Introduction

When I quit drinking, I didn't realize that my skin would look better and my gut would function better. But it did—and so much more! This is what happened when I stopped drinking alcohol:

Better Skin

You may have noticed that drinking alcohol can have a negative impact on your skin.

• Acne: Alcohol has been found to be one of the main causes of acne and can exacerbate existing blemishes and spots. The problem is that, once you start drinking, those pesky pimples will refuse to leave you alone—and the more you drink, the worse they get!

• Dryness: Drinking also dries out your skin in much the same way as washing with harsh detergents does; it strips away vital nutrients from your epidermis and makes it much more prone to wrinkles and other signs of aging. It's best not to touch alcohol if you want smooth, supple skin down the line!

• Premature aging: Alcohol dehydrates both body tissue and facial muscles over time, causing premature wrinkling around your eyes (crow's feet) or mouth (frown lines). Be careful!

Healthier Gut

One of the many benefits of quitting alcohol is a healthier gut. Excessive drinking can irritate the lining of your stomach and cause inflammation, which is associated with an increased risk for ulcers and bowel cancer. On top of that, chronic alcohol consumption has been linked to liver disease.

Mental Clarity

The mental effects of alcohol are well-known. Alcohol is a depressant, meaning it slows down your brain and bodily functions. Feeling tired? Tired from what? You’ve had a few drinks. Feeling depressed? You’re probably just feeling down because you drank too much last night.

You might not notice these effects as much when you’re drinking, but they can persist for hours after the last sip of wine has left your lips. Alcohol affects everyone differently and some people are more susceptible to its negative effects than others, but there are certain things that pretty much everyone experiences after consuming alcohol: anxiety and irritability, loss of focus and concentration (which can lead to stupid decisions), impaired balance – all things that make us less capable in our day-to-day lives

It Improves Your Sleep

If you’re an alcoholic, you probably have a problem sleeping. A lot of alcoholics have delayed sleep phase syndrome, which means they can't fall asleep until late at night. They may also wake up early in the morning and have trouble falling back asleep due to withdrawal. Quitting drinking can help with both these issues by reducing the amount of time you spend in bed and improving the quality of your sleep.

Longer Life

Alcohol is a toxin and consuming it on a regular basis can have detrimental effects on your health. Long-term alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, liver disease and diabetes. Alcohol is also a risk factor for high blood pressure.

In addition to the direct medical problems caused by drinking too much alcohol—which include liver damage and stroke—there are indirect ones as well: If you drink heavily enough (more than three or four drinks per day), you’re likely to become overweight or obese; this makes you more prone to high cholesterol levels and Type 2 diabetes. And if you don't quit smoking at the same time that you quit drinking, your chances of developing lung cancer will increase significantly after just two years of abstinence from alcohol.*

Less Stress

Stress is a major cause of health problems. It has been linked to cardiovascular disease, anxiety, depression and insomnia. Alcohol can be a depressant and make you feel more stressed instead of less.

So if you’re worried about your stress levels or the effects of excessive drinking on your mental health, quitting alcohol is one way to start feeling better right away.

More Energy

Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows down your brain and body. If you've ever woken up after a night of drinking and felt like a million bucks, it's not because the alcohol made you feel better—it’s because you were so exhausted from all those feelings of anxiety that were heightened while drinking.

But once you get over that hangover and start to feel energized again (and maybe even have some coffee), guess what's going to happen? Yep! You can't stop thinking about how much better life would be if only there was one more drink at the end of it.

So now your nervous system has been reset to normal speed by lack of alcohol consumption for several days in a row. But instead of feeling great after getting rid of this habit, now all years spent with an addictive substance have left their mark on your body: no matter how much water or green tea or sleep or exercise we try to do as remedies for our problems, nothing will work until we heal ourselves physically with detoxification first."

Increased Happiness

• You'll be happier.

Alcohol is a depressant, and it's no surprise that drinking can lead to depression. You may feel happy at first after you've had one or two drinks, but then you'll quickly become moody and irritable once the alcohol wears off. Going out with friends will seem like a chore rather than something fun when you're sober, which means that even if your friends are still drinking heavily, they'll probably have more fun than you do! Why not try hanging out at home instead? It sounds boring at first glance (especially if your roommates aren't drinking), but think of all of the amazing things that come from being able to enjoy all of your favorite shows without needing a babysitter every night.

• Your social anxiety will go away!

The link between alcohol consumption and anxiety disorders isn't well understood yet; however, many people who suffer from social phobias claim that their symptoms were reduced significantly after stopping drinking for an extended period of time.* In addition to having more energy during the day--which helps keep thoughts racing through our heads at bay--we also tend not worry as much about what others think about us when we're sober because we know there's nothing wrong with us in reality anyway! Instead we get into bed early so we don't feel tired tomorrow morning...and maybe start thinking about what life would be like without my addiction anymore...

You'll look and feel better without alcohol.

You'll look and feel better without alcohol.

You’ll be able to get more out of life.

Your skin will look healthier.

Your gut will be healthier.

You’ll feel more mentally alert and clear-headed, which could help with your work performance or schoolwork if you're a student.

You’ll sleep better as well, because alcohol disrupts sleep quality in a number of ways: It can interfere with how quickly you fall asleep; it makes it harder for you to maintain deep sleep; and it may keep you from reaching REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is when dreaming occurs during the night—and dreams are essential for good memory formation!

Conclusion

All in all, there are plenty of reasons to quit drinking alcohol. It can be an addictive habit that affects your health and happiness in a number of ways—and most importantly, it’s not worth the risk! If you feel like you need guidance with this decision or want more information on how quitting could impact your life, talk with a loved one or professional who can help guide you through the process.