In a world where fulfillment of personal desires is well pronounced, abstinence is a taboo not talked about enough. Abstinence is simply the voluntary prevention of yourself from indulging in bodily activities that provide immense pleasure and satisfaction.
But what many do not know is that abstinence could have health benefits as it encompasses a series of healthy activities such as abstinence from sexual intercourse, alcohol, or food.
You must also note that there could be different factors inducing abstinence in a person. It could be a result of personal preferences, religious practices, or practical considerations.
Medically, abstinence represents the discontinuation of an addictive drug. This addictive drug could be prescription drugs, alcohol, or narcotics. Such practice may lead to a variety of signs, such as intense cravings for the drug or withdrawal syndromes.
Additionally, abstinence from certain practices, like smoking, may be prescribed by doctors to patients scheduled to undergo surgery, especially cosmetic ones.
Abstinence may be a temporary or short-term goal meant for short durations of time. This includes refraining from compulsive eating or compulsive drinking. The time and the measure are voluntary and are thus meant to enhance life.
Fasting
Fasting refers to abstinence from food. Here, the person, out of willingness, abstains from some or all food or drink for a short or fixed period. Partial fasts may continue for prolonged durations. They may involve abstaining from particular foods like meat, sustaining oneself only on fruits and vegetables, or only on a vegan diet. During such fasts, the person practicing gets detoxicated, and his or her bodily metabolism increases, contributing to an overall healthy being.
Abstinence from smoking and alcohol
Smoking cessation includes acts like refraining from tobacco and other smoked agents like cannabis. Abstaining from alcoholism is a practice geared towards the promotion of complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages. Abstainers may, however, choose a range of healthy beverages like tea, coffee, and juice to drink from, which, on the contrary, would improve their gut health and mental wellness.
Also, it has been shown by scientists that excessive use of alcohol can cause alcohol use disorder (AUD), a common neuropsychiatric disorder marked by neuropsychological deficits and neurocircuitry brain damage. This further reiterates the medical significance of abstinence.
Abstinence from sex
Sexual abstinence is the practice of refraining from some or all activities associated with sex by self-volition. Reasons for sexual abstinence adoption include religious or philosophical reasons, prevention of conception or sexually transmitted diseases, legal injunctions, or psychosocial reasons like the presence of mental ailments like depression and anxiety.