There are many benefits of quitting drinking.  Some of these benefits hit me straight away, and I have never regretted my decision to stop drinking.  Some of the benefits of quitting drinking were not immediately obvious at the time, and I am still appreciating the outcomes many years down the track.

The trouble is, until you make the decision to stop drinking alcohol, these benefits of quitting drinking can seem too difficult to achieve or too far away to reach.  Well the good news is, none of these benefits are out of reach – they are available to you as soon as tomorrow. All you need to do is decide to quit drinking today!

After reading this, and if you need help to make that decision, you might want to read “Help to stop drinking” for a helpful guide and practical ways to quit drinking.  We are confident that we can help you to stop drinking alcohol and stay stopped!

Here is a short list of the benefits of quitting drinking:

 

1. No more hangovers!

No one enjoys a hangover, unless it belongs to someone else!  A hangover is simply the evidence that alcohol is a poisonous and addictive substance.  If alcohol can cause us so much pain and sickness, then it must have an incredible power over us to make us want to keep drinking.  Even when we know that drinking alcohol will make us feel bad, we still continue drinking too much.  Even when we try to cut back on alcohol, we still end up drinking too much and get a hangover.  The only way to avoid another hangover is to stop drinking and stay stopped!

2. Save money

Without a doubt, you will immediately notice how much money you can save by not drinking.  Even if this is not the main decision for quitting drinking, there is a nice little bonus each week by saving the money you used to spend on alcohol.  Spoil yourself as a reward for not drinking.

3. Save time

The amount of time spent drinking alcohol, and the amount of wasted time from recovering from drinking too much is enormous.  One of the biggest benefits of quitting drinking is that you will have so much more valuable time for the things that you love to do, such as going for a walk, or spending time with family, or hobbies, or just getting the chores done properly.

4. Be more productive

Not only will you have more time, but you will have much better clarity and ability to do a better job.  Instead of dropping those important jobs because it is time to have a drink, you can now spend that time being far more constructive and productive.

5. No more stress about drinking too much

The problem with alcohol is that we think we need to drink to relieve stress.  In actual fact, drinking too much causes stress.  But the cruel twist is that the more stressed we fell, the more alcohol we drink in a helpless downward spiral.  Drinking alcohol can become a vicious circle, and actually makes out problems worse.  The best way to avoid the spiral is to avoid the vicious cycle of alcohol induced stress.

6. No worry about drinking and driving

After having a couple of drinks in the evening, you should never risk going out in the car due to alcohol.  But what if there is some need to go somewhere, do you ever feel trapped at home?  One of the benefits of quitting drinking is that you are free to come and go at night time whenever you like, and you never have to worry about being pulled over in your car for drinking and driving.

7. No need to lie about illness due to drinking

It is a great feeling when you know that you no longer have to lie or make excuses for being late for work, or a missed meeting, or late for kids sport, or any other lame reason because you feel sick from drinking too much.  In fact you will feel empowered by the fact that you will feel sick much less often, and you will feel healthier than you have in years.

8. No need to hide your drinking

When you make the decision to stop drinking, you will feel a huge sense of relief about never having to lie or hide your drinking ever again.  There is no need to lie about how many drinks you had, or go to the shops to buy more wine, and no need to get caught out by hiding a bottle so that you can drink in private.

9. No need to worry about alcohol interfering with work

If drinking too much is interfering with your performance at work, or stopping you from doing your job, then that will be adding to your stress.  If you are worried about losing your job due to drinking too much alcohol, then this can add enormous amounts of stress.  More stress can cause you to drink more alcohol, which only makes the problem worse.  One of the biggest benefits of quitting drinking is that you never need to worry about losing your job due to alcohol.

10.  Lose Weight

If you are trying to lose weight, then quitting drinking can be a huge benefit.  Alcohol contributes large numbers of excess calories to your normal diet, and you will find it much easier to lose weight by not drinking.   Even if you successfully lose weight, if you continue to drink alcohol, it will be difficult to stop the weight from returning.  Better overall health is one of the most significant benefits of quitting drinking.

11. No more Brain Fog

Have you ever suffered from brain fog?  If you have ever tried to fight off the feelings of fuzziness and uncertainty after drinking too much, then you will understand that alcohol has a negative affect on the brain.  There have been recent findings that long term effects on the brain such as dementia may be caused by drinking too much alcohol.  Don’t put your self at risk of long term damage and consider the benefits of quitting drinking today!

12. Save your liver

The poor liver suffers every time we drink too much alcohol, and the damage done to the liver can result in cirrhosis which is irreversible.  People seem to think that the problems due to drinking are not permanent, but this is not true.   The liver cannot repair itself from the damage done by alcohol.  The only way to fix chronic cirrhosis of the liver is by liver transplant, but don’t expect a liver donor if you are addicted to alcohol.  The only way to protect yourself is by quitting drinking!

13. More pride and respect for yourself

Do yourself a favour, and overcome those nagging feelings of doubt and insecurity.  Spend some time by yourself, to find your true direction.  And when you are ready, you will find one of the biggest benefits of quitting drinking is the new found sense of pride and respect for the real you.  You might be surprised by the strength of emotions that it releases!  Do it for yourself.

14. Elation at quitting drinking

I felt an enormous sense of elation as one of the surprising benefits of quitting drinking.  I certainly did not expect the profound sense of achievement that results from quitting drinking, and that was not the reason that I did it.  But the elation was real, and still is.

15. Feel better

It is no surprise that you will feel better for quitting drinking.  No more hangovers, no more headaches, no more brain fog, and no more aches, no more pains and no more nauseating morning after the night before.  Why do we do it?

16. Your skin will look better

If drinking alcohol makes you feel bad, then one of the first benefits of quitting drinking is to look and feel better.  You will feel so much better, that people may notice that you look better, your skin will look better, your face will no longer be puffy, and that embarrassing alcoholic red nose will fade.

17. Sleep better

Many people think that alcohol helps them to sleep, but the opposite is true.  Alcohol interferes with the natural sleep cycle, and disrupts deep sleep, and even causes sleep apnoea.  One of the hidden benefits of quitting drinking is that you will sleep better, wake up feeling more refreshed, and energised.

18. Feel refreshed every day

You know how some days you feel on top of the world, and all is well?  But other days, particularly after drinking too much, it feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders?  The benefits of quitting drinking mean there is no reason why every day can’t be a great day – go on, feel refreshed every day!

19. Improved sex life

I don’t think I need to explain this one, but when you no longer share your life with alcohol, you can focus on who you really share your life with.

20. Less wasted time spent drinking

Time spent drinking alcohol is simply wasted.  We try to find relaxation, but we end up more stressed, we try to find happiness, but we end up feeling sick.  The benefits of quitting drinking include getting that wasted time back, and spending it on things that actually make you fell better, not worse.

21. More time to exercise and have fun

It is almost impossible to find time to exercise after you have been drinking alcohol.  The harder you try to fight the desire to have another drink, the more you need another drink, and the less inclination you have to exercise or have fun.  That is the problem with alcohol, it takes away the desire to do the things we know we should do, and wastes our time on things that make us less healthy.

22. Enjoy the special moments in life

We think that alcohol is enjoyable and adding fun to our lives, but in reality, it is actually a result of boredom.  When you fill your life with excitement and fun, you have less need to spend time with alcohol, and you begin to notice and enjoy the special moments in life.  These are the moments that make memories, such as a golden sunset, or the birdsong first thing in the morning.  Take some time to notice.

23. Enjoy time with your family

Stop drinking too much and enjoy time with your family.  Whether it is time with your kids, or an elderly parent, or your spouse or partner – make it a priority and stop sharing your time with alcohol.

24. Be more optimistic

When you feel better physically, you also feel better mentally, and so one of the biggest benefits of quitting drinking is a more positive outlook on life.  It has long been proven that a positive outlook on life has a direct correlation with better health, and better lifestyle.  So it pays to be optimistic about your future, and it is much easier to be optimistic abut life when you are not feeling sick and hung over from drinking too much alcohol.

25. Smile and laugh more

Strange isn’t it when we think that we enjoy drinking alcohol to feel happy, but in fact, the opposite is true.  When drinking no longer becomes enjoyable, maybe it is time to look elsewhere for fun and enjoyment.  When we are no longer intoxicated, we can actually find more things to smile and laugh about.

26. Be grateful for the blessings that we have

One of the biggest lessons in life is to learn to be grateful for what we do have, rather than being stressed about what we don’t have.  Many of the underlying issues around our problems with alcohol are about the things that are not going well in life, or aggravated by anger and frustration about the injustices in our lives.  We need to address these underlying reasons for drinking too much alcohol.  And then we can access the benefits of quitting alcohol, and to be grateful for the blessings we already have.

27. Your family will love you for quitting drinking

Our family knows us better than anyone else, hiding behind the façade of alcohol.  Your family will love and appreciate you for quitting alcohol, because they will recognise that you have chosen to be with them.  None of these things need to be spoken about, (you can if you want to!) but your family and your partner will know that you have chosen them over alcohol.  Your family will notice the difference and will love you for quitting drinking, and they will love having you back.

28. Your partner will respect you

Not only will you learn respect for yourself after quitting drinking, but you will earn the respect of your partner also.  The benefits of quitting drinking are very far reaching, and the respect that you earn from making big decisions in your life will make you feel better than alcohol ever did.

29. You will love and respect yourself

This is the most important benefit of quitting drinking.  The pride and sense of achievement were totally unexpected benefits of quitting drinking for me, but they are real.  In fact, it when you learn to love and respect yourself that you gain the strength and commitment to make this permanent.

30. No longer feel trapped by addiction

The fear of becoming addicted was like a dark shadow on the horizon, always being pushed away by the need to keep drinking.  Who knows if we are becoming addicted, or whether it is already too late?  We don’t need to live with the constant fear of becoming trapped by addiction to alcohol, or feel the burden of living with alcohol every day.  Set yourself free, and love being free from addiction to alcohol.

31. Feel young again

Drinking too much alcohol acts as a depressant on the central nervous system, it makes us slow down, and it makes us feel old.  Everybody yearns to feel young again, so why not enjoy the instant benefits of quitting alcohol, and feel young again?  There is no need to fear the loss of anything, you have everything to gain.

32. Feel exuberant

Do you remember the last time you felt naturally exuberant, with a long lasting sense of enthusiasm and enjoyment?  Sure, people find that alcohol provides a temporary lift of the spirits, but not for long.  So then we find that we need another drink in a vain attempt to maintain the high, and then another and another.  That feeling is just a temporary rush of dopamine, and it is not last for long.  Drinking alcohol to achieve a feeling of elation is like finding fool’s gold.  It feels good in the moment, but it just doesn’t pay off in the long run.

33. Regain your self worth

If you have been feeling a little down on yourself, or if you are suffering from negative feelings about yourself, then this can be caused by a downward spiral from drinking too much alcohol.  Alcohol is a depressant, so even though we get a temporary high from dopamine, the overwhelming reaction from alcohol is downwards.  Another benefit of quitting drinking is regaining your self worth.

34. Lose the anger and frustration

Does drinking too much cause you to become angry?  If you have anger issues, then this is likely as a result from something in your past, which has been unresolved.  The underlying issues are likely a contributing factor towards alcohol problems.  The benefit of quitting alcohol is that you can actually resolve these issues from the past, without alcohol exacerbating the anger.  Do yourself a favor, make an effort to lose the anger, so as not to inflict unnecessary pain on those who love you.

35. Let go of the hurt

Most of us can recall the pain and hurt from some long distant insult.  Even though the hurtful incident may have occurred long ago, the underlying issues can be a contributing factor to drinking too much alcohol.  Sometimes the best way to let go of the hurt and the painful memories is to avoid alcohol.  Alcohol is commonly used as a way to dull the pain, but this is never a long term solution.  The benefit of quitting alcohol is the opportunity to resolve our pain, and to let go of the hurt.

36. Stop blaming yourself

Another reason to try for using alcohol to dull the pain of our emotions is due to self blame.  Everyone makes mistakes.  We need to make mistakes so that we can learn to become better adults.  If you have made a mistake, then the right thing to do is own up to it.  Learn to say sorry, atone for the error, and do whatever you need to do to make it right.  Drinking too much only makes it worse.  Realise the benefits of quitting drinking and stop blaming yourself.  You might be surprised how good it feels to make amends.

37. Stop blaming others

This can be yet another trigger that causes problems with alcohol.  The problem with harbouring ongoing blame for the wrongs that have been done to you is that you are the only one who suffers.  Drinking too much alcohol will not help you to stop blaming others, it only makes it worse.  Often we can’t begin to resolve these issues when we drink to excess.

38. Become resilient when dealing with others

When we regain the self-confidence, and sense of self-worth that was missing during the dark days of drinking too much, we actually become more resilient to other events in our life.  Previously, some of these issues may have caused a great deal of angst and disquiet.  But we really can become more resilient towards these things when we have a clear mind and the confidence to find a solution to the problem.

39. Resolve problems in your past

The biggest benefits of quitting drinking are that you no longer need to dwell on events of the past.  When you set yourself free, there are so many things the fall into place.  The feeling of freedom from the burden of alcohol is truly uplifting.  The freedom from being trapped by addition is a huge relief.  There is no need to fear that you are losing or missing out on anything when you stop drinking.  In fact there is only the gaining of well being and achievement.

40. Be happy!

If this sounds like a bunch of clichés, I assure you I have never been more serious.  All of these benefits of quitting drinking are achievable, and true happiness can be yours.  Better still, you can start receiving these benefits a lot sooner than you ever thought possible!

 

 

In fact, why not start straight away?  We would love you to join us on the journey, and we can offer help to stop drinking – Click here if you would like to know how!.

 

 

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