Alcohol is a leading cause of acute and chronic conditions and mortalities across the United States, resulting in over five million emergency room visits and nearly two hundred thousand deaths annually.
The more you consume alcohol, the higher the risks of damage to things like liver health, heart health, and immune health. There are also increasing risks of cancers throughout the body.
In addition to physical effects, alcohol consumption can cause a range of personal and professional issues, negatively impacting relationships with friends and family, causing problems with finances, legal issues, and more.
So, can sobriety heal damage done by alcohol?
Healing Physical Damage Done by Alcohol
Long-term alcohol consumption has several serious health risks that can cause permanent damage if left untreated.
Liver Health
Ninety percent of alcohol gets metabolized in the liver, which means the liver is most likely to be damaged by alcohol consumption, leading to acute and chronic injury.
Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is one of the leading factors in alcohol-related illnesses and deaths.
You can work with a treatment center to stop alcohol consumption, as abstaining is usually the only treatment for alcohol-related fatty liver disease. Yes, you can reverse or heal the damage done by alcohol to the liver, as the liver is an organ that rebuilds itself regularly, but only if alcohol consumption is stopped.
With the right type of alcohol treatment plan, you can get through detox, transition into therapy, and learn relapse prevention strategies that support this sobriety.
Pancreatic Health
Acute pancreatitis is the leading GI-related reason for hospital visits across the United States, with over three hundred thousand admissions every year. The mortality rate is up to thirty percent for these cases, and many of them come from alcohol.
You can heal damage done by alcohol to the pancreas if you stop drinking entirely. Once you stop drinking, you can work on healthy nutrition, hydration, and other therapies to support the reversal of any alcohol-related damage.
Immune/Endocrine Health
Alcohol consumption significantly disrupts the endocrine system and the immune system. This is the system responsible for maintaining hormonal balance and overall health.
You can heal damage done by alcohol on the endocrine system through lifestyle changes in conjunction with alcohol abstinence. When you participate in a treatment program for addiction, you will be introduced to all of the key components to healing damage done by alcohol on the endocrine system, including:
- Sleep: Proper sleep is essential to hormone regulation
- Stress: Reducing stress can help support a healthy endocrine system, as chronic stress negatively impacts hormones and immune health
- Exercise: Regular physical activity regulates your hormones and helps support immune health
- Diet: What you eat can support your immune health and improve your hormonal function
With the right program you will participate in things like stress reduction techniques including yoga or meditation, regular physical activity as part of your treatment plan, a healthy diet, stress management techniques using evidence-based practices, and time management combined with self-care to support healthy sleep.
Heart Health
Heavy alcohol use results in an average of 9,000 deaths per year resulting from heart attack, hypertension, and stroke.
Learning how to heal damage done by alcohol starts with reducing intake or abstaining entirely. It is always best to speak with healthcare professionals and seek guidance on any additional lifestyle changes or pharmacological ways to support the reversal of heart issues, especially for those who have existing conditions.
Healing Other Damage Done by Alcohol
You can also heal other types of damage done by alcohol with the right type of support and, in some cases, therapy. For example, if alcohol causes your personal relationships to deteriorate, family therapy might be a good way to rebuild trust, instill hope, and boost communication.
If alcohol consumption results in legal complications or financial strain, our team can help you navigate these complex issues, learn basic life skills to establish structured budgeting and obtain better education or career opportunities.
Getting Help with Sequoia Recovery
At Sequoia Recovery, we offer all levels of care, including detox services to help you safely detox from alcohol. We provide services that include medication to keep you as comfortable as possible and reduce the severity of cravings. Many of the medications we provide can also help you sustain your sobriety.
As noted, it is possible to heal alcohol-related damage to your physical health and emotional health, but in all cases, it starts with sobriety. If you are struggling with the physical ramifications of alcohol-related health issues, especially to the liver or the pancreas, sobriety might be your only option for recovery.
Reach out to us today for information on our alcohol addiction treatment. Let us help you today.
FAQs
Can your body recover from alcohol damage?
Absolutely. In fact, when you stop drinking, and you maintain sobriety within weeks, you will see improvement in things like your immune function and liver health. Recovery from damage to liver cells can take just a few weeks, while recovery from more severe issues like cirrhosis or alcoholic hepatitis might take longer.
Will the brain recover itself from alcohol damage?
Alcohol consumption has a detrimental impact on your physical health as well as your cognition. However, like all other parts of your body, your brain can potentially recover from alcohol-related damage, particularly if you achieve sobriety. Our team can provide whatever level of care and support you need to help you start this journey.
How do I know if my heart is damaged by alcohol?
If you suspect that your heart or any other part of your body has been damaged by alcohol, it’s important to reach out to your healthcare provider. There are signs of alcoholic cardiomyopathy that include:
Irregular heartbeat
Palpitations
Shortness of breath
Fatigue
Chest pain
Swelling in the legs, feet, or ankles
You might also experience fluid buildup in your abdomen, high blood pressure, or shortness of breath when you are in bed.
Can I reverse 20 years of heavy drinking?
No matter how long you have consumed high levels of alcohol or whether or not you have an alcohol addiction, reversing that damage starts with sobriety. Sobriety can heal damage done by alcohol if you start with therapy, medical treatments, and lifestyle changes to support effective healing and reduce your risk of relapse.
How long until the body fully recovers from alcohol?
The effects of alcohol on the body will take time to heal, and that timeline is based on personal circumstances. As soon as you start your recovery program, you will notice improvement in many areas of your physical and emotional well-being, particularly the immediate reversal of damage to things like your immune health. The most salient improvements are gained within the first few months of sobriety.
However, in many cases, for long-term alcohol consumption or addiction, the complete reversal of all damage done to your body may take up to 5 years.
Is damage from alcohol irreversible?
In some extreme cases, chronic conditions and damage to the pancreas, heart, or liver may be irreversible, but in the majority of cases, sobriety will heal the damage done by alcohol within a few weeks or months.
