Surprise: Your brain recovers from alcoholism faster than you think

I think one reason people delay quitting destructive alcohol is they think they’re “too old” or that it’s too late for them to reverse the damage they’ve already done.

Well, I have some great news.

New research by Stanford University scientists shows it probably takes a lot less time than you think for your brain to recover from Alcohol Use Disorder.

How long does it take for your brain to recover from AUD? It’s shorter than you think. (Licensed by the author under the Unsplash+ License)

Never too late

I’ve written a lot on the topic of quitting alcohol later in life, and I’ve found some pretty inspiring stories about what a powerful anti-aging device it is — for your body and mind.

There’s this post about how Ringo Starr quit alcohol and continues to rock crowds well into his 80s (and looks closer to 60 for quitting, too).

Or this one about Gary Oldman quitting alcohol after coming to terms with the fact his intense addiction was going to kill him and later earning three Best Actor Oscar nominations (winning once).

He said at the time:

“I have recently celebrated 25 years of sobriety. And all the things I’ve enjoyed and had to deal with, good and bad, in that 25 years have been possible because of that, because of sobriety.

“There are many (positive) things: In my late 50s, I met the love of my life, I’ve got grandkids, I witnessed the birth of my kids. I’ve had career highs, career lows. There’s been extraordinary things in my life that are powerful and meaningful and are life-changing.”

Actor Jennifer Garner recently quit alcohol at 51 specifically to protect her brain health. She told Harper’s Bazaar:

“I think the more that comes out about alcohol, the more I’m just re-examining my own relationship with alcohol.

“The older I get, the more I want to protect my brain.

One of my favorite writers on this site, Diana Leotta, writes frequently about quitting alcohol in retirement and the vibrant days that have followed.

The simple fact of the matter is it’s never too late to quit alcohol.

The benefits, inside and out

Externally, you start to notice the benefits almost right away:

Your skin turns a healthier color and gets rehydrated
Many people quickly lose weight after removing all the calories
Your face loses its puffiness and eye bags

Internally, the changes are less perceptible, but the latest research from those Stanford scientists I mentioned up top is inspiring indeed.

Alcohol can be responsible for a whole host of brain problems, from stroke to dementia to mental health challenges like depression and anxiety.

One of the negative biological effects is a thinning of the cortex, which plays a big role in decision-making and creativity (counter to the sticky myth that alcohol actually enhances creativity).

This might sound discouraging to folks who depend on their creativity to make a living (myself included) but according to the scientists’ research, it takes just 7.3 months after quitting alcohol for total brain thickness to return and appear indistinguishable from that of someone who doesn’t drink at all.

Those are heartening numbers.

When I was drinking all the time, I always felt “dumb”.

I wasn’t, of course, but the burden I was placing on my brain was a heavy one indeed.

One of the worst effects of alcohol on my body was sleep disruption, and if you’ve ever tried to do any complex tasks while sleep deprived (thinking about young parents here), you know it’s a tough mountain to climb.

Alcohol also messed up my brain chemistry so much that any activity that didn’t involve alcohol — creative or otherwise — became grey and boring.

Quitting drinking let my brain out of that cage and allowed it to flourish.

In fact, I found I found that my zest for life — and my creative brainpower — started bouncing back well before 7.3 months.

I felt like a different person within 2 weeks.

The human body really is a marvel, isn’t it? It’s designed to keep us alive for as long as possible no matter how much abuse we subject it to.

But as we age, the dents in the armor start to add up, the defenses come down, and booze starts to gain the advantage.

So why not do your body a favor, take a break, and let your temple repair itself?

It may not take as long as you think.

Thanks so much for reading! If you enjoyed this piece or found it inspiring, please give it a clap or two so others can find it!

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Summarize

Surprise: Your brain recovers from alcoholism faster than you think

Never too late

The benefits, inside and out