Alcohol withdrawal happens when a person suddenly stops drinking after a prolonged period of battling alcohol use disorder.
Although it is a crucial step in recovery, many alcoholics experience difficult symptoms at various stages of their sobriety journey that can prevent them from continuing their recovery.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms range from mild to severe, depending on the individual’s health and the level of alcohol dependency. It is recommended to seek medical assistance when experiencing alcohol withdrawal to ease discomfort and avoid complications to your body and mind.
In this article, we give you advice on how to manage alcohol withdrawal, emphasizing medical supervision and treatment as the safest route to recovery.
Common Daily Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
Alcoholics experience withdrawal symptoms as early as a few hours after their last drink. These symptoms are usually moderate and can last several days. They include:
- Anxiety and irritability
- Nausea
- Fever
- Sweating
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Tremors
Severe Symptoms: Delirium Tremens
Delirium Tremens (DT) is the most severe consequence of alcohol withdrawal. It can occur from 3 to 10 days after your last drink. DT is also a common symptom of the alcohol detoxification process that many patients experience, especially the ones with heavy alcohol addiction.
The symptoms of DT are:
- Severe confusion and agitation
- Hallucinations
- Seizures
- Extreme shaking (tremors)
- Anxiety and paranoia
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure
How to Deal with Alcohol Withdrawal
Alcohol withdrawal is a challenging process best managed through therapy, counseling, support groups, and other forms of assistance. If not treated properly, alcohol withdrawal can lead to irreversible consequences to your health or life-threatening conditions.
Discuss Withdrawal Plans with a Doctor
Reach out to your healthcare provider as soon as you experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms to get proper treatment and professional guidance on further steps.
Doctors can assist you on your sobriety journey by providing mental health support. They prescribe and administer medication to alleviate alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Also, they can assist you in building a healthy and stable routine that helps you avoid triggers and manage cravings.
Professionals you can turn to when going through alcohol withdrawal in your addiction treatment are:
- Primary care physicians
- Emergency room staff
- Addiction specialists
- Therapists and psychiatrists
- Rehab facilities
Involve Family and Friends for Support
Having a supportive environment is crucial when going through alcohol withdrawal. Reach out to a family member, a friend, or a loved one for support and encouragement when struggling with withdrawal symptoms.
People who care about you can help you by providing emotional support, monitoring your progress, and giving you tips for stress relief and self-care. Helping an alcoholic is not an easy task, since it includes a lot of dedication and effort from a stable support system.
Consider Medical Treatment
Healthcare professionals often prescribe medication to people experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms to help them cope and prevent further deterioration of their health.
Your doctor may prescribe some of the following medications:
- Benzodiazepines: Diazepam, lorazepam, and other medications from this group help manage anxiety, irritability, and seizures.
- Anticonvulsants: Carbamazepine or valproic acid are commonly prescribed for controlling seizures and improving your mood.
- Clonidine: This medication calms the nervous system and manages blood pressure and heart rate to avoid palpitations and sweating.
- Beta-blockers: They reduce your heart rate and anxiety. Beta-blockers are sometimes combined with benzodiazepines.
- Antipsychotics: They treat severe agitation, hallucinations, and psychotic symptoms tied to delirium tremens.
- Thiamine (Vitamin B1): Thiamine helps replenish vitamin levels in your body to avoid or treat brain disorders due to vitamin deficiency.
- Gabapentin: This medication helps in anxiety management, craving reduction, insomnia treatment, and muscle pain relief.
Get Proper Nutritional Support
Prolonged alcohol use causes significant nutritional deficiencies and dehydration. These symptoms are often worsened during alcohol withdrawal.
A balanced diet and hydration are crucial for managing alcohol withdrawal. Ensure you consume foods rich in vitamins and minerals and take enough fluids for electrolyte balance.
These methods promote the safety of your health during withdrawal and help its gradual reduction.
Take Common Herbal Remedies
Herbal remedies significantly reduce withdrawal symptoms. Always consult your medical professional before adding them to your alcohol withdrawal treatment plan.
The most helpful herbal remedies for managing alcohol withdrawal are:
- Milk thistle: Helps repair the liver and reverse its damage by encouraging new cell production.
- Kudzu: Contributes to cravings reduction.
- Valerian root: Reduces anxiety and helps you sleep better.
- Passionflower: Manages anxiety and agitation.
- Chamomile: Has calming effects and improves sleep.
- Ginseng: Improves energy and reduces fatigue.
Use Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques
Practicing mindfulness and relaxation helps in managing withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety and irritability.
Activities such as yoga and meditation support mental health and stability. They help you prepare for tough days in your sobriety journey, and control your thoughts when alcohol cravings emerge.
Practicing mindfulness also has positive effects on your heart health, since it helps stabilize heart rate and reduce blood pressure.
Conduct Safe Physical Activities
Many patients find exercise extremely helpful for managing alcohol withdrawal. However, your body is under severe stress during withdrawals. So, it is best to stick to low-intensity workouts that will improve your energy and mood.
Safe exercise options include:
- Walking
- Yoga
- Stretching
- Light strength training
- Swimming
- Tai Chi
Get Enough Sleep and Rest
Resting and getting enough sleep is beneficial for both your physical and mental health. When we sleep, our bodies heal faster. Sleep also reduces fatigue and boosts our immune systems.
When it comes to our mental health and well-being, sleep promotes mental clarity, reduces anxiety, and helps reduce cravings.
Sleep is significant for supporting alcohol detoxification since the body flushes out toxic substances more easily during the rest cycle.
Focus on Stress Management
Stress slows down the recovery process and increases your chances of relapsing. Stress levels in your body are naturally increased during alcohol withdrawal.
During this process, it is essential that you continually work on decreasing stress with techniques such as:
- Exercising mindfulness and relaxation
- Practicing meditation and deep breathing exercises
- Establishing and sticking to a healthy routine
- Relying on your support system
- Exercising regularly
- Taking care of your nutrition and hydration
- Engaging in hobbies and relaxing activities
- Seeking professional help
- Practicing self-compassion
What Are the Risk Factors for Alcohol Withdrawal?
Understanding risk factors for alcohol withdrawal helps you and your doctor manage the symptoms easier. They are different for each patient and depend on factors such as:
- History of alcohol use: Alcoholics with a history of heavy and prolonged alcohol usage are more prone to severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms that require medical assistance to manage.
- Previous withdrawal experiences: People who have previously tried quitting drinking and relapsed are at a higher risk of experiencing significant withdrawal symptoms.
- Underlying medical conditions: Patients with liver damage, heart conditions, or mental health issues often experience more difficulty in managing alcohol withdrawals.
- Nutrition and hydration: People with a history of severe alcohol abuse experience heavier withdrawal symptoms due to underlying malnutrition, lack of vitamins, and not getting enough hydration.
- Age: Older patients have a tougher time managing alcohol withdrawals due to the natural changes in metabolism and organ function.
- Rapid reduction: People who rapidly quit drinking experience more severe symptoms than the ones with a graduate reduction.
- Use of other substances: Using substances such as drugs aside from alcohol makes it more difficult to manage withdrawals.
- Lack of support systems: Not having a support system or even a single person who will encourage and guide you during withdrawals makes this process more challenging.
- Psychological stress and trauma: These issues make it more difficult to manage withdrawal symptoms and alcohol cravings and increase the chances of relapsing.
Professional Recovery Support with The Ridge Ohio
Here at The Ridge Ohio, we take pride in providing a personalized and intimate approach to each patient and their unique recovery journey. We offer you maximum confidentiality, support, and access to highly skilled professionals in treating addiction.
Managing your withdrawal symptoms can be an uncomfortable journey. At The Ridge Ohio, we design a specific and detailed recovery plan to help you manage them with ease. We focus on your long-term sobriety and well-being with advanced treatments, a supportive community, and encouragement toward personal growth and stability.
Key Takeaways
- The common alcohol withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, sweating, nausea, headaches, and insomnia.
- In more severe cases, patients experience hallucinations, seizures, and delirium tremens, which require urgent medical assistance.
- Alcohol withdrawal symptoms are eased with therapy, medication, proper nutrition, hydration, and light physical activity.
- The intensity of your alcohol withdrawal symptoms depends on your age, health, drinking history, and the stress you experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Inpatient Treatment Necessary for Alcohol Withdrawal?
Inpatient treatment is not always necessary. It is advised to patients with severe alcohol addiction. In rehabilitation facilities, medical staff can assist patients with underlying medical conditions, intense alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and lack of support at home.
Can Support Groups Help During a Withdrawal?
Support groups provide significant assistance to patients with withdrawal. They can help prevent relapse by encouraging, giving emotional support, or monitoring your progress. However, keep in mind that your loved ones are not equipped to manage severe withdrawal symptoms – only medical professionals can do that.
Is Quitting Alcohol Completely Good?
Quitting alcohol completely is highly beneficial for your health, relationships, and overall well-being. However, it can be damaging if done abruptly. This is especially dangerous to people with heavy alcohol addiction. Many doctors recommend a gradual reduction before stopping drinking completely. In many cases, this can also help ease your withdrawal symptoms.
