Why alcohol is bad for your and ways to give it up

We often hear that moderate alcohol use is risk-free. And drinking a glass of red wine at dinner is even good for you. But modern science has refuted the fact that alcohol can have any positive effect on the human body. Even a few glasses of beer with your friends can cause serious damage to your health, not to mention the frequent use of strong drinks in large amounts.

How alcohol affects the male body:

• Alcohol provokes insomnia, increases the state of anxiety. Its frequent use can lead to nervous system disorders. The information was published in 2015 in Alcoholism publication: Clinical and Experimental Research.
• Alcoholic enzymes disrupt the exchange of fatty acids in the liver: its cells die and get replaced with fat cells. Cirrhosis and fibrosis develop. Over time, this can lead to liver failure.
• The liver can no longer perform its main function – detoxification (neutralization of toxic substances for the human body). Therefore, some of the testosterone that enters the liver cells is converted into female hormones. It becomes the cause of feminization.
• Drinking alcohol affects your heart. The use of alcoholic beverages leads to the development of arrhythmia, tachycardia, heart attack, and coronary heart disease.
• Under the influence of alcohol, the impulses of the nervous system weaken, which leads to a decrease in sexual activity.
• The body's protective functions are reduced. That in turn leads to infections. The respiratory and genitourinary organs are the first to suffer.
• Alcohol leads to vascular spasm: blood flow in all organs, including the pelvic organs, worsens.

If the problem with alcohol does exist, it's time to admit it to yourself. And after that, take 7 simple steps on the way to a life without booze and a hangover.

Change your attitude to alcohol

Why do you drink at all? Analyze your behavior and honestly answer the question why you enjoy drinking and what role it plays in life. Here's what psychologists say about this: only by understanding the true reason why you need alcohol, you can find ways to give it up.

Prepare for change

Giving up alcohol will change some of your habits and even your lifestyle. Get ready to face harsh condemnation from friends and acquaintances. Every time they try to pull you into a bar, you'll have to listen to their judgments about having no solid reason to turn down booze. "You're not a hopeless gastric ulcer sufferer or teetotaler, are you?» - they will mess around. Some will not want to stay in touch anymore at all. But do not despair and give up. At first, life without alcohol will be unusual. And that is normal. Gradually, everything will get back on track.

Find new hobbies

A new hobby will help to distract from drink cravings and bring positive emotions. And along with new activities, you will likely make some new acquaintances.

Set the right tone

Let the universe know your intentions. Repeat these statements aloud every day:

• I won't drink any more
• Alcohol doesn't make my life better or more interesting
• I don't need it

No need to abruptly give up alcohol

If you normally drink alcohol every day, then you should reduce your intake little by little. Psychologist Clarissa Silva believes that abruptly depriving yourself of a drink can lead to the fact that one day you will go off track and want to catch up on all that was left out. Therefore, it is better to move slowly but confidently towards the goal. Reduce the amount of alcohol you drink per day, week, or month. First, you can alternate alcoholic beverages with water or soda. You can also enjoy a non-alcoholic cocktail at the restaurant for dinner. And no one around you will even notice.

Tell everyone about your goal

The best way to do this is to post on social media. So you don't have to tell your friends every time that you've decided to stop drinking. It will also give you additional motivation: now all your friends and followers know about your intention to quit drinking.

Do some sports

Psychologists say that a healthy lifestyle helps to cope with sudden changes in life and not fall into depression. Getting used to proper nutrition and regular training will not be easy. But this way you can understand what gives you energy and what takes it away. For example, the author of the Program OneYearNoBeer Andy Ramage for a year without alcohol managed to lose 19 kg of weight and reduce the level of fat mass from 30% to 10%.

Here are 6 things that will happen to you and your body after giving up alcohol:

Sleep better

The use of alcoholic beverages lowers melatonin levels, which is responsible for the quality of sleep and the production of other hormones. Give up alcohol, and the entire hormonal background will be in order.

Increase your libido

The sensitivity of the genitals will improve, sperm motility will be restored, and testosterone production will be normalized.

Improve the liver condition

In one experiment involving 102 relatively healthy men and women, the subjects did not drink alcohol for 4 weeks. The result was: liver stiffness decreased by 12.5%, and the risk of developing diabetes-by 28%.

Get rid of the extra pounds

A can of beer contains about 200 kcal, while a Pina colada contains as much as 425 Kcal. Avoiding alcohol reduces the number of calories consumed, which will eventually lead to weight loss.

Better memory

Frequent drinkers have poor memory, attention, and reasoning skills. This was proven in a study conducted on 5,000 middle-aged men and 2,000 women.

More free time

Drinking alcoholic beverages and having a long hangover the next day is time-consuming. Now that you are free of the addiction, you will have the energy and time for a new hobby.

For those who still firmly believe in the health benefits of alcohol, have a look at the results of a study by experts from the American heart association. For 6 years of the experiment, they observed about 5 thousand volunteers, half of whom drank a small amount of alcohol every evening – a beer or a glass of wine. Doctors found that these people had an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, including atrial fibrillation.

To drink or not to drink is a personal matter. Now you are aware of the effects of alcohol on the body. And how you can fight the addiction. If you cannot cope with the problem yourself, you should seek help from a psychologist.