Alcohol Sobriety Timeline: A Guide
Alcohol, when consumed in moderation, can be part of a fun, social atmosphere where you gain a level of intoxication and manage the effects to boost your mood and relax you. Unfortunately for some people, alcohol is a thief that steals time, health and personal connections, leaving you in an addictive cycle where the want and need for more trumps other things in your life.
For those looking to escape the habit, it can be overwhelming, especially when you hear stories of withdrawals and relapse. It seems much easier to continue consuming spirits and not rock the boat.
Knowledge is power, and understanding the steps you will go through to kick the addiction can give you a sense of control as you make this positive, life-changing decision. To help guide you through the process, here is an alcohol sobriety timeline that you will pass through.
Addiction Treatment Centres
Alcohol consumption is a choice, and while it may be a way to deal with anxiety or pain, it is a personal decision to walk the path towards addiction. Because of its addictive qualities, you can be trapped in a cycle that is impossible to get out of on your own, but there are ways to escape it.
Addiction treatment centres are there to guide you out of the addiction, and they have highly trained staff to assist. Their facilities are set up for your well-being and utilize different methods to help you not only through withdrawal but beyond the cravings to a new understanding of what addiction is and how to be free from it.
Many centres personalize your care because they understand that you are on a unique path and are committed to your continuing recovery and well-being. Group programs and individual care teach you how to cope with life and use positive activities and stress management skills to deal with life’s ups and downs. Ultimately, you are transformed and equipped with an arsenal of techniques to live your new sober life.
During Your Current Consumption
The body is an amazing machine that takes in what we consume, uses what is beneficial and removes what is not. When the balance tips into the negative, it stores toxins until it can eliminate them and tries to isolate what is harmful to keep vital functions operating.
An alcoholic consumes regularly and continually poisons the system so the body learns to function at a degraded level. When becoming sober, you experience negative effects, but this is because the body must now readjust to functioning without alcohol, and this manifests in a myriad of physical and mental experiences.
First Few Days to a Week
When the body wants alcohol to maintain its addictive operation, it sends immediate signals. These are often called withdrawals and are the start of compounding reactions that you experience.
They start with:
- Hand tremors
- Sweating
- Wrenching
- Restlessness
- Anxiety
At the end of the first day without alcohol, you may become depressed and have reduced energy, although sleeping is very difficult.
Day two brings more withdrawals that include raised heart rate and increased blood pressure, with some people experiencing seizures. Nausea, vomiting, chills and hot flashes are also very common.
Relapse is common now because people want to end their suffering, but to make it this far is a great achievement that should be celebrated and monitored so you don’t have to start from square one again.
As the first week passes, the symptoms start to recede, and you will be better able to manage the residual effects. Unfortunately, some will still suffer and even have symptoms that worsen and require medical intervention.
Most addiction treatment centres run up to a 30-day stay program to get through the first cycle.
Two to Four Weeks
This is a transitional period where you will begin real healing. Your sleep patterns start improving, and you may experience weight loss from not consuming alcohol. Heavy drinkers may have damage to different areas of the body, like a fatty liver, but this, too, will start to heal.
Blood pressure comes down, and your skin will look better as the body works to flush the system of the poisonous effects of alcohol.
Three Months and Beyond
At this stage, you should have all your energy and an innate sense of health in your mind and body. Some people may still experience low energy and have cravings as these people take a longer time to transition away from the toll that alcohol takes on their bodies.
The more time that passes, the better you feel, and a sense of empowerment takes over, keeping you motivated to stay the course of sobriety.
This is a typical alcohol sobriety timeline, but everyone travels the path in their way. The good news is that anyone can do it, especially with the right support team to assist. Beyond the addiction, there is a wonderful life waiting for you.
