Alcohol Withdrawal
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Every person who had the occasional wild night with alcohol involved knows what a hangover is – which, medically speaking, is referred to as alcohol withdrawal. This post-drinking state is the one that makes most people say, “I’m never drinking again.” However, when addiction is involved, alcohol withdrawal may be more difficult to deal with. As a result, alcohol addiction becomes more complicated to kick off.
What Is Alcohol Withdrawal
Alcohol withdrawal represents a series of changes that your body goes through when you stop drinking. Whether you drink occasionally or heavily, the withdrawal will cause your body to experience a series of symptoms as the alcohol is flushed out.
Alcohol withdrawal manifests itself differently based on how much you drink. An occasional drinker who does not drink heavily may only feel the symptoms of withdrawal for 24 hours or less. This type of withdrawal is mostly referred to as the common “hangover.”
However, a person who drinks heavily may experience serious alcohol withdrawal symptoms. This is because their body is already used to having the alcohol in their system, which is why its absence may cause them to feel overall ill.
In serious alcohol addiction cases, both the brain and body become addicted to the substance. As a result, when you stop drinking, your body no longer feels those effects and requires time to adjust. In severe cases, it may also lead to alcohol withdrawal syndrome.
Symptoms What Is Alcohol Withdrawal
Alcohol withdrawal is different for everyone. For example, some people might feel so ill after a wild night that they choose to vegetate in bed the rest of the day. However, others wake up fresh as a daisy, seemingly waking up with no hangover and no symptoms of withdrawal.
Yes, some people may end up feeling fresh – but the symptoms of addiction withdrawal will depend on a variety of other factors. Your genes, your overall health, your tolerance, your beverage choice – all of these will work as a path to determine what symptoms you may have.
No hangover is ever the same, but we do have a list of common symptoms. Here is what most people feel when they are going through alcohol withdrawal:
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Nausea and vomiting
- Weakness and fatigue
- Excessive thirst
- Vertigo, along with sensitivity to light
- Inability to properly concentrate
- Tremors
- Sweating and a sensation of flushing
- Increased blood pressure and pulse
- Trouble sleeping
- Irritability and mood swings
- Low body temperature, feeling cool to the touch
Some people might have one or two symptoms of this, other might feel more of them, whereas others may have a cocktail of all of them. It all depends on the way your body breaks down the alcohol.
Long-Term Effects To Consider
Depending on the severity of your alcohol addiction, alcohol withdrawal may have some long-term effects. In most cases, the alcohol should be out of your system within five days, but even in the long term, it may cause insomnia, high blood pressure, and excessive sweating.
A person who has been drinking for a long time will also have a harder time shaking off the hangover. The more they drink, the more the alcohol will stay in their system. Strong alcohols will also be more likely to stick, which is why some people may feel sick even after the first 24 hours have passed.
As a result, in the long term, these withdrawal symptoms may be exactly the reason why you are unable to quit. If the symptoms are too bad, an alcoholic will often try to get another drink just so that they bring ease to their addiction. After all, these symptoms appear because their body is used to the substance – so naturally, if it hurts when it goes out, they feel the need to get some back in their system.
That being said, in the long term, this will make it much more difficult to quit or at least cut down on alcohol consumption. And in the long term, the health may also decline, as the alcohol will affect all the other organs.
When It Is Time to Get Help
In most cases, the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal should go away within five days of your last drink. However, if they don’t, or the symptoms seem particularly bad, it might be a sign that you are dealing with severe addiction, and you need medical help. bear in mind that consuming too much alcohol can lead to alcohol poisoning, which can not only have serious consequences in the long term but may also be fatal if left untreated.
At the same time, if you keep having alcohol withdrawal symptoms, to the point where it constantly affects your responsibilities, it might be a sign that you are dealing with alcohol addiction. In that case, it means that it’s time to reach out to a rehab center.
How To Get HeLP
When going through alcohol withdrawal, you may need to get some medical help. This may involve medical detox as part of inpatient or outpatient therapy. The physician at the rehab center will recommend an option that works best for you.
You will be given medication to help with your symptoms, reducing their severity. This type of help is particularly useful when you have a condition that may put you at risk. You may also be given medication to keep your alcohol addiction under control, reducing the cravings and making it easier to abstain from consuming more alcohol.
Why Real Deal?
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms may be very difficult to manage. Real Deal has the tools necessary to provide both inpatient treatment and outpatient treatment. The medical detox will help flush the alcohol out of your system safely and ensure you stay away from alcohol. The staff at Real Deal will make sure that you are taken care of so that your withdrawal experience is not as unpleasant.
Alcohol withdrawal is challenging when you manage it alone! This is why you need professional help. Call Real Deal and get through your symptoms!