| Alcohol is like any substance, any drug: It has its | | | | addiction. |
| effects, and then it has a withdrawal. If you don't | | | | At around 2 weeks, you will feel physically and |
| drink a lot, you shouldn't notice much the next | | | | emotionally better. Yet it is at this point that you |
| morning, unless you are particularly sensitive to it. | | | | might become complacent and think, 'I am fine, I can |
| However, if you've been drinking heavily for years or | | | | have one drink and I won't get addicted again.' |
| in many cases decades, then there are a few key | | | | Unfortunately, this is very distorted thinking. If you |
| symptoms to be aware of, should you decide to give | | | | are truly serious about giving up on alcohol, you will |
| it up. | | | | surely have serious reasons for doing so: maybe your |
| Initially, you may feel great, newly energized after | | | | stomach lining has been eroded by all the booze, |
| your firm decision to quit, the promise of an entirely | | | | maybe your liver is extremely weak from processing |
| new life ahead of you. Then, after the second day | | | | so much poison. Remember, alcohol is a poison and if |
| without any alcohol, your body starts to feel the | | | | you have an addictive personality, quitting should be |
| sudden lack of it in your system, not only as a drug, | | | | for life. There are so many things more important, |
| but also as a source of sugar. You will become very | | | | such as health, family and friends, all of which you |
| tired as your sugar levels plummet, but the worst | | | | tend to lose if you are addicted not only to alcohol, |
| thing about this is, despite your fatigue, you will find it | | | | but indeed to any drug. |
| extremely hard if not impossible to sleep. You may | | | | After a month or two, you will begin to see a lot of |
| want to see your medical doctor to support you in | | | | pleasant side effects, a return to how a human body |
| your efforts, and he/she might even prescribe | | | | should function! Your sleep will be deeper, your mood |
| temporary medicine to help you combat this most | | | | will improve and your libido will also return to normal. |
| cruel of side effects. | | | | There are countless benefits to beating alcohol |
| However, this cruel side effect, like all dark things, will | | | | addiction, so stick at it, and whatever the |
| pass, and you will be able to at least get enough | | | | temptation, never listen to that little voice who tells |
| sleep to function. During this period, you should eat | | | | you to have 'one little drink'. It will soon lead to a |
| well, with a diet high in protein and carbs, even a few | | | | dozen and all your hard work will be wasted. Your |
| sugars, to keep your energy levels up. You might | | | | life, your health, your family are all worth much, much |
| want to go for a run or play some sports - light | | | | more than that. |
| exercise is often the key to getting out of the | | | | |