctor and agree to hospitalization. After all, if you refuse alcohol, the load on the heart in the first days increases, which is fraught with the development of a heart attack.

Normalization of sleep

Alcohol deprives the possibility of a normal night's rest. Even if sleep comes to a person, it is restless, superficial and without dreams. Therefore, it is very important to restore normal rest. For the rehabilitation of a person in this regard, psychotherapy sessions and the use of medications are of great help.

How does ethanol affect the human brain

According to the observations of specialists, sleep disorders associated with nightmares are often based on the activation of subconscious fears. A man dreams that he has started drinking again. To relieve negative symptoms, doctors will prescribe a course of taking antidepressants, tranquilizers and sleeping pills. Therapeutic restorative treatment is quite long and can last up to 8-10 months.

Good help is provided by the creation of favorable conditions for a good rest. Evening walks, frequent airing of the premises, active sports. Try yoga, get carried away with an interesting hobby.

We remove irritability

By removing forever the natural and familiar stimulant of emotions - ethyl alcohol, a person runs the risk of falling into a protracted and prolonged depression. The ideal way out and natural treatment can be a passion for your favorite thing, an exciting activity. Very important is the personal attitude to the desire to become necessary to someone in this difficult period of life. You should not refuse the help of loved ones.

Prolonged use of alcoholic beverages makes the addict intolerant of others and extremely irritable. It is quite difficult to remove such acquired character traits. You should strictly control yourself, stop the manifestation of negative messages and emotions.

Here group sessions with a psychotherapist will be of great help. You should review and diversify your own diet by including protein-rich foods in the menu. It is necessary to exclude the consumption of black tea, coffee, replacing them with herbal decoctions / infusions with the addition of honey.

Six months without alcohol

The most responsible and difficult time is behind us. Six months is enough for the body to fully restore its strength and regain lost health.. But an important condition for well-being is the absence of various pathologies that often visit an alcohol addict:

gastrointestinal ulcers;
pancreatitis;
alcoholic hepatitis;
cirrhosis and liver failure.

Such problems will have to be dealt with under the supervision and guidance of an experienced physician. But the psychological background after six months of giving up alcohol was completely restored. And, despite the fact that friends have diminished, relations with the family, children and relatives have improved.

Improvement in financial condition will also be a pleasant surprise. After all, previously large sums were spent on obtaining an alcoholic dose for themselves, and the prices of alcohol tend to increase. The former drinker himself adds a lot of effort to this by increasing his ability to work and labor activity.

This is explained from the point of view of psychology. Quit drinking, as if trying to catch up due to long years of alcoholic passivity and rehabilitate in the eyes of loved ones. And it works out great!

You have probably heard about the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, as well as its dangers. We understand how to build a relationship with alcohol (if you have one) with the help of our translation of an article from the authoritative Presicion Nutrition.

How much does alcohol consumption affect your health and your fitness activities? How much alcohol interferes with achieving results? Can drinking alcohol have a positive effect? Camille DePutter, the author of the Presicion Nutrition project, tries to answer these questions from her personal point of view.

"Should I stop drinking?"

Alcoholic drinks have become part of everyday life. A cocktail on a Friday at the bar, a beer at a football game in the evening, or a glass of chardonnay to take the edge off a tough day at work. Alcohol consumption is easily justified on psychological grounds.

But perhaps we justify what we shouldn't? Is it not in vain that we believe that red contains antioxidants that will help us in some way?

If we want to be healthy and in great physical shape, how should our relationship with alcohol develop? Looking ahead, I will say that from a scientific point of view, not everything is so simple.

What is useful alcohol

Moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of diabetes, gallstones, and coronary heart disease.

A small amount of alcohol seems to have a positive effect on the circulatory system and reduce the risk of a heart attack or cardiac arrest by 25-40%.

And there are even studies showing that those who drink alcohol, on average, live longer than those who do not drink. Periodically, such headlines slip as soon as another study on this topic comes out.

But there is one important clarification if you do not drink, then health experts advise not to start.

Wait, what?! If there is research showing the positive effects of alcohol, why not add a glass of antioxidant-rich red wine to your diet? Just instead of milk!

No one can claim that any amount of alcohol is actually good for us.

The fact is that most of the studies on the positive effects of alcohol on health are detailed, long-term, epidemiological studies. This type of research does not prove anything for sure. Instead of saying that "A" leads to "B", these studies say that "A is more likely to correlate with B."

That is, despite the fact that these studies show that moderate drinkers have fewer problems with the diseases listed above, nevertheless they do not prove that the absence of alcohol in the diet causes these diseases.

In reality, this could mean, for example, that moderate drinking reduces stress levels. Or that moderate drinking does not have any positive effect on health at all. Or, people who drink are, on average, less stressed by nature and have more social connections, which increases their survivability. In any case, we don't know for sure.

In addition, most studies show benefit only in the absence of periods of heavy drinking.

What does "moderate" alcohol consumption mean?

The definition of "moderate" alcohol consumption varies by country and by the organization that makes the recommendations.

But here is the definition of "moderate" consumption from the United States Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee:

For women : up to 7 "drinks" per week (and at the same time up to 3 in one day),
For men : up to 14 "drinks" per week (and up to 4 in one day).

And here is what 1 “drink” looks like in different alcoholic beverages:

Think you're drinking within the normal range? But when you really knocked out your alcohol "account" and even adjusted for the fact that beer is much stronger than 5%.

Research shows that people often tend to grossly underestimate the amount of alcohol they consume. And in this case it is easy to fall into the category of "many drinkers."

This picture is an example of how, for girls, a seemingly harmless amount of alcohol at the end of the week can turn into a serious bust:

A glass of wine in the evening on Mon, Wed and Thu + 3 martini shots and one light beer at the bar on Friday + 1 gin and tonic and a couple of glasses of wine on Saturday. And now you are already a heavy drinker (according to the norms for women).

And this is where the problems with alcohol begin, as the category of “heavy drinkers” shows negative health consequences.

Risks associated with moderate and heavy alcohol consumption:

* If there is a predisposition (someone in the family suffers from alcoholism).

In addition, high levels of alcohol consumption are associated with an increased risk of accidental injury or sudden death in young people. Especially if you combine the "knee-deep sea" effect with reduced self-control and complex dangerous mechanisms (for example, cars).

Ideal amounts of alcohol

Technically, alcohol is a poison for our body, which the body first of all processes into less dangerous substances so that we can benefit from libations with minimal harm.

There are 2 main mechanisms for getting rid of ethanol:

Through a series of chemical reactions, the body converts alcohol to acetaldehyde and then to acetate, which is then broken down into carbon dioxide and water.
The second ethanol disposal system is called the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS), which uses a group of special enzymes that can chemically deal with a wide range of toxic molecules.

In moderate drinkers, only about 10% of the alcohol is processed using the second method - MEOS. But when alcohol is abused, the MEOS system turns on more actively, which reduces the resources needed to deal with other toxic substances that enter our body. Hence the risks described in the table above.

At the same time, the ability of the body to process alcohol depends on many factors:

age,
body size,
genetic resistance to alcohol,
ethnicity (for example, many Asian peoples have a genetically reduced level of enzymes that process ethanol).

So where is the balance of benefit (and sometimes joy) and harm / poisoning from alcohol? The limits of the norm of "moderate" alcohol consumption given above show the statistical volumes at which the risk to health is minimal.

By the way, this does not mean that even moderate alcohol consumption does not carry risks.

Alcohol and psychological comfort

In the modern world, mental health is no less important: the overall quality of life, the amount of joy experienced, social connections are very important for health. And for many people, moderate alcohol consumption contributes to psychological comfort.

In the US, about 65% of the population drink alcohol, 3/4 of them drink at least once a week. In continental Europe, a glass of wine or beer with dinner is considered the norm. In the UK or Japan, it is often customary to go to a pub after work. For many people around the world, alcohol is a habitual product.

Alcohol is relaxing, creative, socially connected - all of which contribute to mental health, far more than the physical benefits. Moreover, reducing the risk of heart disease can be much more effective in many other ways: eat right, exercise, and stop smoking.

To drink or not to drink

Alcohol is just one of the factors that affect body condition, training progress, and so on. Whether to drink at all and how much is a matter of your personal priorities.

For example, what are you willing to sacrifice for the sake of socialization on alcohol fuel?

For example:

If you want to see a 6 pack on your stomach, then you need to say no to going to the bar.
If you went to a bar on Friday, you sacrifice Saturday's workout,
If you want to prepare well for a marathon, then it is better to give up Saturday libations and so on ...

This is a prioritization.

How much alcohol can be ideal is impossible to say, this is your personal question and answer.

7 tips from Precision Nutrition on how to be smart about alcohol

1. Research how much you drink. Record all the alcohol that you drank in 1-2 weeks and realize what kind of volume it is, answer the questions for yourself:

Am I drinking more than I thought?
Am I in a hurry to drink more in a short time? How many drinks do I drink in a row and quickly? How much is drinking a habit, and how much is a pleasure?
What are my drinking patterns? After what events, on what days do I usually drink?
Does alcohol bring me pleasure or does it cause stress?
Does alcohol have an additional negative effect on me? (For example, you overeat because of drinking, do drugs, or call an ex).

If a red flag was raised in answering these questions, it makes sense to reconsider your relationship with alcohol.

2. Listen to your body - how it reacts to alcohol

For these purposes, the standard questionnaire “Does this work for me?” Is suitable:

How do I generally feel when I do this?
Am I able to recover? Am I ready to go to the gym on Saturday after Friday?
What are the consequences for my body? Do I feel hungover, indigestion, insomnia or any other discomfort?
How does the extra energy affect me? Are the calories from alcohol within my norm?
What do health indicators show? What does a blood test show, how does pressure and any other indicators change?

3. Pay attention to how alcohol affects thoughts, emotions, judgments, outlook on life

And again, it is important to answer the question for yourself - how does it work for me.

Am I in control of the drinking process? Do I make a conscious choice, or do I suddenly find myself with a glass of alcohol in my hand?
What kind of person am I when I drink? Does drinking make me relax? Or makes it aggressive? Kind and funny or evil?
If I stopped drinking completely for a week, what would it look like for me? Is it easy for me to deal with this? Or will I feel panic if I have to give up the habit?

4. Play the My Priorities Game

Set your priorities in life - what is more important to you, what is less important. There are no right answers - it's just your life, choices and compromises.

Roughly speaking, what is more important to you: cubes and a dry body or chatting with friends over beer?

5. Turn off autopilot

In general, in life it is useful to move from automatic actions to conscious decisions.

Here are a few tricks to turn off your autopilot for drinking:

Postpone ordering a drink (or just filling a glass) for 10 minutes. And watch yourself, make sure that you really consciously want it.
Look for ways to bypass habitual patterns of behavior. For example, if you're used to going to a bar on a Friday night, try scheduling and paying for an interesting non-alcoholic activity. Or limit yourself to the store, it's easier not to buy than to buy and fight the temptation.
Relish. Tune in to the sensations of the drink.
Swap quantity for quality. Drink less, but once you drink, choose something better for yourself.

6. Consult

Talk to your doctor about your amounts and behaviors with alcohol.
Do a genetic test to find out the degree of your predisposition to alcoholism and the ability to process alcohol.

7. If you choose to drink, enjoy.

Take your time, if you already drink - enjoy, enjoy consciously.

Probably, everyone who is faced with chronic drunkenness would give a lot for advice on how not to drink alcohol, and how to protect a loved one from this disaster. Unfortunately, there is no unequivocal recipe that protects against drinking alcohol. But there are ways by which you can unlearn addiction and return an alcoholic to a normal full life.

Setting up for victory

First of all, in order to give up alcoholic beverages, the desire of the drinker himself is necessary - this is already 75% of success. Starting to fight alcohol addiction without the consent of the alcoholic is a futile exercise that can only aggravate the situation.

To persuade a person not to drink alcohol, you must:

identify the reason why a person drinks and the factors that encourage drinking;
talk about the consequences that alcohol leads to (loss of health, complete degradation of personality, destruction of life);
dispel illusions about alcoholic beverages that make a person use it without measure;
stock up on patience and surround those who quit drinking with care and attention.

If a person asks the question - “How to stop drinking?”, It means that not everything is lost yet, and therefore immediately begin to take action.

Dispelling alcohol myths

To stop drinking, it is necessary to find out the reasons for this: they can be social, psychological and physical. Often these reasons are mythical, far-fetched, so we will try to dispel them.

1. "Alcohol promotes communication."

Many do not imagine communication in the company without the use of alcoholic beverages. It seems that the "sober head" will be bored and will not be able to fully relax and enjoy the rest. Indeed, alcoholic drinks help to relax and behave cheerfully and naturally, but this is only at first glance.

In fact, in companies where there is always a drink, the main thing is not the communication itself, but the reason for which they gather - alcohol.

Pay attention - in the company of people to whom you are really interested and close, you can easily refuse to drink and at the same time feel light and fun. Yes, and these people will always support you in this intention and will not hold out a glass of alcohol.

2. "Alcohol unites."

Due to established habits and social complexes, a person subconsciously experiences fear of an unfamiliar company of people (at work or on vacation). Alcoholic drinks change perception, under their influence, emancipation and self-confidence appear. But at the same time, confusion of thoughts, a craving for exaggeration and other characteristic symptoms of alcohol intoxication also come - and it is unlikely that it will be possible to make a proper impression.

Remember, in childhood and adolescence, you could communicate with friends without additional doping, and you had fun and interesting. Try to behave in the same way now - do not hesitate, others will like you precisely because of your naturalness (without drinking alcohol).

3. "Alcohol helps you relax and cope with stress and problems."

Relaxation with the help of alcoholic beverages is a common auto-suggestion that turns into a habit over time. The feeling of euphoria that occurs when drinking alcohol is replaced in the morning by a depressive state and a feeling of oppression, which prompts you to drink alcohol again in order to "forget about problems." But the problems do not go away, but rather get worse. In addition, from a physiological point of view, the body does not rest at all, but, on the contrary, throws all its strength into the fight against alcohol consequences.

Relieve stress and relax in other ways: going to the sauna, swimming pool, taking a walk with your family. This will really help the body to relax, and the solution to problems will come by itself.

4. "Alcohol is a physical need."

Undoubtedly, alcohol, like a drug, causes a feeling of addiction, and it seems that it is impossible to completely give it up. But physical dependence on alcohol is much less pronounced than other factors - a social and psychological nature. With the help of alcoholic beverages, a person tries to neutralize his own fears, doubts, complexes, give himself courage and confidence. And until you get rid of the reasons that cause the desire to drink, it is useless to fight physical addiction.

The physical need for alcohol is self-deception. Find out the reasons for the desire to "drink", and try to solve them in other ways.

5. "Alcohol is delicious."

A bottle of beer, a glass of cocktail, a glass of wine - all this undoubtedly sounds very tempting and tasty. But, if you try to drink the same drinks without alcohol content, the taste will be just as good. Do not deceive yourself - in these drinks, most often it is not the taste that attracts, but the alcohol content (to “insert”). Moreover, after a certain amount of drinking, the alcoholic most often does not care what to drink.

There are plenty of pleasant and tasty non-alcoholic drinks and cocktails. Replace alcoholic drinks with them, and you will see that you do not lose anything in terms of taste.

6. “Everyone drinks alcohol.”

The hint at the age-old traditions of Russian drunkenness is hard to dispute. But traditions are made by people themselves. If it was customary in the family to drink for any reason, and the child saw it from childhood, perceiving it as the norm, it will be difficult to convince him in adulthood not to drink alcohol.

Become the founder of new traditions in your family: on holidays, enter the custom of going to the cinema or an ice cream parlor, or to the skating rink. Pretty soon it will become a habit (and all family members will like it), and you will forget about alcohol traditions.

Getting Started

Despite all the obviousness of the myths debunked above, quitting drinking is still quite difficult. But determining the cause of the desire to drink alcohol, and eliminating it, is already half the battle on the road to success.

Now we define the main principles of refusal of alcoholic libations:

Alcohol is not a substitute for the full enjoyment of life. Temporary euphoria while drinking just clouds the brain and creates a false sense of joy. The enjoyment of real life is possible only if you do not drink alcohol.
Don't wait for the right moment to stop drinking. Next Monday, a new month, the end of the holidays - if you have already made your decision not to drink, do not put it off for the future.
Be confident in your decision. Rest assured that the choice you have made is the right one. Enlist the support of family and friends for this.
Feel like a free man. Alcohol is as addictive as drugs. Freeing yourself from it, you will feel relieved - you will have a lot of new hobbies, interests and pleasant worries, and most importantly - a feeling of a fulfilling life.
Feel like a person. "Everyone drinks, but I don't!" It will sound proud and advantageous to distinguish you from the rest. Show that you can relax and have fun without drinking alcohol.
Do not replace strong alcoholic drinks with weak ones. To stop drinking, you need to completely refuse all drinks containing alcohol. Do not be fooled by the illusion that weak liquor is more harmless and safe.
Don't associate alcohol with fun and relaxation. In the company of real friends and loving people, you can have a great and fun vacation without warming yourself up with another portion of alcohol.
Know how to refuse those who offer you a drink. Drinking buddies will be eliminated, real friends will remain, and in other companies you will simply be respected for your choice.
Replace alcohol with other hobbies in life. Bowling, fishing, hunting, paintball - how many hobbies can a strong and healthy person not dependent on alcohol have?

The first time, after making the decision to stop drinking, will be difficult. Indeed, for many, alcohol is one of the components of life, without which it is difficult to imagine it.

Various holidays, gatherings with friends, weekend evenings, stress and troubles - that's how many reasons for drinking, at first glance, exist around. But these reasons are false - we invent them ourselves to justify drinking.

In order not to drink alcohol, you need to get rid of fictitious desires and reasons and learn to live without wasting precious health, strength, time and money on drinking.

And in fact, the last three-week break in taking disinhibitory fluids I probably had when I went to school with a satchel. And since then, it turns out, I have never been myself - at any given moment in time I was either drunk, or hungover, or at least toxins were floating in my blood.

In general, I decided not to drink for 28 days. The notorious 21 days and another week on top, to be sure. Just to understand what it's like to live there - in the Land of absolute freedom from alcohol.

At the start of the experiment, I critically examined myself. 31 years old, height - 180 cm, weight - 82 kg. If you focus on, then you had to lose at least 5–7 kilograms. An unhealthy blush played on the cheeks, there were (what to hide) and bags under the eyes. Three times a week I go to the gym, but the waist, as it was 84 cm, has not gone anywhere, even if you crack.

If the centimeters are not impressive, I will let you know - the fat folds on the sides (my Russian friends call them "dumplings") were clearly visible. Finally, I have reluctantly recorded my drinking habits: I drink (at home or outside) three to five times a week, the usual dose is about a bottle of wine per evening. God knows what, however, rather domestic drunkenness than alcoholism.

In short, I vowed to replace alcohol with freshly squeezed juice or water - to ensure the body has enough fluids and vitamins during the rehabilitation period. I also immediately wrote about my decision on Facebook - there is a study that demonstrates your intentions on social networks (after all, many will follow whether you fulfilled your vow).

The first four days were easy. My method was simple - I refused any invitations. It's easier to drink water at home than to do it in a bar, looking down at your friends having fun. But soon the first test appeared on the horizon - the birthday of a close friend.

“Come on, just one, why are you so boring?” - this phrase and its variations that evening were even told to me by the cloakroom attendants of that restaurant. Somewhere around midnight, a treacherous thought began to creep into my head: maybe, really, just one, so as not to upset anyone? I am proud of myself and show off - convulsively grabbing my things, I ran away from the party, but did not succumb to the temptation.

This is how much your ability to fully concentrate on solving any problem after a month of complete sobriety increases.

(Research by University College London)

The next big party, fortunately, was to take place after my ordeal was over. But I noted to myself that I should put a couple of events in my calendar for the coming weeks, where there will definitely be no alcohol. I'm not a hermit to spend evenings alone.

But there was good news, and already by the middle of my post. For example me . As the doctors explained to me, a hangover, like a jet lag, knocks down the rhythms of life. Now I didn’t spend the first half of the day rubbing my temples and trying to focus - plus a bunch of energy came from somewhere and scored with a key. For example, I started cooking at home - steamed chicken and vegetables replaced roast beef sandwiches, which I usually bought in a diner on the way home.

I also started spending more time in the gym. After all, it was necessary to do something with the freed evenings, but here everyone drinks only water - with pleasure and of their own free will. By the end of my post, three workouts a week turned into five or even six.

The body began to change: until recently I worked with a barbell of 45 kg, and now I have already taken 60 kg; dumbbells got heavier from 14 kg to 18 kg; but the main thing - once I saw my muscles in the mirror. For the first time in 10 years, they looked out into the light from the bowels of a flabby body (well, or maybe the light just fell like that). And one more important point: now I was fulfilling the entire planned training program, although I used to often indulge myself - I gave up in the middle of classes and went with friends to relax after a hard day.

On the 26th day of the experiment, a friend suggested to me - they say, since you don’t drink for a whole month, then don’t start. And I began to prematurely sum up. My waist shrunk to 81 centimeters and my body mass index returned to normal. Yes, there is news - the first vague ones appeared on the stomach! Hooray! But I waited until the 29th day and drank my bottle of wine in the evening with pleasure.

Final and irrevocable sobriety is still not for me; during the period of abstinence, I never got rid of the feeling that I was a monk or terminally ill. But I have a new goal - to consume in moderation. I came up with a schedule: I drink for two weeks, I abstain for two. Well, I will also now go to events where alcohol is not implied at all. In short - yes, I want to give my body a rest from alcohol. But, perhaps, without strict obligations and complete prohibitions.

Consumer societies

Why can the experiments of a resident of the UK with alcohol (or rather, with its absence) be of interest to you, a resident of Russia?

Because both we and the British drink too much. True, our male compatriots consume 23.9 liters of pure alcohol per year (WHO data), and the British - "only" 16.5 liters. But both indicators are infinitely far from the world average level of alcohol consumption by adult earthlings - 6.2 liters per year.

Alcohol addiction is a serious disease, and many doctors consider it incurable. Even if you do not drink alcohol at all, cravings can persist for many years. But long-term abstinence from a negative habit will have a positive effect on the condition of the body and the general well-being of the addict.

The main concentration of ethanol accumulates in the liver and brain - these are the organs that suffer the most. At first, the drinker can only expect a hangover and severe toxicity of the body, while the main troubles are of a delayed nature and appear gradually.

With regular use of alcohol, a person is expected to:

decrease in brain activity;
decrease in cellular excitability;
metabolic disorder;
fatty degeneration;
inflammatory diseases of the liver;
problems with the heart and blood vessels;
cerebral hypoxia.

Pregnant or breastfeeding women should not drink alcohol at all. Otherwise, toxic substances will be passed on to the child, which will lead to the development of numerous developmental pathologies.

Alcohol has a mild psychotropic effect on consciousness. A couple of sips are enough to feel the change: there is a slight feeling of euphoria. Under his influence, you want to drink more, and it can be very difficult to stop yourself. When pleasant sensations pass, the body is in a stressful state.

Permissible doses of alcohol

If an addict is going to live without alcohol for the rest of his life, it is recommended to give up a dangerous habit abruptly. Dropouts are often deceived by a long-term plan to gradually cut back on alcohol.

The acceptable “harmless” dose of alcohol has been determined by the World Health Organization. So, the daily norm for a man is 30 ml. pure ethyl alcohol (about 250 ml of beer), and for women - no more than 20 ml. In this case, the reaction of the body depends not only on gender.

It is necessary to take into account the weight of the drinking person and the amount of the enzyme that is responsible for the breakdown of ethyl alcohol. According to medical data, the male body copes with alcohol better.

What changes occur in life without alcohol

If a person decides to no longer drink alcohol at all, at first it may be difficult to do so. Giving up a bad habit is not too easy, and noticeable breaking is possible for several days. The physical desire to relax with the help of alcohol alternates with the psychological. But with each sober month, positive changes are more and more obvious.

Sports

Evening gatherings with beer are easily replaced by a gym, and a morning hangover fight with a run. To process alcohol, the body expends a sufficient amount of energy that could be spent on more useful purposes. Alcohol has a depressing effect on muscles, disrupting protein synthesis.

weight loss

A person who stops drinking quickly loses excess weight. Alcohol is made up of "empty" useless calories. The most popular snacks are heavy and fatty, with lots of spices and sauces. And it also contributes to fluid retention, which makes the drinker edematous and visually it seems much larger.

Normalization of blood sugar levels

Frequent alcohol consumption is one of the causes of diabetes. Such drinks have a toxic effect on the pancreas, which guarantees the release of insulin. Gradually, resistance to this hormone increases, a violation of carbohydrate metabolism starts, and the proper functioning of the liver is suppressed.

The liver can no longer cope with maintaining the level of glycogen - the substance responsible for the normalization of glucose levels. Additional problems arise if a person prefers to drink sweet drinks - wines, liquors, cocktails with sparkling water.

Good dream

If a person falls asleep while intoxicated, he does not receive the necessary rest. According to medical research, after alcohol, alpha brain activity is triggered. The body, which is trying to fight off toxic effects and stress, is unable to relax completely. The result is a state of weakness in the morning, even if the drinker slept for a long time.

Mental enhancement

Even a single alcohol abuse leads to an imbalance between the brain neurotransmitters responsible for the transmission of impulses and information in the body. It leads to:

violation of coordination;
forgetfulness;
speech problems;
irritability and lethargy.

It is enough not to drink alcohol at all for at least 2-3 months to start the process of restoring structural damage. The ability to analyze will increase to the previous level, memory and mood will return to normal.

Appearance

Alcohol is a strong diuretic and quickly leads to dehydration. Not only the internal organs suffer from this, but also the appearance of the drinking person. If you stop abusing alcohol and introduce a sufficient amount of pure water into the diet, the changes will be “obvious”:

Thick hair;
healthy soft skin;
ringing voice;
strong nails;
shining eyes.

When alcohol, which prevents the body from absorbing vitamins, disappears, the quality of life will be completely different.

Immunity Boost

Violation of protein metabolism in cells leads to dysfunction of the immune system. The body's natural defenses are reduced. Regular drinking contributes to the rapid development of existing viral and infectious diseases, including HIV. If a person can remove alcohol from life, the systems of the body will begin to work in full force.