The Effects of Giving Up Alcohol For A Month

I’ve been toying with the idea of giving up alcohol, but I’ve had a tough time letting it go. I’m not a heavy drinker by any means and as each year passes, I find myself drinking less and less. But nevertheless, it’s hard to quit cold turkey. And I think there’s a few reasons for it. The first being that alcohol is everywhere. In fact, alcohol is the second most widely used substance in the U.S., behind tobacco. According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 86% of Americans, ages 18 and older, reported using alcohol at some point in their lifetime1 The second is, for a very short time at least, it helps me relax, have fun, and be more sociable. I’m naturally a very shy, introverted person. In social situations, even with close friends, I’m often terrified of being thought of as boring or uninteresting. Alcohol helps soothe those fears. And I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling that way. And if I drink responsibly, why be concerned? Drinking is part of American culture and if it helps me have more fun, what’s the harm? Well, while I still stand by the fact that alcohol in moderation is ok in terms of your overall health and wellness, once you really research the downsides of alcohol use, it’s hard to justify the good.

The funny thing is that if you wrote out a list of how alcohol can affect your body and mind and it wasn’t one of the most socially acceptable and pervasive substances of all time, you would never try it in the first place. To level set, let’s go over what alcohol is and how it affects the body.

Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is an intoxicating ingredient found in beer, wine, and liquor. Alcohol is produced by the fermentation of yeast, sugars, and starches5 and it is often known as the fourth macronutrient because it provides your body with calories. However, unlike the other three macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat), it doesn’t provide your body with any nutrients (vitamins and minerals). And that’s why alcohol is often referred to as “empty calories.”

When people think of consuming additional calories, especially with all the fitness and nutrition information out there, it’s easy to think this is synonymous with weight gain. While weight gain could certainly be a result of drinking too much, studies show drinking in light-to-moderate fashions is not associated with change in weight gain or waist circumference.2  And this makes sense to me. Weight gain only happens when we eat above our maintenance calories, or the calories it takes to maintain our current weight, consistently. And although alcohol is additional calories, having a few extra calories in a limited capacity won’t lead to actual fat gain.

If alcohol doesn’t definitively cause weight gain, what does it do? For the purposes of this article, I’m going to talk about drinking socially or in moderation. According to heath.gov, drinking in moderation means “1 drink or less in a day for women and 2 drinks or less in a day for men.” And if you need a reminder of what one drink looks like, see the chart below.

There are of course some serious side effects to drinking heavily, which I’ll link here.

Once alcohol is consumed, it is absorbed primarily from the small intestine into the veins that collect blood from the stomach and bowels and from the portal vein3. Although alcohol passes through the digestive system, it does not go through the same digestive process as food. When alcohol enters the upper gastrointestinal tract, a significant portion is absorbed straight into the bloodstream through the tissue lining of the stomach and small intestines. Once in the bloodstream, it is carried throughout the body and travels to the brain.Effects of alcohol depend on the concentration in the blood, or blood alcohol content (BAC), which can be further influenced by 

·       Type of beverage and alcohol content

·       Rate of consumption

·       Food in stomach

·       Genetics

·       Age, weight, sex4

·       Medicine you are taking

4 It’s no surprise that those who are lighter in weight tend to feel a greater impact from alcohol consumption. However, did you know that women, even if they are the exact same weight and height as men, are more affected by alcohol? This is because woman’s bodies tend to have more fat and less water than men’s’. This will allow for women to get drunk more quickly and feel the effects longer.

A healthy person will generally experience effects from alcohol within 15 to 45 minutes.8 The higher your BAC, the more likely you will be to display signs of intoxication, which may include

·       Lowered inhibitions

·       Slurred speech

·       Impaired coordination

·       Confusion

·       Trouble remembering things

·       Difficulty concentrating

Due to the above, when you become intoxicated you put yourself at higher risk for accidents and injury, unsafe sex, and loss of personal professions.

In addition to being at higher risk for losing your house keys, alcohol can have some devastating long term health effects. Even moderate drinking may raise your risk for certain types of heart disease and cancer (e.g., liver and breast), as well as high blood pressure, stroke, pancreatitis and, liver disease.

On a less egregious level than cancer or physical injury, alcohol can negatively affect your sleep. While drinking alcohol may make you fall asleep faster because it slows down the central nervous system, it doesn’t allow for restful sleep. And that’s because, later in the night, as alcohol levels drop, your brain kicks into overdrive, causing more sleep disruptions (tossing and turning, waking up) 7

But as I stated up at the top, the primary reason for not drinking this month was not physical health. It was mostly to improve my mental health. When you start drinking alcohol, your body produce extra dopamine, which travels to the parts of the brain known as ‘reward centers.’ 6 This makes you feel good and prompts you to drink more. You may also feel uninhibited and carefree, which sounds amusing at first, but also means you may be less cautious than normal.  Alcohol is also a depressant and slows down the parts of the brain where we make decisions and consider consequences, making you less likely to think about what might happen if you do something risky. 6  This may lead to more fun, or it may lead to more problems. But what usually tends to be the worst part of drinking, at least for me, is the hangover and the anxiety the next day. The combination of dehydration, low blood sugar, and various by-products of alcohol can leave you struggling with a headache or the inability to leave your bed the next day. 6 If drinking becomes more of a habit, you become resistant the dopamine boosts and your body in turn starts making less dopamine to compensate. Meaning drinking becomes a habit, you may become dopamine-deficient, and this could contribute to you experiencing low mood. 6  And for me, that low mood can become pretty low.

And this is why I pledged to give alcohol up for a month. Can you even see benefits of quitting drinking for 30 days? Well, a 2019 study from the University of Sussex says yes. The research, led by Sussex psychologist Dr Richard de Visser, was conducted with over 800 people who took part in Dry January in 2018.9 The results showed that:

·       93% of participants had a sense of achievement;

·       88% saved money;

·       82% think more deeply about their relationship with drink;

·       80% feel more in control of their drinking;

·       76% learned more about when and why they drink;

·       71% realised they don’t need a drink to enjoy themselves;

·       70% had generally improved health;

·       71% slept better;

·       67% had more energy;

·       58% lost weight;

·       57% had better concentration;

·       54% had better skin. 

My Experience

I wrote this article throughout the month so I’m able to capture my feelings in real time.

Right now, it has been 8 days since I had a drink and it’s been ok. Ok meaning it did not make or break my time with my friends or going out, but I thought to myself “I’d probably have more fun If I had a few drinks.”  What’s been more challenging is feelings of social anxiety / social pressure but even that’s not been too bad.

Right now, it’s been 15 days since I had a drink and when Friday rolled around, I was really craving one after the super busy week I had. I wanted that hit of dopamine. But like the week before, this wasn’t a craving that was too hard to fight. I was expecting to feel more focused and procrastinate less now that I wouldn’t be hungover on the weekends, but I didn’t really see any difference. Although I will say, I do feel more well rested. What about glowing skin? A healthier gut? Saving a ton of money? At first glance, not really.

Right now, it’s been 21 days since I had a drink and I am starting to see some positives. My skin is brighter and similar to last week, I’ve slept better. What I also like about this alcohol free experiment is that it really forces me to acknowledge my emotions and take accountability for my actions– no more chalking anxiety or doubt or stupid stuff that I said to “It’s because I was drunk last night.”

Right now, it’s been 28 days since I had a drink and my craving for alcohol has virtually subsided. I feel that I have a bit more energy (although again, not by much) and overall have a happier disposition.

And now for the decision: will I give up alcohol for good? Probably not. But I will certainly try to drink A LOT less.