Many times people do not realize the alcohol consumption has become more of a problem until they try to cut back or quit all together and realize the challenge in doing so. Alcohol addiction is not a symptom of weakness, but it is truly linked to a disease and professional help and support from loved ones as well as a willingness to quit is all you need to quit. Though it will be a hard road, it is possible.
What Happens When You Quit Drinking?
For those that drink alcohol heavily for weeks, months, or even years, you may experience mental and/or physical issues when you stop or cut back abundantly on the volume or the consumption. Meehab Addiction Recovery understands the difficulty of doing so and as you strive to reach your goals, alcohol withdrawal, or the physical/mental problems, can range from mild to severe depending on the individual. If you have experienced before in the past on other attempts to quit or cut back, you will likely experience it again.
What Happens During Alcohol Withdrawal?
Doctors describe a depressive effect on your system with alcohol. Brain functions are slowed down, and the way your nerves send messages back and forth is changed. The central nervous system adjusts to having alcohol consistently over time. In order to keep your brain more awake and to manage your nerves into talking to one another, the body has to work overtime. The brain will stay in this increased overloaded state even when the alcohol level suddenly drops; which causes the withdrawal.
Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
As previously mentioned, the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can vary depending on the individual; they can even manifest as early as 6 hours after your last drink; those common symptoms include the following:
– Anxiety
– Headache
– Insomnia
– Nausea
– Shaky hands
– Sweating
– Vomiting
After 12-48 hours of the last drink, a range of more serious problems can ensue such as hallucinations to seizures. From there delirium can begin 48-72 hours after the last drink. Only about 5% of people with alcohol withdrawal will experience vivid hallucinations and delusions. Those that do, additional symptoms can include:
– Confusion
– Fever
– Heavy sweating
– High blood pressure
– Racing heart
When experiencing these symptoms, most will see their physician. From there the doctor may ask you questions concerning medical condition history, current medications and drinking habits. Treatment is usually only offered to those that have had serious withdrawals in the past. Otherwise, the best thing is to let it pass and as your body expels the toxins it can recuperate. With a supportive environment to help you through the rough patches such as a quiet sanctuary with soft lighting, limited contact with others and a supportive and positive atmosphere, you can get through it. Be sure to select healthy food options and drinks lots of water.
Help for Alcoholics Battling Addiction
If the symptoms get extreme like blood pressure, pulse and body temperature increases as well as seizures and hallucinations, call your doctor for inpatient care and medicine treatment. Once you make it through the withdrawals, consider seeking professional treatment to beat the addiction, dependence and alcohol abuse with the help of Meehab Addiction Recovery. We offer a helpful app that connects you with nearly meetings and more. Click here to download in Beta for Android and Click here to be the first to know when our app goes live on iOS!
