How to quit alcohool

To quit alcohol, make a plan to stop or reduce drinking and get support; expect stress or anxiety during the change, and use stress-management strategies rather than alcohol to cope. 1 2 3

• Regular alcohol use and health: Chronic drinking can disrupt the gut–liver–brain axis and affect brain circuits involved in alcohol intake, mood and stress; alcohol also disrupts the gut microbiome. 4 5
• Stress and support: Increased stress and anxiety can occur while cutting back and may take time to ease. Stress-management tools and help from other people or a community can support the process. 1 3
• Gut microbiome: Supporting gut health may help recovery. The discussion suggests regular low-sugar fermented foods as one approach, while noting this has not been specifically studied for alcohol use disorder. 6
• Alcohol and sleep: Alcohol can impair sleep even when consumed earlier in the day; drinking earlier rather than close to bedtime gives more time for it to leave the system, but does not guarantee unaffected sleep. 7

If you drink heavily or may be dependent on alcohol, seek medical help before stopping abruptly; the material here does not describe how to manage withdrawal safely.