Quit Drinking Alcohol Timeline Days 0 to 365. Here’s Exactly What To Expect….

Have you ever wondered what happens to your body when you stop drinking alcohol ? Well , your body is an incredible machine and the recovery that it makes will astound you . Today , we're going to go on a journey through your first year of sobriety , from the initial detox to the incredible transformations that unfold .

What will happen over the next year is going to surprise you so much that it might just shock you into staying on this path forever . So on day zero , you will metabolize alcohol out of your system . So , after you consume your last drink , it will quickly travel through the esophagus and stomach until it reaches the small intestine .

This is where most of it will be absorbed into the bloodstream . From there it will eventually travel to the liver , where it will be gradually metabolized , broken down into various intermediate steps , until there is nothing left but water and carbon dioxide . The main enzyme responsible for breaking down alcohol is called alcohol dehydrogenase .

It will metabolise up to 98% of all the alcohol that you consume , and the really interesting thing about alcohol dehydrogenase is that it works at a flat , unchanging rate , regardless of how much you've had to drink .

On average , this will be around 14 grams per hour , which is also the alcohol content in a typical alcoholic beverage , so you can expect to metabolise about a drink an hour , though if you're a chronic heavy drinker , this might actually be even faster .

Regardless of how much you've had , around 12 hours after your last drink , alcohol will be undetectable in your urine . Now , unfortunately , after you've expelled the last bit of alcohol from your body , things will only get worse before they get better , for reasons that scientists don't quite understand .

The hangover will start after your blood alcohol levels have dropped to zero . One theory to account for this is that the hangover is actually caused by acetaldehyde , which is the major metabolite of alcohol , but recent evidence suggests that the cause is likely an activation of the immune system .

While there's no remedy for the hangover , certain factors like a bad night's sleep or smoking can make it even worse , regardless of how much you've had to drink . However , even the worst hangover will resolve completely between 12 to 24 hours once the alcohol has left your system . Day 7 .

Out of all your organs , the ones that booze damages the most aside from the brain , which we'll get to later is the liver . See , almost all heavy drinkers , even many social drinkers , suffer from so-called fatty liver . Their cells accumulate fat and the entire liver literally swells in size , something which you can see with an MRI or ultrasound scan .

At the same time , liver enzymes like ALT and AST leak into the bloodstream , leading to abnormally high levels in a simple blood test . For this reason , alt and AST are the most widely used markers of liver damage .

Those with elevated levels of these enzymes , especially ALT , are over 20 times more likely to suffer liver damage and close to 50 times more likely to develop liver cancer . Now , these enzymes are also excellent markers of overall health and predictors of mortality . Elevated AST predicts around 10 years of reduced life expectancy and AST around 5 .

Remarkably , only a week after your last drink , the levels of ALT and AST in your blood will have plummeted . One study that looked at detoxing heavy drinkers found an astonishing ALT decline of 40% , while AST dropped around 15% .

Bear in mind , these increases were still not sufficient to bring them into the normal range , but they show that already at the one week mark , your liver's healing process is well and truly underway . This point in time also marks dramatic improvements in gut functioning .

As we've discussed in previous videos , alcohol upsets the natural balance of the so-called gut microflora . These refer to the countless microorganisms that live in the gut and are essential to its normal functioning . Toxic bacteria proliferate at the expense of the good ones , and the leftovers from their decomposition start to leak into the bloodstream .

This is also a sign that your gut is no longer as effective at stopping unwanted stuff from leaking into your bloodstream . Scientists call this increased gut permeability . Over time , this can lead to other complications like irritable bowel syndrome , inflammation and autoimmune disease .

The good news is that at the one week mark , measures of gut permeability will also be noticeably improved , though there will still be some way for the gut functioning to be fully restored . Day 15 Elevated blood pressure is very common among heavy drinkers . By some estimates , they are at twice the risk compared to non-drinkers .

Though it has no symptoms of its own , hypertension is dangerous as it increases the risk of various life-threatening complications . These include stroke , heart disease , aneurysms , kidney failure , vision problems , sexual dysfunction and more .

Getting your blood pressure under control is actually one of the most important steps that you can take to ensure a long and healthy life . For many people , there is literally no other health intervention that will give them as big of a payoff as this .

Thankfully , only two weeks after your last drink , your blood pressure will drop noticeably and often to the normal range . Along with this , by the two week mark , you are likely to notice a drop in your resting heart . As a rule , the healthier your heart , the more efficiently it plumps blood around the body and the less it has to beat .

If you are planning to stop drinking , I strongly encourage you to monitor your vitals as you detox , especially the first few weeks . You'll be astonished to realise , a just how much harm drinking has done to your heart and , b , how quickly you'll recover after you stop Day 21 .

Now , by the third week of abstinence , your fatty liver will have probably completely resolved . It will be normal-sized on an ultrasound and if you have a biopsy , it will appear more or less normal under a microscope . Remarkably , even after years of abuse , 3 weeks of abstinence is all it will take for the liver to look outwardly normal .

The 3 week mark also marks the beginning of the recovery of your skeletal system . You see , over the years . Alcohol steadily chips away at your bones , reducing their mass and increasing the frequency of fractures . Especially among older drinkers , the risk of fracture goes through the roof .

Many people will be walking around with multiple fractures that they are completely unaware of . These are typically in the ribs . Luckily , three weeks after your last drink , markers of bone formation will have started to rise , showing your bones are on the path to a recovery Day 30 .

Now , by the end of your first month , you will begin to see measurable improvements in your overall metabolic health and well-being . One study found a 25% decrease in a measure of insulin resistance at this point . Now . This is particularly important because insulin resistance is a risk factor for developing metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes .

It also increases the risk of heart disease and is linked to obesity , fatty liver and even certain cancers . The same study also found a 1.6kg average weight loss . You can confidently expect to weigh less at this point for at least 3 reasons . Firstly , alcoholic beverages can be very rich in calories typically 100-150 calories a pop .

With some beers or cocktails you're looking at up to 300 or even 400 calories . Secondly , our appetite does not compensate for these calories . For example , if you have a pint of lager before your dinner . You will not leave 300 calories worth of food on your plate . You'll just drink the beer and eat the entire plate of food .

All the same , scientists aren't sure why alcohol interacts with our appetite in this unusual way . Last but not least , alcohol is closely linked to an overall unhealthy lifestyle . Your diet is likely to suffer , as you'll be consuming lots of greasy , unhealthy foods , especially after drinking binges .

Physical activity or exercise also becomes difficult , even if the intention is there . Day 40 . Blood sugar is the primary sugar in your body and it provides energy to the cells in various tissues of your body .

Around 60% of it will be consumed by the brain , but though it's critical to your body's normal functioning , persistently high blood sugar levels are linked to complications like heart disease , cancer , kidney damage and more .

Five to six weeks from your last drink , a blood test will reveal substantial improvements in your blood sugar levels , typically a 20 to 25% drop Around . The same time , a blood test will also show a reduction in total cholesterol of around 5% .

In the long term , a reduction of this magnitude will significantly lower your risk of developing hardened arteries and increase your life expectancy . Day 60 . At this point , the most difficult part is well and truly behind you and your risk of relapse has plummeted . If you've made it out this far , the odds are on your side .

Now , when it comes to cravings , the first thing that we have to put out there is that there will be a massive difference from one person to the next . There are some people who will get cravings for years after they stop drinking .

These will obviously lessen over time , both in frequency and intensity , but might still sometimes appear around certain stimuli associated with drinking . So , during a stressful event being around drinkers passing outside a bar or liquor store , things like that can typically trigger cravings .

However , if you're able to get into a state of mind where you see alcohol for what it is as a highly addictive poison that adds nothing to your life , then for a lot of people , this can just eliminate cravings altogether .

Now , if you want information on how to actually do this , then definitely click the link in the description to access a free video training that will show you how to eliminate drinking using a new method where cravings just disappear . However , regardless of what method you use , by the end of your second month , their intensity will have decreased noticeably .

When they do appear , distracting yourself with something else is a strategy that's been shown to work . Day 90 , so three months after your last drink , you will be , for all intents and purposes , a different person . The cumulative effect of the various health improvements that we discussed will lead to a noticeable increase in energy levels and vitality .

Any anxiety and mood issues that you were dealing with before or during the early stages of stopping drinking are also likely to have improved by this point . Your work performance is almost certain to improve .

This can result in faster promotions , making more money in a business , and so on , and if you had any doubts about how much alcohol was damaging your work at this point , those doubts will have gone , even if you hadn't been missing work .

The improvements in your mental stamina , clarity and ability to concentrate will not be subtle , I can assure you and we will get back to this shortly . All the time , energy and money that was previously gone into alcohol will now be channeled into new and more constructive areas

. There is also a chance that you will be drawn into old hobbies or interests that you abandoned over the years .

Part of the reason for this is that , over the years , drinking interfered with your ability to actually derive pleasure from ordinary activities , things like walking in nature , socialising , cooking , art , sports all the simple things that you enjoyed before alcohol took over your life . You see , alcohol messes up our so-called reward system .

This is the part of the brain that regulates how we respond to pleasurable stimuli . Over time , alcohol crowds out the so-called natural reinforcers that our reward system evolved to process . Eventually , this can reach a point where these activities no longer give us any pleasure .

This is a large part of the reason that drinkers' personal lives are often so impoverished . Many of them seem interested in one thing and one thing alone . Depending on the severity and duration of your addiction the recovery of the reward system and ability to enjoy life .

It might be a drawn-out process , but by the three-month mark it will have recovered enough to allow you to once again enjoy life , and this will be in a way that seemed unthinkable just a short while ago Day 180 . After six months of abstinence , your ALT and AST levels will be completely normal .

It might be on the high end of the spectrum , but still within what doctors consider normal . At this point , congratulations are in order , as your liver is more or less healed .

If you want to continue to support your liver function , you can now do this through a healthy diet and exercise , and you want to aim for foods that are rich in antioxidants and lean proteins , like leafy greens , fish , chicken and berries . Keeping active and exercising will also keep fat and inflammation in the liver under control .

In addition to your liver , the brain has also made a dramatic recovery at this point . Alcohol is a neurotoxin , in other words , something that is toxic to the cells of our brain and nervous system , and after years of heavy drinking , the brain will have lost so many cells that it will actually have shrunk in size .

Scientists have given this phenomenon various names , including brain atrophy or premature aging . While the loss affects the entire brain , certain areas , for example those involved in memory and emotional regulation , are more affected than others . The good news is that around the 6th month mark , most of the affected areas will have recovered .

The recovery is especially rapid during the first month of abstinence and then continues at a slower pace , but by the 6th month mark , the brain has recovered to such an extent that most brain regions now show the same volume as non-drinkers now show the same volume as non-drinkers .

The brain will continue to recover over the next few months and years until , in the end , it will be more or less indistinguishable from that of somebody who never drank . Note , however , that this recovery is conditioned upon you not drinking again , for reasons that scientists don't understand .

Even a relatively brief relapse , say a few weeks of boozing , will be enough to reverse all your gains and shrink your brain back to its earlier size . Now let's look at day 365 . The day that marks your first year of sobriety will be a special one .

At this point , you will not look back and not even recognise the person walking around in your shoes a year ago . You will be happier , healthier and lighter all around . Your new healthy lifestyle practices will have now become second nature . You'll also have plenty of experience and confidence in your alcohol-free coping strategies .

In other words , you should have no issues handling whatever problems come your way without the bottle . Many of the old people from your drinking days will no longer be around and you will have deepened your connection with those that matter the most to you in your life .

You might have also made new meaningful connections , and these help to solidly anchor you into the new post-alcohol reality . Crucially , the one-year mark will also mark the nearly complete recovery of your cognitive functioning . Do you remember earlier how I explained how alcohol shrinks your brain by killing off massive numbers of cells .

Well , it's not possible to lose all these cells and still function at your previous cognitive capacity .

So chances are your memory , attention , problem solving and social skills , abstract reasoning , cognitive flexibility and visual-spatial abilities , to name a few , had declined Now , thankfully , the brain volume increase that began with abstinence , in combination with other recovery mechanisms at the molecular level , have now paid off

. 12 months after your last drink , your performance in most cognitive and neuropsychological tests will be more or less on par with non-drinkers . The extent to which this recovery will be complete will vary depending on factors like your age , the severity and duration of your drinking .

Some researchers suggest that some aspects of memory or visuospatial abilities might never recover 100% , and if you were a particularly heavy drinker , this might very well be true . Whatever the case , even if there are any lingering deficits , these will now be so small as to not negatively affect your daily life .

See , for the first time in years , you are now in a position to lead your life not only with purpose , but also to your fullest potential . Thanks for checking out the Stop Drinking Podcast by Sober Clear If you want to learn more about how we work with people to help them stop drinking effortlessly , then make sure to visit wwwsoberclearcom .