Alcohol & skin & mental health

[Stillseparatedat41]

I’m going through separation and my skin ain’t great. I’ve aged dramatically the past two years (I’m 41).

I’m thinking of quitting alcohol for mental health reasons (to feel less sad about the separation and gain some clarity).

Will it help my skin? I’ve fine lines all over my face now! Quitting alcohol can’t reverse that, can it? What exactly will it do for my skin?

Have you quit booze? Did it help your head & skin?

@PurpleDaisies

It varies. I have two big glasses every weekend night and sometimes a glass or two on weeknights too. When I go out, I could have four or five easily. I gave for up for a month a year or so ago but other than that I haven’t gone longer than 4 days in a long time . It’s got to the stage where I’m thinking about it and looking forward to my wine in the evening but I think I need other things to look forward to.

I have bloating and stomach pain, sleep issues and mentally, I’m feeling poorly with the whole separation so feels like a really good move for me.

I’ve had growing anxiety the past few years and I do wonder if alcohol has a lot to do with it.

100% it is. You feel anxious so have a glass or two 😏 to help, it works, you instantly feel better and more chilled. The next day or like me 4 in the morning the anxiety kicks back in. If the anxiety is especially bad, wine time gets earlier and earlier. It's an a never ending cycle whilst you are feeding it.

It's worth stopping for a while just for that reason.

@Ulysses
It sounds like it was a great move for you! Well done on losing 1.5 stone & not needing make-up! Your lifestyle sounds great now.

Do you miss it at all? What do you drink when you’re with others who are drinking?

@userxx

This nails it:

The next day or like me 4 in the morning the anxiety kicks back in

I quit drinking completely at the start of lockdown, coming up to 5 months ago.
It has significantly improved my mental health, I can confidently say that much!

I don’t see a huge difference in the fine lines in my skin, but my colour has really changed. My skin is brighter and more even, and other people seem to think I am ‘glowing’ and look really well.

I’ve also lost a stone without even trying through quitting booze, and my face shape seems better and jawline seems more defined. There is a puffiness and bloat that comes with drinking and definitely goes after a bit of sobriety. I’m in my 40s, and even a couple of glasses of wine of a night would give me that puffy look the next day.

[quote Stillseparatedat41]@InDeoEstMeaFiducia

The mental aspect is huge for me right now. I’m hoping it’ll help my skin too though![/quote]
I'm 50 and really only Botox and laser resurfacing is going to work now. But I didn't quit for skin and weight reasons, I did because it wasn't agreeing with my digestion and also I wanted to spend money on other things.

It's not a magic bullet, but it's well worth doing.

I don’t miss it 99% of the time at all. I get a tiny bit of wistfulness at times if I see people outside having a glass in the sun but it doesn’t last long.

My face shape seems better too and I’m pleased with my lack of jowls. It does seem to affect people in my age bracket and is aging IMO.

My friend bought me alcohol free wine when I went over to hers recently but I prefer the AF beer if I want to do some more grown up but tbh I’m happy with a sparkling water.

I’m on a long running Alcohol Support thread and it’s been a life line for me though in the early days I distracted myself through yoga and C25K.

Thank you @InDeoEstMeaFiducia

I’m sure once I actually do it, it’ll get easier!

I’m on day 11 alcohol free and I can’t believe the difference in my skin.

Thanks @Ulysses

Is that support thread on Mumsnet?

My physical and mental health both need some attention right now; so giving up alcohol will be Step 1.

I can’t recommend Annie Grace’s book This Naked Mind and her 30 Day Alcohol Experiment enough.

Game changer.

@LunaNorth

I did her 30 day experiment and listened to the podcasts at the time but I still went back
On it! She speaks a lot of sense and I can REALLY relate. I don’t think I was ready to quit back then though. I feel ready now - not exactly excited about it but excited about the benefits. I need to get a handle on my mild anxiety and depression symptoms which seem to get worse with time.

Sorry, I didn’t RTFT.

You’ll do it when you’re ready. I’ve had loads of false starts.

In the end, the pain of drinking far outweighed the pleasure to the point that drinking became farcical.

I look better in my 40s since I quit drinking than I did in my 30s (I was a bottle of wine or more a day girl).

Like you it almost hit me overnight when I turned 39. Wrinkles, dry skin, the works. Now, honestly my skin is glowing. And not just my face- I've always done tonnes of exercise, but now my body actually looks like I do tonnes of exercise! Before I was just burning off the excess vino. And I eat less shit now I'm not constantly hungover.

My sleep and mental health are so much better! I used to be crippled with anxiety and self hatred, I still have my moments but it's 99% fixed.

I can't recommend it enough, and I still have fun, I still socialise with drinkers. I just don't NEED something to have fun. It's hard (well it was for an old lush like me!) but it's definitely worth it!

Very well put @LunaNorth

While I love wine while I’m drinking it, it leaves me sad, anxious, sleeping badly & is accelerating my skin aging! It does seem farcical to keep consuming something that does all of that! It certainly is addictive.

@ManservantHecubus

We have a lot in common. I’m pretty much the same. I do exercise (but would like to do more) but you wouldn’t think it by the amount of flab I’ve accumulated! And yeah, I’m a birruva lush too-socialising with drinkers could break me! Out of interest, what do you drink now? Non-alcoholic beer? Sparkling water? I don’t know really - I’ve got so used to drinking. I used to look forward to seeing people or doing things, now I look forward to the drink instead (not good!).

That’s so cool you look younger now than when you actually were younger. I’m not impressed with my accelerated aging — if I’m honest, it has taken vanity to kickstart this! I can relate to the self-loathing though - I put myself through the mill regularly going over every single mistake I’ve ever made. My marriage (I’m recently separated) is the hot topic at the mo and it’s becoming too much to handle on a hangover - so something has to give!

There’s an Alcohol Support subtopic within the Health topic and I’m in one which is committed to stopping drinking for good, mostly due to being unable to moderate it, myself included. It’s well worth a look

Thank you -- I'll have a look.

As Celine Dion would say 'This is getting seeeeeeeeeeeeeeerious.' (Yeah, I've had two glasses of wine tonight!! I've set a date for quitting though).