We all know that quitting bad habits can be good for your health. But sometimes the road to restoration can feel impossible. Just how quickly can your body recover when you start doing harmful things to it?
Part of the answer, of course, is that it depends on the habit. But in general, certain improvements will start to take place very quickly if you make major changes. Especially if you make an effort to eliminate all of the things that are hurting your body at the same time.
Giving up drugs
Any habitual drug habit is dangerous. It doesn’t matter if it is cocaine or marijuana; these things are all to be avoided on a regular basis. While recovery times vary, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- If you quit smoking marijuana, your body will start to clear itself of symptoms within a couple of weeks. You might experience withdrawal symptoms such as insomnia and fatigue, but this is a natural part of the process. To determine whether there is THC left in your system, you can take the Exploro THC test.
- If you quit taking heroin, the detox period can last up to three months. Symptoms can be severe, and you should consider taking methadone or buprenorphine to provide relief.
- If you have an opioid addiction, your withdrawal symptoms can be very severe. However, the symptoms tend to peak a couple of days after withdrawal and then get better. The recovery period depends on how long and how serious your addiction was.
Quitting is essential if you have a serious drug problem. If you’re not sure what to do, ask a professional. They can instruct you on how to use THC test or whatever is applicable to your situation.
Quitting smoking
This is a big one. Smoking is something that provides basically no benefits and can seriously harm your body. When you quit, changes start to take place very quickly:
- Within the first day, your heart rate starts to normalize, your blood pressure goes down, and your blood oxygen levels begin to normalize.
- After several days, the carbon monoxide is eliminated from your system, you start to breathe easier, and your lungs start clearing themselves of mucus. Your cilia begin to work better.
- Within a couple of weeks, your circulation and blood flow to the heart start to improve.
- By the first year after you quit, your risk of heart attack can be cut by half. Your risk of stroke will go down significantly, and the risk of mouth and throat cancers goes way down.
- Ten years after quitting, the risk of lung cancer is cut in half, and your chances of getting coronary heart disease is basically that of people who have never smoked.
So as you can see, quitting smoking can do amazing things for your health, and some of these benefits can begin almost immediately.
Kicking alcohol habits
This is a tough one, partially because alcohol use is so widespread and socially acceptable in most places. But if you drink too much, it really wears on your body and you might not even realize it because your body and mind become accustomed to the changes.
But stopping drinking can have remarkable effects on your health. Changes can take place quickly:
- You might experience withdrawal symptoms. But after the first several days, headaches, nausea, and any related symptoms will go away.
- Your mind will clear, and your energy level will increase. You will be less irritable and be in a better mood.
- As your liver detoxifies, you will find your body functions working better, your toilet habits becoming more regular, and that you have a lower incidence of bloating, gas, and indigestion.
- Over time, your inflammation levels will lower, your joints will move more easily, and you will feel rejuvenated. You might not even realize that alcohol was a contributing factor to stiffness and feelings of lethargy until you quit.
As with other bad habits, once you have really removed yourself from an alcohol habit, you will find yourself living a completely different life and likely won’t miss the old one at all. Your days won’t revolve around waiting until 5:00, but rather flow freely and give you energy from morning till night.
It is all worth it
Habits can be very difficult to break. The ones we’ve mentioned here certainly aren’t the only things that can negatively affect your health. Poor eating habits, lack of exercise or sleep, and excessive stress can also take a major toll on the body. But getting in touch with what is harming you and making a concerted effort to fix it can do wonders for you. We often get into habits and don’t even fully realize the extent to which they have taken over our physical well-being. Habits can become so entrenched that they feel as natural as breathing, but it doesn’t have to be this way. If you need help getting started, talk to a health professional and try to get an accurate assessment of exactly where you stand and what you need to fix. This can be the first step on an amazing road to recovery.
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