How your body transforms when you don’t drink alcohol for 31 days as Sober October comes to an end

As Sober October draws to a close, many who've taken part will be itching to get down to the pub for a celebratory pint.

The campaign — which was started by Macmillan Cancer Support in 2014 — challenges participants to give up booze for the month of October, while helping the charity raise money to fund vital support services for people with cancer.

And, beyond raising money for a very worthy cause, Macmillan says going sober comes with a number of amazing benefits.

So what exactly happens to your body when you stop drinking for a month?

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Well, the Priory Group has answered that very question, and the facts will be more than enough to get you through the final days of October alcohol-free.

The organisation began by explaining that when you give up alcohol, your body may go into withdrawal - although its severity depends on the amount and frequency of your drinking.

They explained that the first 24 hours could see you experience mild symptoms, which can start as soon as two hours after you finished your last drink.

In a nutshell, if you drink alcohol every day, you're going to feel it way more than a weekend-only drinker.

Some of the symptoms you can expect if you fall into this heavy drinking category include anxiety, hand tremors and shakes, sweating and headaches.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, these symptoms will worsen over time and you may have felt tired and depressed as Sober October continued.

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If you have an alcohol dependency, the worst time will be between 12 and 72 hours after you stop drinking, and it's possible that you might experience what's known as delirium tremens (DTs).

This is pretty much exactly what it sounds like and can involve hallucinations, disorientation, sweating and high blood pressure.

Thankfully, if you're able to get through this, things will quickly take a turn for the better and your symptoms should start to ease off between 48 and 72 hours after you take your last drink.

Between days three and seven, the majority of people shouldn't be experiencing any withdrawal symptoms — although there are exceptions if you're extremely dependent on alcohol.

Once you get through the hard bit, after a week of no booze, you can expect to see improvements to your day-to-day life including better sleep quality, better decision-making, and you might even notice that you feel more creative.

And, you'll probably be saving a fair bit of money too.

Unsplash/Simi Iluyomade

By the time you've given up alcohol for two weeks, the lining of your stomach should be normalised - as well as its production of acid.

You may also notice that you're losing weight because of the amount of empty calories you're no longer consuming through alcohol.

The third week of no booze is arguably the most life-changing as, at this point, your risk of having a heart attack or stroke will decrease.

You may also experience better vision and your kidney health will begin to improve now that it's had a break from processing so many toxins.

Once you've stopped drinking for a month, your liver will have recovered all of its function too. Other benefits of the booze-free lifestyle also include weight loss, better memory, higher levels of concentration, much better sleep quality and, of course, a much healthier bank balance.

So, while avoiding the magnetic force of your local Wetherspoons might have been hard to resist this past month, it's good to know just how much Sober October will have benefited both Macmillan Cancer Support and your health.

Topics: Food And Drink, Health, Charity, Money, Science

Bec Oakes