Withdrawal from Alcohol Abuse
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Withdrawal From Alcohol
Alcoholism is a chronic disease that causes compulsive drinking, and it can lead to serious health problems, social and personal problems, and even death. The thing is, there is no single cause of alcohol addiction. Rather, it results from a complex interaction between individual biology and environmental factors.
What happens when someone decides to stop drinking? Alcohol withdrawal can be a frightening experience, but it is important to remember that you are not alone. Millions of people worldwide struggle with alcohol addiction and go through withdrawal every year.
Withdrawal from alcohol can cause a wide range of symptoms, including intense cravings, anxiety, confusion, and hallucinations. It is important to seek medical help during alcohol withdrawal to ensure your safety and get the support you need. Many treatment options are available for those who struggle with addiction, so don’t hesitate to reach out for help.
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What Is Alcohol Withdrawal Symptom?
Alcohol withdrawal happens when you suddenly stop drinking alcohol after a period of heavy drinking. Alcohol is one of the most common substances that people misuse. It affects your overall health, both physical and mental, as well as behavior.
The effects on your overall health are varied. Still, some include problems with cognition (thinking abilities), memory loss, vision changes, mood swings, depression, etc., while others may be more severe and life-threatening, such as seizures and liver damage.
Withdrawal occurs when the person has not ingested alcohol for a certain period and can occur within six to 48 hours after stopping intake. It is important to note here that withdrawal may be seizures that require immediate attention.
Alcohol can affect everyone differently depending upon:
What to Look For
Alcohol Withdrawal Risk Factors
You might experience severe headaches if you stop drinking abruptly after having several drinks daily over an extended period. The severity of this symptom usually depends on how much and how often you drink and if you have other medical conditions.
You might experience severe headaches if you stop drinking abruptly after having several drinks daily over an extended period. The severity of this symptom usually depends on how much and how often you drink and if you have other medical conditions.
Insomnia is another common symptom of alcohol withdrawal symptoms experienced during the first week of sobriety.
Your body may experience nausea or vomiting as your system adjusts to no longer having alcohol as a sedative.
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Finding an Alcohol Detox Center Near Me?
What to Expect
Alcohol Withdrawal Timeline
When people understand the physical dependency caused by alcohol addiction, they can recognize why withdrawal symptoms occur after someone has stopped drinking. Alcohol detox is not easy, but if people can make it through the difficult withdrawal stage, they will be much happier without alcohol in their life.
One of the most important things for people who want to go through detoxification is how long their withdrawal symptoms will last. If you can anticipate what to expect and plan accordingly, it may be much easier to deal with the changes your body experiences.
How long do drug withdrawals last?
Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) falls to 0.02%, and physical effects such as decreased muscle coordination, impaired judgment, and clouded thinking begin to be noticeable.
The body temperature of an average person drops by one degree Fahrenheit.
Your blood pressure returns to normal.
People’s bodies may experience tremors or shakes as it goes through withdrawal.
Any feelings of depression are likely to peak. Depression is often the reason people turn to substance abuse in the first place, so this can be a difficult time for anyone struggling with alcoholism or addiction.
Hallucinations may start. These are normally auditory and can be as simple as hearing music or as complex as conversations between people.
You might experience delirium tremens (DTs). This is a severe reaction that includes confusion, seizures, delusions, and even possible death.
Your body will metabolize (rack up) any alcohol in your system. At this point, the average person will have lost some weight as they’ve been flushed from alcohol toxin buildup.
A person’s blood sugar drops, and they may experience shakiness, irritability, and mood swings.
A person’s liver enzymes will return to normal levels. This means that their liver has repaired itself from damage caused by drinking alcohol for years on end.
A person’s liver will be functioning at a level close to normal. Electrolytes and minerals in the body have been restored, pH levels have normalized, and their digestive system should be back on track.
A person may experience tremors once again. These are normally harmless shakes that might just occur when they’re tired or hungry.
Blood pressure has returned to normal.
People tend to have more energy than before, and many report an improvement in their skin’s appearance.
The risk of heart attack decreases significantly. Liver enzymes continue to repair themselves and return to normal levels.
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Benefits of Inpatient Alcohol Detox Programs
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Understanding Signs & Symptoms of Alcohol Abuse
There are several symptoms of alcohol abuse, including:
- Feeling guilty about drinking
- Hiding your addiction from friends, family, spouses
- A constant need to drink no matter what situation you are in
- Lying about how much you drink or when you last drank
- Getting drunk even if you didn’t plan on it
- Drinking in risky situations
- Having blackouts where you don’t remember what happened during a period of time
Alcohol abuse is a pattern of drinking that results in harm to one’s physical and/or mental health, interpersonal relationships, ability to work, or academic performance. A person who abuses alcohol often does so repeatedly and excessively despite recurring problems related to drinking.
Alcohol abuse occurs when a person drinks an excessive quantity of alcohol over a long period. In addition to the physical risks associated with alcohol abuse, there are serious social ramifications. Alcohol use is widespread throughout our society, from casual social drinkers to chronic alcoholism.
In short, it can be said that individuals have some degree of “alcohol-related problems” if their alcohol use contributes either directly or indirectly (through family members) to some type of negative consequence or signs of problems in any one of the following four areas:
- Health (mental or physical)
- School or work performance
- Social life/relationships with others (including family members)
- The law
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Speaking With Professionals
An excellent way to find substance abuse treatment programs in your area is by talking with professionals who work in substance abuse recovery. These professionals include doctors, therapists, counselors, social workers, and other support staff who can provide you with information about alcohol treatment facilities located near you.
They can also refer you to a specific treatment facility that best meets your needs as determined by your physical location, mental health concerns, financial issues, and type of drug abuse.
In many cases, an intoxicated person will need to “detox” from the effects of drugs or alcohol before they can begin addiction therapy at a rehab program.
What to Expect
The Three Main Stages of Alcohol Withdrawal Symptom (AWS)
Alcohol withdrawal is the most serious obstacle many alcoholics must overcome. However, this should not be confused with detoxification or treatment.
Alcohol withdrawal is a series of symptoms that may occur when an alcoholic suddenly stops drinking after a period of heavy and prolonged consumption of alcohol. This can be dangerous to the individual’s health and cause death if it is not done carefully and under medical supervision.
Here are the three phases of alcohol withdrawal:
- Stage 1: Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (AWS)
- Stage 2: Withdrawal Seizures
- Stage 3: Delirium Tremens (DTs)
The milder withdrawal effects will usually begin within 24 hours after the last drink and typically last only three days. A person experiencing these symptoms may feel as though they are coming down with the flu — perhaps even exhibiting flu-like symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, sweating and shakiness, headaches, and tiredness.
These aren’t always reported, though; it also seems like people experience more psychological withdrawal symptoms — things like anxiety and depression — during this stage of alcohol withdrawal which can make life very difficult indeed.
Some individuals might be tempted to start drinking again to relieve some of the discomforts they’re experiencing, but it is very important to resist this temptation. By taking alcohol again, you will only prolong your suffering and put your sobriety at risk.
The appearance of a seizure indicates that serious withdrawal symptoms are imminent and possibly hours away since seizures caused by withdrawal won’t usually occur until the brain has been severely affected by alcohol.
However, while one seizure might be a fluke, multiple seizures probably indicate a more substantial problem with alcohol withdrawal which should be evaluated by medical personnel as soon as possible.
In addition to seizures, other alcohol withdrawal signs appearing in stage two include anxiety, jumpiness, hot and cold sweats, rapid heart rate, agitation, and elevated blood pressure. Many people who have been drinking excessively for a long time may also feel extremely tired — so much so that it might be difficult to do anything at all.
In general, the more intense and frequent the withdrawal symptoms, the longer and more intense your addiction was, and the higher and more complex your personal situation is (i.e., other psychological or mental problems), all mean that you are less likely to successfully overcome alcohol withdrawal alone. The safest option in these circumstances is to seek medical help as soon as possible.
The most intense phase of alcohol withdrawal — delirium tremens (DTs) — can appear 48 or even 72 hours after drinking has stopped or significantly decreased. During this phase, visionary effects such as hallucinations and severe confusion become present.
The individual may also suffer elevated blood pressure, fever, and seizures, all of which can be extremely dangerous to the patient if not treated by a medical professional.
It is worth noting, though, that DTs do not occur in everyone withdrawing from alcohol and generally affect only those with long-term addictions (several years or more). It should also be noted that individuals who have experienced DTs in the past are at high risk for experiencing them again when they attempt future withdrawals.
In any case, delirium tremens is a life-threatening medical emergency and should be dealt with in the hospital by trained professionals in alcohol withdrawal management.
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Dietary Guidelines. (2018). Alcohol and substance misuse.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2020). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
- American Family Physician. (2004). Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome.
- Bayard, M., McIntyre, J., Hill, K.R., & Woodside, J. Jr. (2004). Alcohol withdrawal syndrome. American Family Physician, 69(6), 1443-1450.
- Gortney, J.S., Raub, J.N., Patel, P., Kokoska, L., Hannawa, M., & Argyris, A. (2016). Alcohol withdrawal syndrome in medical patients. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 83(1), 67-79.
- Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (2006). Detoxification and substance abuse treatment. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 45, DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 06-4131. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
- Muncie Jr., H. L., Yasinian, Y., & Oge, L. K. (2013). Outpatient management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. American Family Physician, 88(9), 589-595.
- National Library of Medicine. (2020).Alcohol withdrawal.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse.(2020). Principles of drug addiction treatment: A research-based guide (Third edition).
- Wolf, C., Curry, A., Nacht, J., & Simpson, S. A. (2020). Management of Alcohol Withdrawal in the Emergency Department: Current Perspectives. Open access emergency medicine: OAEM, 12, 53–65.
- National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The neurotoxicity of alcohol.
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