Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a series of symptoms that are witnessed when an individual who is in the habit of consuming copious amounts of alcohol on a regular basis suddenly cuts down on his intake of the same. The symptoms may also increase in intensity when the particular individual completely cuts down on his/her intake of alcohol. An alcohol withdrawal syndrome can be seen in people of all ages. It does not necessarily depend upon the age, sex, or race of an individual. As long as the concerned individual has a drinking problem, the possibilities of him/her having to deal with the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome cannot be ruled out. As per global standards, if a man has more than 14 drinks a week and a woman has more than 8 drinks a week, it can be safe to consider that the lives of the two literally revolve around alcohol. Read on to know more about the symptoms and treatment for an occurrence we know as ‘alcohol withdrawal syndrome’.

Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

A person dealing with an alcohol withdrawal syndrome will have to face the brunt of physical symptoms that include sweating, headaches, vomiting, abnormal eyelid movement, a serious loss of appetite, increased heart rate, seizures and nausea. These symptoms may vary in intensity and will also vary from one individual to the other. Sometimes, or rather in extremely rare cases, the affected individual will resort to violence just to get his/her next fix of alcohol.
Psychological symptoms of not getting to have a drink too many or simply an alcohol withdrawal syndrome include heightened anxiety, irritability, nervousness, fatigue, frequent bouts of depression and a rapid change in emotions. For example, an affected individual may seem completely normal at one particular moment, but may go ballistic in the next for an extremely unexplainable reason. Fortunately, psychological symptoms are mostly always mild but are noticeably severe amongst long-term drinkers.
Severe withdrawal symptoms mostly affect individuals who have been addicted to alcohol for years on end and have abruptly been asked to stop. Severe symptoms include hallucinations, fever, agitation, black outs and convulsions. Cases of severe symptoms are extremely rare and just as much unfortunate.
The duration of the symptoms of an alcohol withdrawal syndrome can last for 2 to 4 days, but in severe cases can extend up to a week. Withdrawal symptoms usually begin 10-12 hours after the last drink. Sometimes however, psychological symptoms such as changes in sleep patterns and mood can last for almost up to a year, if not more.

Treatment For An Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

One of the most popular ways of setting right or getting out of an alcohol withdrawal syndrome is to hire the services of an addiction specialist. It may not be easy at first, but in the end with determination and sincere efforts, overcoming the need for alcohol is definitely possible.
Also, with proper and adequate medical care an addict can skip, reduce or even nullify the severity of the withdrawal symptoms. Medical treatment by an expert practitioner should be dished out to all affected individuals, the intensity of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome notwithstanding.

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