According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, almost 15 million Americans over the age of 12 suffer from what is called alcohol abuse disorder, or AUD. AUD is a chronic disease that often leads to people drinking uncontrollably and struggling to curb their drinking on their own.
One of the reasons why it can be so challenging for those who suffer from AUD to kick alcohol to the curb is because of the withdrawal symptoms from alcohol. When a person is going through alcohol withdrawal, it can turn their life into a living hell and make it almost impossible for them to function normally.
If you suffer from AUD or if you know someone who does, you should be well aware of the withdrawal symptoms from alcohol. Knowing about them will give you or your loved one a fighter’s chance when it comes to quitting drinking once and for all.
Today, we’re going to talk at length about the withdrawal symptoms from alcohol. We’re going to touch on what you can expect from them and what you should do next when you start to experience them.
Continue reading for more information on the withdrawal symptoms from alcohol.
What Are the Withdrawal Symptoms From Alcohol?
It’s not going to take you long at all to start spotting the withdrawal symptoms from alcohol. Oftentimes, those who drink too much alcohol day in and day out will begin to see these symptoms within just hours of their last drink.
You’re going to notice physical, emotional, and psychological changes that will take place. They can last for days, weeks, and, in some cases, even months on end.
Let’s break down each of the specific withdrawal symptoms from alcohol.
Anxiety
Anxiety is something that tens of millions of Americans deal with on a regular basis. Studies have shown that about 40 million people total suffer from it.
It’s one of the very first withdrawal symptoms from alcohol that you’re going to see when you stop drinking. It will typically set in as soon as your body and mind start to realize that you’re not giving them the alcohol that they’ve come to expect.
Drinking alcohol is an easy way to make this type of anxiety go away. But if you’re able to push through it, you should notice your anxiety subside eventually. It’s a hurdle that you’ll need to clear to stop drinking alcohol for good.
Shaky Hands
Working your way through the anxiety that so often comes along with alcohol withdrawal is going to be a mental battle. But trying to get your way through this particular problem is going to be a physical one.
When you don’t put any alcohol into your system for a day or two, you’re going to get shaky hands. In some instances, your hands might shake to the point where you can’t control them or rely on them to do what they’re supposed to do.
This is another alcohol withdrawal symptom that should start to go away over time once your body sees that you’re not going to continue to feed it alcohol. But it can be frustrating trying to manage shaky hands in the meantime.
Insomnia
Alcohol has a depressive effect on your body and mind. It brings your central nervous system to a halt and makes it easier for you to fall asleep at night than it would be otherwise.
So as you might expect, sleep is going to be hard to come by when you’re experiencing alcohol withdrawal. You’re going to find it to be very difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep for any length of time.
This is going to leave you feeling extremely exhausted. It’s also going to mess around with your brain function and make it seem like you can’t even think straight.
Sweating
On the rare occasion when you are able to fall asleep while going through alcohol withdrawal, you shouldn’t be surprised if you wake up in a pool of sweat. This is yet another one of the common withdrawal symptoms from alcohol.
When people first commit to quitting drinking, they’ll usually start to sweat a little bit more than usual. And as time goes on, this problem can get worse and worse until it finally lets up.
It’s important to remember that alcohol can really do a number on your heart, your blood vessels, and your skin. It’s going to take time for these things to heal to the point where you won’t have to sweat all the time.
Hallucinations
The first four withdrawal symptoms from alcohol that we’ve listed here might make you feel uncomfortable. But the good news is that they shouldn’t cause you any serious harm.
The worst withdrawal symptoms from alcohol are still yet to come, though. They’ll often start about a day or two after your last drink and will really wreak havoc on your entire system.
Hallucinations are the first withdrawal symptoms that will put a big scare into you. You might start to see and hear things that aren’t actually there. It can be a terrifying experience for those who are going through it.
Fortunately, these hallucinations aren’t going to last too long in the grand scheme of things. They’ll stop for most people almost as soon as they start.
But if you begin hallucinating, it’s going to make the withdrawal process seem insurmountable in some situations. You might run right back to the bottle to avoid going through it.
It’s at this point that you might want to seek professional help for yourself. It’ll be for your own safety.
Seizures
As if the hallucinations that can come along with quitting drinking aren’t enough, many people will also begin to suffer from seizures in the days following their final drink. This is another super scary set of withdrawal symptoms from alcohol.
The worst part about having seizures as a result of alcohol withdrawal is that you won’t know when they’re coming. You also won’t know how long they’re going to last for or when you’re going to be over them.
This is another instance in which you might want to contact professionals for help. You could potentially put yourself into a tough spot if you suffer a seizure that causes you to sustain a bad injury in the process.
Confusion
If you’ve spent a lot of your life drinking alcohol almost every single day, you’ve literally changed your brain chemistry over years. Your brain no longer knows how to function without alcohol flowing through your system.
When you take the alcohol away, it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise if it shocks your whole system. You might find yourself walking around in an almost constant state of confusion as your brain tries to process what’s happening around you.
You should be able to clear up some of this confusion over time as you work to rebuild your brain back to its original state. But for the time being, you’re going to need to find ways to alleviate any confusion that you might feel.
That might mean writing down things that you don’t want to forget, sticking to a daily schedule, and surrounding yourself with a strong support system.
High Blood Pressure
As we alluded to a little earlier, excessive alcohol use can take a big toll on your heart and circulation system. You’re going to end up having to deal with high blood pressure if you’re not careful.
You’re also going to see your blood pressure shoot up even higher than usual when you’re making your way through the withdrawal symptoms of alcohol. It could very well reach dangerously high levels at some point.
When you combine this with the fact that more than half of all Americans already have high blood pressure, it can create a perfect storm. Your blood pressure could reach a level that could put you in the hospital.
If you plan on putting alcohol away for good and getting sober, you might want to have a conversation with your doctor about it. They can predict how your heart will react to it and what your blood pressure might get up to.
Delirium Tremens
Most people who are addicted to alcohol don’t have to worry about having to deal with what are called delirium tremens. These withdrawal symptoms from alcohol only affect about 5% of alcohol abusers.
But if you draw the short straw and end up with delirium tremens, you’re going to go through some of the worst alcohol withdrawal symptoms around. You’ll likely have very vivid hallucinations along with delusional thoughts.
Those with delirium tremens cannot usually make it through them alone. They could potentially be deadly if they aren’t treated in the right way.
They could also lead to you dealing with:
- A racing heart
- A very high fever
- Excessive sweating
You shouldn’t hesitate to reach out for help if delirium tremens set in. You might be asking for trouble if you don’t get the assistance that you need.
What to Do About Alcohol Withdrawal
Are you experiencing any of the withdrawal symptoms from alcohol that we mentioned here? If so, knowing what to do about them will be of the utmost importance.
You should, first and foremost, put yourself into an environment where you won’t be tempted to use alcohol. That might mean cleaning all the alcohol out of your own home or going to stay with someone who doesn’t have any alcohol in theirs.
You should also keep your primary doctor on standby and let them know about any complications that you might be facing. They can help to guide you in the right direction as you set out to get (and stay!) clean.
And finally, you should kick around the idea of checking yourself into a rehab facility if you don’t feel as though you’re going to be able to overcome the withdrawal symptoms from alcohol on your own. Getting the residential alcohol and drug addiction treatment that you need can improve your chances of quitting alcohol for good.
How Long Will Withdrawal Symptoms From Alcohol Last?
When you first begin to experience some of the withdrawal symptoms from alcohol, it’s going to feel like they’re not ever going to go away. You’re going to feel uncomfortable in both a physical and mental sense.
But you should remember that withdrawal symptoms from alcohol aren’t going to last forever. In fact, you might start to feel infinitely better within just a few days as long as you stay the course.
You should try to keep in mind that every minute that you stay sober is another minute closer to putting your alcohol withdrawal symptoms in the past. You’ll be so glad that you kept on pushing through them when everything is all said and done.
The key is relying on the resources that surround you to get to where you’re trying to go. From turning to your family and friends for assistance to seeing what a rehab facility has to offer, you’ll have help all around you. Ask for it when you need it!
You Can Fight Back Against the Withdrawal Symptoms From Alcohol and Win
We’re not going to sit here and lie to you: It won’t be easy to win your battle with alcohol addiction. The withdrawal symptoms from alcohol are going to make it so easy to quit and run back to drinking.
But there are millions of people who have sat right where you’re sitting now. And they’ve found ways to overcome AUD and other alcohol-related conditions by taking things one step at a time while battling back against addiction.
Now that you know the withdrawal symptoms from alcohol, you should take your first step today. If you can find the strength to quit drinking, you can turn yourself into a happier person overall and provide yourself with a much brighter future.
Find more useful health and wellness tips and tricks by reading through the other articles on our blog.
