People who have been drinking alcohol heavily for long may want to stop taking it. In some cases, you’re likely to experience mental and physical problems in while trying to cut on its quantities, known as alcohol withdrawal. Depending on an individual\’s addiction, it can be mild or severe. Alcohol withdrawal affects individuals who drink, occasionally occurring after they stop. However, its dependency is the reason why individuals experience withdrawal symptoms whenever they attempt to quit drinking. Most addictions to alcohol as a way of self-medication occur as an attempt to solve personal issues.
Signs and Symptoms
There are vital signs and symptoms that you should be aware of regarding this withdrawal. Alcohol causes a depressive effect on an individual\’s system, slowing down the brain\’s functioning interrupting how the nerves send and receive messages. The nervous system makes adjustments that adapt to having alcohol all the time. The body strains to keep the brain active and awake, causing fatigue and discomfort. You’ll also notice that when your family member or friend suddenly stops taking alcohol, the brain remains in the keyed-up state, causing them to experience withdrawal signs from anxiety, Nausea, headaches, sweating, and vomiting. These symptoms come in six hours after the individual\’s last drink. When an alcoholic spends half a day to two days without drinking it, they experience severe symptoms ranging from hallucinations to seizures.
A longer time than forty-eight hours usually causes delirium tremens, which may have symptoms like hallucinations and delusions that lead to confusion, fever, and high blood pressure. However, only expect about 6% of alcohol addicts experience delirium tremens. It’s ineffective for you to deal with the dangers of alcohol withdrawal at home since it can become life-threatening. Many people assume that managing it at home is easier and saves money, but it doesn’t last and causes health and psychological problems. In such cases, you can be sure of experiencing high chance of relapse to taking alcohol quickly than when you receive professional help.
Treatment for Alcohol Withdrawal
Professional management of alcohol withdrawal involves a clinical diagnosis that involves extensive testing. These tests are necessary, especially if the addict presents symptoms of altered mental status and fever, causing infections that complicate their health. Professional care and support ensure that managing this withdrawal eliminates those symptoms, preventing an individual from relapsing. This treatment uses nutritional supplements that improve the individual\’s health and continuous clinical reassessment that check on the vitals to ensure that their recovery has positive progress.
Why Consult a Professional Counselor or Therapist?
There are different ways of dealing with alcohol withdrawal. You’re likely to find that when this withdrawal becomes uncomfortable, most people restart alcohol abuse, attempting to ease the discomfort but leading to more problems. You only achieve successful withdrawal through consultation with an addiction professional before you engage in any detoxification strategies. Such consultations help in guiding addicts on withdrawal timelines and the strategy to ensure success without experiencing severe side effects. When approaching a professional, you’re sure of certain things regarding this substance abuse:
- They will support your patients, ensuring that they aren’t alone to avoid a relapse.
- Professionals will guide you on the medications that patients will use where necessary.
- Professionals will prescribe various techniques to help overcome the withdrawal without needing medication.
- In case of severe delirium, you can be sure that professionals seek immediate medical attention.
Professionals will guide you on the medications that patients will use where necessary.
Professionals will prescribe various techniques to help overcome the withdrawal without needing medication.
In case of severe delirium, you can be sure that professionals seek immediate medical attention.
Environment
Treating alcohol withdrawal should be done in a protective environment, ensuring the addicts’ actions are controlled to favor their recovery process. In some instances, professional therapists apply physical restraints to control what patients’ access until they achieve the chemical balance in the nervous system. Professional therapy is the best way to treat alcohol withdrawal since it provides medication only where a patient needs it. A patient’s status is constantly evaluated to determine the severity of the withdrawal symptoms. Besides, professionals prescribe natural remedies to dealing with alcohol withdrawal, focusing on a healthy diet.
During treatment, you should expect professionals to use various remedies and things to avoid during detoxification, eliminating the urge to take alcohol. While they present their remedies, professionals advise people with addiction and alcoholism to drink plenty of water before professional help. Water helps in flushing alcohol toxins out of the system naturally. Whenever you have family members and friends suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms, always support them, helping to understand their needs leading to substance abuse. However, the next you should take is seeking a professional therapist. Whenever you’re ready for our help, contact us at 833-610-1174.