Getting help is the first step

For the individual suffering with alcoholism, every day is an uphill struggle when they are trying to regain control of their life. Alcoholism is not only a crippling disorder, the medical community views it as a treatable disease. Whether or not the person receives professional help for alcoholism usually depends on what or two circumstances. Either the individual admits to having a problem and then enters an alcohol addiction treatment and recovery program or an intervention is held to convince them to get help.

Once they enter an alcoholism rehab and recovery center, the first stage of the program will involve detox and withdrawal. As the person is ridding their body of the toxins and any residues from drinking alcohol, they will likely encounter a variety of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. This is referred to as alcohol withdrawal syndrome and it can be extremely unpleasant based on how severe the person’s addiction has become. However, the person cannot progress to the next stage of recovery without completing this one first.

What is alcohol withdrawal syndrome?

In medical terms alcohol withdrawal syndrome refers to the group of alcohol withdrawal symptoms that an individual encounters they reduce the amount of alcohol they are drinking or stop altogether after the consumption of it over a long period of time. This condition results from the hyper-excitable state that an alcoholic’s central nervous system is in when the person is attempting to quit drinking. Additionally, and unlike with other substances, alcohol withdrawal symptoms can turn fatal.

As a result, the best type of alcohol detox program involves medical treatment while the individual’s progress is carefully monitored and supervised by a licensed medical person. This ensures that the individual will be as comfortable as possible while they are undergoing detox and be safe from any harmful side effects of detox. For this reason, this stage of the rehab process is considered the most unpleasant of all and the alcohol withdrawal symptoms that arise are the most difficult hurdle the alcoholic must face.

What are the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal?

For the most part, alcoholism typically occurs in adults while the occurrence of it in children and teenagers is rare. One thing you should know is that you will be more likely to have more severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms if you have increased your consumption of alcohol over time and have been drinking on a daily basis. Additionally, if you are already suffering with other medical problems, this may compound the issue with your withdrawal symptoms and make them even more severe.

Even though it could take up to a few days, it usually takes only 5 to 10 hours after your last drink for alcohol withdrawal symptoms to make their presence felt. On the average, these symptoms will peak within three to five days. The detox stage itself can last only a few days at most or take up to two weeks to be completed. It depends on three key factors that comprise the severity of their dependency – how frequently they have been drinking, how long they have been drinking, and how much they drink at any one time.

There are three groups of alcohol withdrawal symptoms – the more common symptoms, symptoms that happen with severe withdrawal but are less common, and those severe symptoms that result from the delirium tremens or the “shakes” as they are called:

The more common symptoms are:

• anxiety and nervousness
• depression
• fatigue
• irritability
• jumpiness or shakiness
• mood swings
• nightmares
• not thinking clearly

The symptoms that happen with severe withdrawal but are less common are:

• appetite loss
• clammy skin
• dilated pupils
• elevated heart rate
• hand tremors
• headaches
• insomnia
• nausea
• pallor
• sweating
• vomiting

The severe symptoms that result from the delirium tremens or the “shakes” are:

• agitation
• fever
• hallucinations ((feeling or seeing things that aren’t there)
• seizures
• severe confusion

To fully understand the mental and physical impact that alcoholism has on the individual, it is important to be aware of the long-term effects of the disease. In most cases, the more alcohol an individual consumes, the greater the likelihood that they will develop alcoholism. Alcoholism can damage every organ in the human body. The most common long-term effects of the disease include cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic pancreatitis, damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems, and liver disease.

Fetal damage is also a possibility if the female continues to drink heavily during her pregnancy and can result in what is called FAS or fetal alcohol syndrome. Even if the alcohol consumption is moderate, there can still be some type of fetal damage that occurs. Fetal growth and/or weight can be stunted; damage to the neurons and the structure of the brain, and distinctive facial stigmata can result. It is also a leading cause of mental retardation in the Western world and can lead to other behavioral and physical problems.

If you or a loved one is suffering with alcoholism and would like more information on the possible alcohol withdrawal symptoms that you could experience while undergoing detox in an addiction treatment and recovery program, contact Blue Water Detox today. You can speak with one of our specialists today by calling the toll-free phone number listed above so that they can answer any questions you may have.