Try Dry Anytime to improve your health
Do you want to:
- Feel healthier?
- Give your mental health a boost?
- Save money?
- Feel more rested?
- Have more energy?
Having a break or reducing your alcohol intake will improve both your physical and mental health. Getting motivation, support and information from Alcohol Change UK's Dry Anytime Challenge can help.
Alcohol and health
- Alcohol is a causal factor in more than 60 medical conditions, including: mouth, throat, stomach, liver and breast cancers; high blood pressure, cirrhosis of the liver; and depression.
- Overuse of alcohol can worsen the symptoms of many mental health problems. In particular, it can lead to low mood and anxiety.
- There is increasing evidence that even low-to-moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and some other heart conditions. This risk rises when consuming above 14 units per week.
- More than 50 studies have confirmed that alcohol is a particular risk factor for breast cancer.
- Drinking too much can cause gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) and stomach ulcers. It can also lead to uncomfortable reflux.
- Long-term, drinking too much alcohol can lead to fatty liver, hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) and cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and liver cancer.
- Men may suffer temporary impotence after a bout of drinking. Long-term, dependent drinking can cause the sexual organs to shrink in men and women.
- Drinking contributes to weight gain, due to the extra calories consumed, increased chance of overeating and the issue of being less active when feeling sluggish or hungover.
Sign up for Dry Anytime
Warning:
People who are clinically alcohol dependent can die if they suddenly, completely stop drinking.
If you experience fits, shaking hands, sweating, seeing things that are not real, depression, anxiety, or difficulty sleeping after a period of drinking and while sobering up, then you may be clinically alcohol dependent and should NOT suddenly, completely stop drinking. But you can still take control of your drinking. Talk to a GP or your local community alcohol service who will be able to get help for you to reduce your drinking safely.