What happens to your body, mind and brain when you give up alcohol?

Alcohol can affect the brain, body, and mental wellbeing, so if you decide to give it up, you can expect to experience changes to these aspects of your health, writes Geraldine Walsh

Almost everyone quitting alcohol will have moments where they feel worse before they feel better.

Have you kicked off the new year with a resolution to stop drinking alcohol? There is an assumption that a person’s body and mind will see a quick turnaround when they limit or completely curb their alcohol intake but Dr Christina Mulvany, a GP with Webdoctor.ie, says this strongly depends on how much alcohol the person is typically drinking. Alcohol affects our brains, our bodies, our mental wellbeing, and how we interact with the world around us. With more and more people becoming sober curious or re-evaluating their drinking behaviours and alcohol choices, the changes they experience when they put the glass down for a period of time or for good, may be unexpected. So, what happens to our bodies and minds when we quit alcohol?

Withdrawal symptoms