What are the Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal?

It is common that many people do not realize that they are alcoholics until they start to experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms.  In fact, some people never recognize that they are alcoholics until they reach this point because they drink more out of desperation to hide the symptoms.  While many people describe alcohol withdrawal as a very intense hangover, the truth is that it is serious in nature and can even require the attention of a medical professional if an individual has been a serious drinker over a long time span.

Mild drinkers may not experience symptoms at all while moderate drinkers report feeling a wide assortment of symptoms that are psychological due to the effects of the alcohol to your brain after prolonged drinking.  They include feeling shaky, increased anxiety, irritability, depression, bad dreams, fatigue, and depression.  At this point usually sleep is the best remedy for symptoms until they pass, which can take anywhere from one to three days.

Other symptoms that are actual physical symptoms present in the body include headache, nausea, loss of appetite, sweating, insomnia, rapid heart rate, clammy skin, hand tremors, vomiting, paleness, dilated pupils, and abnormal movements.

While these symptoms placed together may sound intimidating enough to make many alcoholics reach for the body, this is the worst thing that one can do for the body, because continued drinking will lead to even worse withdrawal symptoms.  Medically these symptoms are often referred to as DTs or delirium tremors.  If you have been an alcoholic for an extended amount of time, which is considered any time that alcohol is consumed for longer than a week consulting a medical doctor is advised since serious DT’s can result in death.

The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal at this stage include high levels of agitation, convulsions, hallucinations, complete confusion, blackouts, uncontrollable palpitations, fever, and possibly stroke.  During these symptoms most people report feeling out of control of their body with some people going as far as stating that their body feels as if it is possessed.  Due to the medical danger that this can place you in it is recommended that cold turkey quitting is not attempted on your own.