How to cope with alcohol withdrawal syndrome!

Last Updated on December 19, 2020

^{Photo by Michal Lizuch from Pexels} The battle against alcohol addiction (or any other form of addiction, for that matter) can be a long and completely devastating one. Not only for those who fight it but also for their loved ones. After all, it’s a battle that people can hardly win alone. The support of family and friends is absolutely essential. After months or even years of excessive drinking on a daily basis, the human body may resent the absence of this substance and exhibit a set of symptoms known as alcohol withdrawal syndrome. As with many other types of drugs, symptoms are both physical and emotional. They usually start 6 to 24 hours after the last drink. Mild signs of alcohol withdrawal: Anxiety Nausea Tremors Vomiting Headache Confusion Nightmares Increased heart rate High blood pressure Sweating Irritability Insomnia Severe signs of alcohol withdrawal: Fever Seizures Visual, auditory, and tactile hallucinations (seeing things that aren’t there, hearing sounds that don’t exist, and having itching and burning sensations) This set of symptoms basically summarizes what alcohol withdrawal is. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women who drink more than eight drinks per week and men who drink more than fifteen drinks per week are considered heavy drinkers and are at a high risk of developing withdrawal symptoms (1 drink = 12 ounces of beer, or 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirit drinks). Don’t think that just because you only drink on the weekends when you go out to parties, you can’t be considered a heavy drinker. In fact, binge drinking is the most popular form of heavy drinking. Abruptly reducing or completely cutting all your alcohol intake will heavily affect your central nervous system. If you are wondering how long alcohol withdrawal symptoms may last, here’s your answer: up to one week. That’s why relapses often occur within this time frame. Please note that sleep disturbance, fatigue, and mood changes may continue for months. We did say that the battle was not going to be easy.

1. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome treatment

The first step (and often one of the most difficult to take) is to admit the dependence and decide to overcome it. Your doctor is the most qualified person to help you. He will indicate to you everything you should do and who you should consult with to deal as best as you can with the problems that will arise over time. Both emotionally and physically. Treatment depends largely on the severity of the symptoms you are experiencing, underlying health conditions, and history of withdrawals. If you are a healthy individual, you might be able to overcome your addiction simply by eating healthy food, drinking lots of fluids, and living surrounded by positivity and supportive people. In the most complicated cases, it may be necessary to resort to medication or even be hospitalized so that the patient is subjected to a strict and controlled detox program. Common alcohol withdrawal medications include benzodiazepines (Ativan, Xanax, Valium, and Klonopin, for example) to help you cope with anxiety and insomnia.