Individuals who become addicted to alcohol (one of the most addictive substances available in the legal modern market) are known to have developed alcoholism or an alcohol abuse disorder.
This can be extremely damaging to an individual’s physical and mental health; alcohol has unique impacts on an individual’s wellbeing due to the way in which it becomes a part of their everyday functioning and processing.
For these reasons, it is vital that individuals who find themselves to be struggling with alcoholism (or any other addictive substance) seek help to achieve sobriety as soon as they are able and/or willing.
Sobriety involves moving away from substance abuse in a meaningful and lasting way, including a slow transition away from the substance and maintenance of this change in the individual’s life.
As mentioned in the introduction, alcohol can have a range of impacts on an individual’s life, including effects on both their physical and mental wellbeing.
This makes alcohol one of the most dangerous substances to withdraw from and recover from due to the range of effects and unique ways in which an individual can be impacted.
Most studies into these effects consider both the immediate impact of consuming alcohol as well as the long-term effects which are often associated more strongly with addiction (1).
For example, though the short-term effects of alcohol are often considered to be pleasant for many people i.e., increased confidence, elation, and giddiness, the long-term effects are often on the opposite side of the scale – depressive, mood-swinging, and tiring.
Alcohol causes several types of common cancers, including breast, liver and neck cancer. It’s important to know that alcohol is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), placing it in the same risk category as asbestos and tobacco.
Achieving sobriety is essential for any individual struggling with alcoholism due to the ways in which an alcohol addiction may develop if left untreated.
Any addiction can exponentially worsen over time, but when alcohol is in the system, this can become far more urgent of an issue. Often, alcohol becomes ‘ingrained’ in the way in which an individual’s body functions on the day-to-day, meaning that these individuals are often unable to function without consuming alcohol regularly.
This can quickly lead to impacts in the individual’s personal, social, or occupational life, including the upkeep of responsibilities and other activities that they are required to carry out.
Without alcohol in one’s life i.e., achieving sobriety, these individuals will be able to go about their day much more comfortably – without the constant cravings and triggers that may cause them otherwise.
As mentioned above, without the risks that come with an alcohol addiction, individuals are far more likely to go about their day in a productive and meaningful way, engaging with those around them and completing their responsibilities as necessary.
Without alcohol in their system, individuals are also far more likely to be able to think more clearly, see the changes they need to make, and maintain a strong mental attitude toward recovery and the process of overcoming their addiction.
In addition, an individual is likely to find that they experience far more physical health benefits once they have overcome their alcoholism and are able to partake in far more activities than they were previously able to – either as a result of increased physical health or as a continuation of physical health practices that they may have been introduced to during alcohol rehabilitation.
Every individual must start somewhere when attempting to reduce their alcohol consumption.
This can be the start of a sober journey encouraged by rehabilitative practises, or as the direct result of beginning an alcohol detoxification as prescribed by a formal or inpatient rehabilitation programme.
100 days is one of the most common milestones that individuals going down this path choose, as it is not as daunting as an entire year, but it is also enough of a milestone for individuals to feel satisfied with their progress and gain a sense of achievement whether or not they continue this streak or not.
The remainder of this article will cover how an individual can achieve 100 days of sobriety, as well as what to expect from each stage of the process, split up into the different months as a rough guide.
As with many stages of the alcohol rehabilitation process, the first steps during the first month are often the most challenging.
Though this is not true in every single case, the first month is generally the stage in which individuals will first withdraw from alcohol and deal with the consequences of this.
Whether or not the individual undergoes withdrawal alone or with professional supervision (the latter if which is always recommended through Rehab 4 Addiction), this is the stage in which the body undergoes its most drastic changes and adjustments.
With withdrawal come withdrawal symptoms, and every individual is likely to experience different effects depending on their history of alcohol consumption and the regularity of this.
Common symptoms include anxiety, irritability, and the onset of delirium tremens (DT) in extreme cases, but some of these symptoms can be life-threatening if not properly managed and treated by professionals, leading to a greater need for support and medical supervision during these first 30 days.
During the second stage of an individual’s 100 days’ journey of sobriety, the physical effects of an alcohol withdrawal may begin to ebb depending on the individual’s history with alcohol (for example, individuals with a longer history and heavier drinking tendencies may have different experiences).
The individual may begin to experience a higher mental clarity, beginning to experience alcohol playing less of a role within the individual’s cognitive functioning and reasoning abilities.
The individual may also begin to experience more physical changes to their appearance as alcohol continues to leave the system and its impacts become less visible.
However, this is also the stage in which an individual may begin to experience more mental effects such as wondering what comes next and how they can maintain their progress.
After 2-3 months of alcohol sobriety, an individual is likely to have experienced events and social situations in which they may have previously engaged in heavy drinking behaviours, proving a strong point of reference for their ongoing progress.
This is an ideal stage in which to seek additional social support such as that from family or close friends.
In general, studies have shown that most ‘general helping behaviours’ increase after the individual’s first month of sobriety but do not tend to increase after the individual’s first year of sobriety (2), highlighting the importance of these first few vital months.
As the individual approaches the 100-day sobriety mark (and beyond), they should feel a great sense of pride and satisfaction in what they have achieved.
Many individuals do not reach this point, and any length of time spent sober is time to celebrate, but reaching 100 days is something to be truly proud of.
Individuals reaching 100 days often feel far better both physically and mentally.
These individuals often feel better for their lack of regret over drinking, have increased confidence, and they may experience far less of the negative consequences of alcohol consumption.
All individuals seeking help of alcoholism – whether this is access to alcohol rehabilitation or support in starting their own 100-day journey – should get in touch with professional support sources as soon as they are able.
Rehab 4 Addiction is a highly experienced referral service that specialises in matching individuals to the most suitable form of addiction support for them.
To see how we can help you or someone you know, give our addiction support hotline a call on 0800 140 4690 today.
[1] Bowman, K.M. and Jellinek, E.M., 1941. Alcohol addiction and its treatment. Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 2(1), pp.98-176.
[2] Pagano, M.E., Zeltner, B.B., Jaber, J., Post, S.G., Zywiak, W.H. and Stout, R.L., 2009. Helping others and long-term sobriety: Who should I help to stay sober?. Alcoholism treatment quarterly, 27(1), pp.38-50.
Boris is our editor-in-chief at Rehab 4 Addiction. Boris is an addiction expert with more than 20 years in the field. His expertise covers a broad of topics relating to addiction, rehab and recovery. Boris is an addiction therapist and assists in the alcohol detox and rehab process. Boris has been featured on a variety of websites, including the BBC, Verywell Mind and Healthline. You can connect with Boris online at LinkedIn or X.com.
