Alcohol Withdrawal
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When a chronic drinker abruptly stops drinking alcohol, he or she usually experiences alcohol withdrawal
symptoms. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms are essentially responses by the brain and by the body to the lack of alcohol to which they have
become adapted.
Alcohol Withdrawal, The Brain, and Tolerance
With regular consumption of alcohol, the brain gradually adapts to the alcohol
so that normal functioning is possible.
This not only explains how
physical tolerance develops but it also explains why increasingly more alcohol is needed to get the same "buzz" or "high"
with regular use.
When an individual who has exhibited a pattern of continuous and excessive consumption suddenly stops drinking alcohol, however,
he or she typically suffers from alcohol withdrawal symptoms which may take days or weeks before the body returns to "normal."
Basically, alcohol withdrawal symptoms are responses by the brain and by the body to the lack of alcohol to which they had become
adapted.
Alcohol withdrawal can range from mild to moderate to severe and include both behavioral and psychological components.

Mild to Moderate Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
The following is a list of mild to moderate alcohol withdrawal symptoms that typically take place within 6 to 48 hours after the last
alcoholic drink has been ingested:
- Nightmares
- Loss of appetite
- Anxiety
- Rapid heart rate
- Headaches (especially those that pulsate)
- Easily excited, irritability
- Vomiting
- Feeling nervous or jumpy
- Abnormal movements
- Nausea
- Sweating (especially on the face or the palms of the hands)
- Depression
- Tremor of the hands
- Difficulty thinking clearly
- Clammy skin
- Fatigue
- Looking pale, without color
- Involuntary, abnormal movements of the eyelids
- Rapid emotional changes
- Eyes or pupils different size (enlarged, dilated pupils)
- Insomnia, sleeping difficulties
| More than three fourths of female victims of nonfatal, domestic violence reported that their assailant had been
drinking or using drugs. |
Severe Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
The following are severe alcohol
withdrawal symptoms that usually take place within 48 to 96 hours after the last alcoholic drink has been consumed:
- Black outs
- Seizures
- Extreme anxiety
- Severe autonomic nervous system overactivity
- Muscle tremors
- Increased difficulty thinking clearly
- Increased depression
- Convulsions
- More extreme emotional changes
- Delirium tremens (DTs)
- Excessive irritability
- Fever
- Visual hallucinations
Alcohol Withdrawal: Conclusion
The first concern when experiencing alcohol withdrawal should be "who should I contact about the alcohol withdrawal symptoms
I am experiencing" rather than "what helps for alcohol withdrawals?"
When experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms, always see your doctor or healthcare provider immediately so that he or she can assess
the severity of your situation and suggest the best option for treatment.

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| Relatively few of the more than 18 million U.S. alcohol abusers receive the treatment they need. |
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