What Alcohol Does To The Body

The Sobering Truth About Alcohol's Impact

Hey there, friends! As both a recovery coach and an alcoholic myself, I've seen firsthand how alcohol can take a heavy toll, impacting us physically, mentally, and emotionally. Today, I want to lay out the hard facts about what drinking really does to our bodies and psyches.

The Physical Fallout

When you drink alcohol, it enters the bloodstream and travels through your body as a toxic substance. Your liver has to work overtime to metabolize the alcohol, putting strain on this vital organ. Over time, heavy drinking can lead to life-threatening liver diseases like cirrhosis.

Alcohol is also rough on your heart, increasing blood pressure and putting you at higher risk for heart attacks, strokes, and heart disease.

It messes with your brain chemistry - slowing down brain activity and impairing motor skills, speech, and cognitive abilities. Not a good look.

And let's not forget the toll it takes on your looks! Alcohol dehydrates you, leaving your skin dry, puffy and aged beyond your years. That hangover puffiness and redness? Not a great fashion statement.

I cannot begin to tell you how much better I felt, physically, when I quit drinking. Besides avoiding the obvious hangovers, my overall health improved so much!

When I was in the depths of my alcohol addiction, my physical health was in a sorry state. Years of heavy drinking had taken an immense toll on my body.

I was constantly fatigued, and seemed to catch every bug that was going around. My skin looked sallow and unhealthy. Even simple tasks like climbing a flight of stairs left me out of breath and sweating.

But after making the life-changing decision to get sober, an incredible physical transformation began to take place.

Within the first few weeks of being alcohol-free, I started noticing improvements. My sleep became deeper and more restorative, leaving me with more energy during the day. The brain fog and constant headaches from being hungover disappeared.

As the months went by, the positive changes kept coming. My skin regained a healthy, vibrant glow as I became properly hydrated. I was able to start an exercise routine without feeling completely drained.

One of the most remarkable changes was how my body's ability to fight off illnesses improved dramatically. My immune system was no longer being constantly battered by alcohol. I stopped catching every cold and flu that was being spread around. When I did get sick, the symptoms were much milder and I recovered quickly.

It's been years now, since I last had a drink. I have more energy and stamina than I've had in years. I can be active and keep up with my kids without feeling winded.

Quitting drinking was one of the most difficult but rewarding decisions of my life. While I can't undo the damage I did to my body over the years, I'm amazed at how much it has healed and rejuvenated itself since becoming alcohol-free.

Your body has incredible powers to recover and thrive when you stop poisoning it with alcohol.

The Mental Anguish

While alcohol may initially help you "unwind," in the long run it does just the opposite for your mental health. Drinking disrupts your sleep patterns, leaving you groggy and foggy-brained the next day. It can trigger mood swings, anxiety, and even depression over time.

For those predisposed to mental illness, alcohol acts as a gasoline on the fire, intensifying symptoms and making treatment more difficult. I've seen many people's lives spiral out of control due to alcohol's debilitating effects on the mind. My own included.

My underlying mental health challenges were never acknowledged nor addressed prior to when I started drinking. Mainly because they were manageable when I was not under the influence.

Drinking made me into a person I hated, and everyone else sure did too.

I would drink due to emotional turmoil and not wanting to face those feelings, only to be smacked in my face with them 10x harder once I picked up a bottle.

Did drinking make any sense? Did drinking make things better? Was I having a good time? That’s a solid NO. But did I continue to drink? Of course!

Alcohol amplified my anxiety to a level like no other. The morning after drinking being the absolute worst. Knowing that I shouldn’t have drank. Feeling ashamed. My stomach in knots trying to pull myself together to face the music from whatever chaos arose from the night before. Alcohol just made life really ugly.

Consuming alcohol always made me plummet into some sort of depressive episode. If I was boozed up, at some point or another I’m crying. Never fails.

I drifted away from “social drinking” shortly after my high school days were over. I knew that my drinking was a problem, so did my friends and family. So, whenever I was drinking I put my best efforts into trying to conceal it. Didn’t ever work well.

My drinking lead to suicidal thoughts and episodes of self-harm. I had never struggled on that sort of self destructive level before outside of my drinking. Not ever. Alcohol brought me to a very very dark place.

Yet, it would be years before I made the commitment to change.

The Emotional Wreckage

On an emotional level, alcohol is a brutal false friend. Sure, it may ease social anxiety at first and "take the edge off." But it's only a temporary band-aid that leads to a deeper disconnect from your true self and loved ones.

Alcohol impairs judgment and increases aggression, leading to strained relationships, regrettable behavior, and even violence in some cases. I've seen the devastation of broken homes, severed friendships, and shattered self-esteem in the wake of alcohol abuse.

The path to true emotional freedom and connection lies in being fully present, something alcohol constantly undermines. Getting free from alcohol's chains allows your authentic, vibrant self to shine through once again.

I was no where near the person I wanted to be, or the person I genuinely knew I was when I was consuming alcohol. I considered nobody else’s feelings but my own. I was cruel with my actions and words. I was not trustworthy. I was not reliable. I was not a good friend. I was not a good partner. I was not a good daughter. And, I was not a good mother. Alcohol stripped me of the ability to show up as my best self for all of the people and things that I loved most.

The Bottom Line

Look, I'm not here to judge - I've walked this road and know it all too well. But, I am here to shine a light on alcohol's dark side that the beer commercials conveniently leave out.

Drinking weighs us down physically, scrambles our head, and blocks us from living and loving fully. The good news? There is a way out of this trap!

You've got the power to take back control of your health, mind, and your spirit. If you're struggling with alcohol, know that you're not alone and there is hope.

I'm here to walk that path by your side towards a free, empowered, and genuinely joyful way of living. One day at a time, friend. One day at a time.

Let’s learn from one another’s experiences! What are some of the ways that alcohol has impacted your physical or mental health? Leave it in the comments!