How the Body Changes When Going Through Recovery
Updated: Oct 2
Navigating the physical and mental shifts that come with sobriety can feel overwhelming, but we have a clear understanding of the process. Your body is impressively resilient and, with the right support, is fully capable of readjusting and acclimating to a new, healthy life free from substance use.
What is one major and important physical change that occurs early in the recovery process? One of the major and most important physical changes during recovery is weight gain; this restoration of weight and appetite is the body's way of getting the necessary energy and nutrients to begin healing from malnutrition, dehydration, and internal or external damage caused by substance use.
There's much more to learn about the body's incredible ability to heal, including how things like alcohol withdrawal brain fog and persistent physical symptoms begin to subside. Keep reading to fully grasp the full physical recovery timeline, from early detox symptoms through long-term healing, and see the motivating successes that are ahead.
In this guide:
Why Physical and Mental Recovery Take Time
Body Changes You Go Through During Recovery
Physical Recovery from Substance Abuse
Getting Over the Hurdle
The Importance of Going to Recovery Early
How Chateau Approaches Physical Recovery
When to Seek Professional Help
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Physical and Mental Recovery Take Time
The effects of drug and alcohol use can be long-lasting, depending on the intensity that someone would use them, as well as how frequently they would be used. How drugs affect the body, drug sores on arms, and drug abuse skin problems can all be intense issues to deal with, especially during the beginning stages of recovery, and they're part of why a clear withdrawal timeline matters to anyone starting this process.
Physical recovery from alcoholism and how the brain heals after you stop drinking all take just as much time to address. However, as someone stops using drugs or alcohol and begins working through Chateau's residential program overview, their body can readjust and begin to acclimate to their new lives in sobriety.
Recovery on a physical and mental front are both possible with Chateau's residential addiction treatment program, and starting the admissions process is the key first step in guiding someone through the various changes that their bodies will undergo as a part of the recovery process.
Body Changes You Go Through During Recovery
When someone first stops using an addictive substance, their bodies will begin to react very quickly to the sudden absence of a substance that it has become accustomed to expect on a daily basis. This first phase of recovery is Chateau's medically supervised detox phase, and most often where withdrawal symptoms set in. There is no way around this part, and it will be uncomfortable.
However, that doesn't mean that getting through this part is impossible by any means, and knowing how to choose the right treatment center for constant mental health and physical health treatment can help the process along.
Nausea, vomiting, twitching, insomnia, and mood swings are all possible during this phase, and for some people this stretch of the timeline also brings on post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS), where lingering symptoms surface on and off for weeks after the acute detox phase ends. For those recovering from an addiction to alcohol, alcohol withdrawal brain fog may set in.
Alcohol withdrawal brain fog can make it feel difficult to recall memories or even words, and someone can feel as if they are constantly distracted, or otherwise unable to focus on the conversation or happenings around them. While difficult at the time, alcohol withdrawal brain fog does pass and can lead to further healing as someone continues through their recovery.
Physical Recovery from Substance Abuse
However, one of the major aspects that needs to be addressed is the weight gain that will be present through the recovery process. How much weight you gain in recovery can vary from person to person, but gaining weight again is an important part of the process. Drug addiction can take a huge toll on someone's appetite entirely and can make it so they are rarely eating full, complete meals, if they are eating meals at all.
This leads to major issues of malnutrition and dehydration in recovery that debilitate the healing process as a whole. These nutrient deficiencies are a well-documented part of the recovery timeline; a 2025 review in the journal Healthcare found that malnutrition is common and often overlooked in substance use disorder treatment, which is one reason correcting it early supports better outcomes.
This weight gain can be attributed to someone regaining their appetite as the drugs leave their system, and the body begins to realize much of the damage that has been done to it through years of using drugs or alcohol. The body's ability to heal itself over time is impressive, but also requires an immense amount of energy.
Weight restoration is the body's way of ensuring it gets the nutrition addiction recovery patients need in order to begin healing the drug sores or bruising that may be present on someone's arm, or to repair the internal damage to various organs that the body may have endured while someone was using drugs or alcohol. This can involve using the energy to heal the lungs, liver, heart, and brain, a stretch of organ repair that the National Institute on Drug Abuse notes can continue well past the initial detox window.
Getting Over the Hurdle
Getting over the initial trials that come with detox and withdrawal, someone can then begin to see the healing in progress. Persistent headaches will begin to waver, and open sores may begin to successfully scab over and begin their long healing process. With the proper medication and hygiene, acne can begin to clear up, and dry and cracked skin can begin to successfully repair itself.
Seeing these benefits in motion can be the first sign to someone that recovery is possible for them, and knowing what to expect when entering a mental health treatment program keeps them motivated to see addiction recovery through.
Insomnia during withdrawal can begin to subside with proper coping mechanisms and behavioral therapy, and the extra rest given to the body can help mitigate feelings of anxiety and depression, especially as someone continues to eat full, healthy meals. This stretch of the physical recovery timeline is also when regular exercise in recovery tends to help most, supporting both cardiovascular healing and mood.
Seeing this success in action is incredibly impactful for each person and something that they should be proud of. No part of the physical recovery from alcoholism or drug addiction is easy, and seeing these changes is a big step in someone's recovery as a whole.
The Importance of Going to Recovery Early
What drugs do to your body can be extreme, especially when used over a long period of time. While many of these symptoms can be reversed with proper care and an effective addiction recovery program, some aspects of how drugs affect your health are not so easy to reverse.
After prolonged use, the nutrient deficiencies, especially the lack of calcium over a long period of time, can lead to lifelong issues with osteoporosis. "Meth mouth," or the decay of one's teeth and gums that often results in tooth deterioration, tooth fracture, and tooth loss, can also be irreversible and will require extensive dental surgery in order to begin to rectify.
While it is possible to reverse many symptoms of one's drug and alcohol use, continued use over an extensive period of time can have long-term effects on the body and brain. Even after recovery, some may still find themselves experiencing liver problems or involuntary twitching. SAMHSA's model of recovery describes health as an ongoing process of managing symptoms and making informed, healthy choices, not a single finish line, which is a useful way to think about the physical changes that don't fully reverse.
The physical and mental changes that occur during recovery are the result of the body going through a massive transitionary phase. The body is doing its best to reestablish a new homeostasis and has to adapt to a new life that is devoid of the addictive substances that it had come to expect. While this is unequivocally a good thing, it is a process that takes time and effort to see through.
The body will be establishing what its new "normal" will be, and will slowly begin to realize and address all of the different damages that it had endured while under the constant influence of drugs or alcohol. However, this healing process is possible and can be aided along with the right behavioral therapy and medical attention that it needs in order to begin to adapt to its new, sober lifestyle.
How Chateau Approaches Physical Recovery
Physical healing works best when it isn't treated as separate from mental health and trauma care. At Chateau Health & Wellness, on-site residential detox integrated with treatment means clients don't have to transfer between facilities to move from detox into residential treatment, which matters most during the exact stretch of the timeline when the body is most vulnerable.
Chateau's trauma-first, dual diagnosis model treats physical recovery, mental health, and past trauma as connected, not separate tracks. With a staffing model with one staff member for every four clients in small, dedicated groups and a 56-bed setting in Utah's Wasatch Mountains, care stays individualized through the full 30, 60, or 90-day program, with nutrition and physical activity built into daily structure rather than treated as an afterthought.
When to Seek Professional Help
Mild fatigue or a few rough nights of sleep can often be managed on your own. But symptoms like severe withdrawal, uncontrolled vomiting, chest pain, seizures, or thoughts of self-harm need immediate medical attention, not a wait-and-see approach. If physical symptoms are intense, unpredictable, or tied to alcohol or benzodiazepine use, medical detox is the safer starting point.
At Chateau Health & Wellness, we provide medically supervised detox and residential addiction treatment in a private, boutique setting in Utah's Wasatch Mountains.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the first phase of physical recovery, and what symptoms are common?
The first phase is the detox phase, which is where withdrawal symptoms set in. Common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, twitching, insomnia, and mood swings.
What is "alcohol withdrawal brain fog"?
Alcohol withdrawal brain fog is a condition that can make it difficult to recall memories or words, causing someone to feel constantly distracted or unable to focus on the conversation or happenings around them.
Why is weight gain an important part of physical recovery?
Weight gain, or weight restoration, is the body's way of ensuring it has the energy and nutrients it needs to heal itself, repairing damage to organs (like the lungs, liver, heart, and brain) and addressing issues like malnutrition.
What happens to physical symptoms like headaches, sores, and skin issues as recovery progresses?
As recovery continues, persistent headaches will begin to waver, open sores may successfully scab over and begin to heal, and dry/cracked skin and acne can begin to clear up with proper care and hygiene.
Can all the effects of long-term drug and alcohol use be reversed in recovery?
While many symptoms can be reversed with effective care, some can be permanent. For example, prolonged nutrient deficiencies (like lack of calcium) can lead to lifelong issues such as osteoporosis, and severe tooth decay ("meth mouth") may be irreversible without extensive dental surgery.
Chateau Health & Wellness provides medically supervised detox and residential addiction treatment in a private, boutique setting in Utah's Wasatch Mountains. Call (801) 877-1272 or start the admissions process to talk through what the recovery process could look like for you.
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About The Author
Ben Pearson, LCSW - Clinical Director
With 19 years of experience, Ben Pearson specializes in adolescent and family therapy, de-escalation, and high-risk interventions. As a former Clinical Director of an intensive outpatient program, he played a key role in clinical interventions and group therapy. With 15+ years in wilderness treatment and over a decade as a clinician, Ben has helped countless individuals and families navigate mental health and recovery challenges.
