This is Annie Grace and you're listening to this naked mind podcast where without judgment,

pain or rules, we explore the role of alcohol in our lives and culture.

I think this is Annie Grace, the author of this naked mind and today I am answering

your questions and today I have a question from Sam. Sam says, Annie, I'm so much enjoying

your online program so far. However, in your messages, you claim it can take up to 10 days

for alcohol to clear the body. I've heard that the liver metabolizes more than ounce

of alcohol per hour. I actually experienced up to 10 days because that's how long it

took for my withdrawal symptoms to get over. But again, I've heard that it takes one hour

to process one unit. So it must mean that somehow I didn't have any alcohol in my body when

I was experiencing withdrawal. So the person drink a bottle of wine and that was 10 units,

then 10 hours after the last drink, the alcohol should have in theory left the body.

Can you explain the difference between the two statements? What am I missing? Is it the

cumulative factor? So Sam, that's such a great, great question. So yeah, that's exactly

it. It is like alcohol metabolizes by the liver, which means that's how long the liver

takes to detox it from your bloodstream. So what that means is you're intoxicated. So

your mind is impaired and alcohol impairs your mind. And as your liver detoxifies it from

your bloodstream and metabolizes it, it no longer impairs your mind. And so you're no

longer drunk. And that's why it's so prevalent one unit per hour. That's how long it takes

until you can drive again or until you're not drunk anymore. And so if you drink a bottle

of wine, you know, it's 10, whatever it is. So that is really just about intoxication,

specifically. Now, if we're talking about alcohol leaving your system, it takes much

longer than that. Sometimes up to 72 hours. And then it can stay in things like, you know,

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