Millions of people will have a beer every now and again or a glass of wine after dinner. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they have an alcohol addiction and need to stop drinking.
On the other hand, there are people who drink too much alcohol and this can cause devastating effects on the person’s health and life. Research states that if a man has 2 alcoholic beverages a day or a woman has one alcoholic beverage a day, that is considered moderate drinking. Binge drinking is consuming 4 to 6 drinks in 2 hours or less. Heavy alcohol use is when a woman has 3 drinks a day or 7 drinks a week. It is also when a man has 4 drinks a day or 14 drinks a week.
If you or someone you know needs to stop drinking, know that it is never too late. Here at Riverwalk Recovery, we have various treatments that can help you to overcome an alcohol addiction or substance use disorder.
Effects of Alcohol on Your Body
There are millions of people who abuse alcohol. Unfortunately, excessive drinking is likely to negatively affect your body in numerous ways such as causing:
- Liver cirrhosis
- High blood pressure
- Liver disease
- Digestive issues
- Higher risk of heart attacks and strokes
- Higher risk of developing cancer of the rectum, colon, esophagus, liver, voice box, throat, breast, and mouth
If you or someone you know has already dealt with any of these health effects or any others, just know that doesn’t mean you won’t benefit from getting sober. In fact, research shows that there are some alcohol effects that are reversible. With those that aren’t reversible, quitting drinking can slow down the progression of the disease or condition.
Reach out to us here at Riverwalk Recovery to start getting sober and overcoming your addiction.
Ways to Stop Drinking
Alcohol abuse is a national epidemic. This means there are numerous services and resources out there to help those who want to stop drinking. This does take commitment, multiple lifestyle changes and support. However, it is possible and it is never too late to stop drinking.
There are many ways that you can stop drinking which include:
- Switching from alcoholic beverages to non-alcoholic drinks such as sparkling water
- Getting professional detox treatment
- Having an accountability partner
- Going to AA (Alcoholics Anonymous meetings)
- Avoid going to social events where there will be alcoholic beverages present
- Going to therapy
These are some of the best ways to stop drinking. If you want to quit today, don’t hesitate to reach out to our professional detox and rehab treatment team right away.
Do You Have an Alcohol Addiction
How do you know if you have an addiction to alcohol? Could it be just heavy drinking every now and again? Well, it could be. However, most people who abuse alcohol are addicted to these beverages.
Some of the signs that you may have an alcohol addiction include:
- Regularly wondering when and where you will have your next drink
- Counting down the time to your next time drinking
- Can’t stop drinking once you begin (for instance, one beer ends up turning into a 6-pack or more)
- Drinking when you wake up to prevent hangover or withdrawal symptoms
- Having withdrawal symptoms when you aren’t drinking including nausea, shaking, sweating, etc.
- Avoiding people who believe that you drink too much
- Only going to social events that you know will serve alcohol
- Missing out on your responsibilities due to drinking or being hungover
Do you have any of these signs of an alcohol addiction? If so, know that it is not too late to stop drinking. Anyone can overcome an addiction to alcohol. You may need to seek professional treatment, but it is possible to get your life back and substance-free. Reach out to our team today to find out more.
Treatment Options to Help You Quit Drinking
A lot of people believe the only way they can stop drinking is by attending a 12-step treatment program. While these programs do get a lot of attention and they are very effective, there are also other treatment options to help you stop drinking, as well. Some of these treatment options include:
- Attending support groups
- Going to therapy (individual, group, family, nutritional, etc.)
- Prescription medications to ease withdrawal symptoms (usually given at medical detox facilities)
- Outpatient, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization and inpatient addiction treatment center programs
As you can see, there are numerous services, treatments and resources that can help you to quit drinking. It doesn’t matter how long you have had an alcohol addiction or substance use disorder, you can always get help to stop drinking.
Here at Riverwalk Recovery, we have helped thousands of people stop drinking. We are ready to help you do the same.
Is it Ever Too Late for Someone to Stop Drinking
No. It is never too late for someone to stop drinking. It doesn’t matter whether you have an alcohol dependency, alcohol addiction or you just drink from time to time, you can develop a substance-free lifestyle. By doing so, you will be increasing the chances that you could have a healthier, longer life.
There are patients who have advanced liver cirrhosis that stop drinking. When these people quit drinking, it increases their chances of having a 7-year survival rate by over 60%. So, as you can tell, even when someone has severe medical effects due to their drinking habits, quitting is only going to add benefits to their life.
Whether you have negative health effects or not, quitting drinking is the best option. Some of the reasons why you should stop drinking include:
- Lowering blood pressure
- Reducing the risk of diseases
- Lowering triglycerides in your blood
- Improved heart health
- Improved liver health (rebuilds itself over time)
- Losing weight
- Better relationships
- Improved sleep
The benefits of quitting drinking don’t stop there either. They continue on for quite some time. If you are ready to improve your life in these ways and in many other ways, contact our Riverwalk Recovery Center team to get into the detox and recovery process. We are looking forward to helping you stop drinking and live substance-free.
It’s Never Too Late to Stop Drinking – Get Help Today
Now that you know it’s never too late to stop drinking, you can finally realize that “NOW” is the best time to get detox and alcohol addiction treatment. You don’t have to wait until you have adverse health effects from drinking. If you already have these negative effects, quitting drinking may reverse or slow down the progression of some of them.
Contact us today to stop drinking and get your life back on track.