Alcoholism Withdrawal

Individuals who have decided to stop drinking will most probably experience alcoholism withdrawal. People who have been drinking for a long time, drinking frequently, or drinks heavily when they drink usually experience this.

And because no one really knows, how an individual responds to quitting, it is better that an individual who has been drinking for a long time, or heavy drinkers, should consult a medical professional first before deciding to quit.

There are also different intensities of withdrawal symptoms. Some individuals may experience mild to moderate psychological symptoms. They will experience a feeling of jumpiness or nervousness, feeling of shakiness, anxiety, irritability or easily excited, emotional volatility, rapid emotional changes, depression, fatigue, difficulty with thinking clearly and bad dreams.

Alcoholism withdrawal symptoms can also be mild to moderate physical symptoms. Individuals who experienced this will have headaches, sweating (especially on palms or the face), nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, insomnia or sleeping difficulty, paleness, rapid heart rate or palpitations, dilated pupils, clamminess, abnormal movements, hand tremors, and involuntary or abnormal movements of the eyelids.

Some may even experience severe symptoms. They can experience a state of confusion and hallucinations; this is also called delirium tremens. They can also experience agitation, fever, convulsions, and black outs. Black outs mean that a person forgets what happened during the drinking episode. In addition, sometimes, this can even be life threatening.

About 95 percent of people who decided to stop drinking will experience mild to moderate alcoholism withdrawal symptoms. Moreover, healthcare providers on an outpatient basis can treat these. However, five percent will experience severe withdrawal symptoms. In this case, the individual must be treated in a hospital or a facility that specializes in detoxification.

For people who are experiencing withdrawal symptoms, it is important that they immediately seek for medical attention to assess the severity of the symptoms. A person being treated for withdrawal will have to stay in a hospital for observation. Their heart rate, breathing, body temperature and blood pressure will be monitored, as well as fluids and electrolytes.

People who are experiencing severe alcoholism withdrawal are usually treated with sedatives or tranquilizers to reduce the symptoms. Because severe alcohol withdrawal can progress rapidly and will quickly become life threatening. They will also be treated with hospitalization and antipsychotic medications for their hallucinations.

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