What to expect when you stop drinking

Whether you are stopping for good, or just having some time off, it’s a good idea to be prepared for the changes you may see when you stop drinking.

But first, if you think you may be experiencing any of the symptoms of alcohol dependence, you should consult your doctor or another medical professional about it as soon as possible, as alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous. There are also a number of national alcohol support services that you can go to for advice.

If you’re concerned you may be alcohol dependant take our confidential alcohol self-assessment test.

Short term benefits

Say goodbye to hangovers

It may sound obvious, but stopping drinking means you will no longer suffer from hangovers. The nausea, headaches or tiredness you may have felt the morning after drinking could be replaced with improved mood as well as feelings of productivity.

Mental health

Regular, heavy drinking interferes with chemicals in the brain that are vital for good mental health. So while you might feel relaxed after a drink, in the long run alcohol can contribute to feelings of depression and anxiety. Stopping drinking could make feelings of stress easier to deal with.

Improved energy levels and better sleep

If you stop drinking completely, one of the first things you notice should be improved energy levels.

Regular drinking can affect the quality of your sleep making you feel tired and sluggish. This is because drinking disrupts your sleep cycle.¹

When you drink alcohol before bed you may fall into deep sleep quicker. This is why some people find drinking alcohol helps them get to sleep. But as the night goes on you spend less time in this deep sleep and more time than usual in the less restful, Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleep².

This can leave you feeling tired the next day no matter how long you stay in bed.

But having alcohol-free days can help. Once you reduce the amount you’re drinking, you should start sleeping better and find it easier to wake up in the morning.

Your skin will look better

Drinking less alcohol can have a positive impact on your appearance and your skin in particular.

Alcohol dehydrates your body, including the skin, and this happens every time you drink. This can cause your skin and eyes to look dull. But if you reduce the amount of alcohol you drink, your skin and eyes should soon start to look brighter.

You could lose weight

A pint of lager can contain the same amount of calories as a slice of pizza, or a large glass of wine the same an ice cream sundae.

Alcoholic drinks contain lots of ‘empty’ calories, meaning your body doesn’t get any nutritional value from alcohol. In fact, alcohol contains almost as many calories as pure fat. Drinking alcohol also reduces the amount of fat your body burns for energy.

Not drinking at all is likely to make it easier to maintain a healthy weight.

If you are overweight and you regularly drink alcohol, you should find that your weight falls noticeably if you reduce the amount you drink each week. And you can maintain your healthier weight by not starting to drink more again.

How drinking can impact weight loss

Long term benefits

You’ll reduce your risk of cancer and other alcohol-related diseases

Alcohol is linked to seven different types of cancer including breast cancer and mouth cancer.⁴ Cutting out alcohol lowers your risk of getting cancer.

Giving up drinking will also have a big impact on your liver and should reduce the chances of developing liver disease.

Find out more about alcohol-related liver disease.

The less you drink the less risk there is to your long-term health. When you stop drinking you lower the risk of developing a range of health problems, such as:

• Liver cirrhosis⁶
• Stroke⁷
• Mouth cancer⁸
• Breast cancer⁹
• Heart disease and high blood pressure¹⁰
• Sexual dysfunction¹¹

Take our self-assessment to find out your risk level

Ready to stop drinking?

If you want to experience the positive benefits of drinking less, a good way is to try having alcohol-free days.

Just a few days off a week could be enough to help you see the positive benefits, so you’ll be more likely to reduce your drinking over a longer period of time.

We have lots more useful hints about how to reduce your drinking.

Want to speak to someone about alcohol?

Drinkchat is our free online chat service. Our trained advisors are on hand between 10am-2pm, Monday to Friday, to provide confidential advice.

Chat with an advisor

If you can’t contact Drinkchat in those hours, or would prefer to talk to someone on the phone, you can call Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am–8pm, weekends 11am–4pm) and speak to a trained adviser.