What Are Withdrawal Symptoms?
One of the most confusing aspects of alcoholism (and drug addiction) is that alcoholics are most sick, not when they drink but when they stop drinking.
The alcoholic’s body has adapted to the constant presence of alcohol – their cells are accustomed to functioning with alcohol as their primary source of energy and stimulation.
Thus, when the alcoholic stops drinking, all hell breaks loose. Blood vessels constrict, cutting down on blood and oxygen flow to the cells. The blood glucose level drops sharply and remains unstable. The serotonin and norepinephrine amines in the brain decrease dramatically. Enzymes, hormones, and body fluid levels fluctuate erratically. The body’s cells are malnourished and toxic from prolonged exposure to large doses of alcohol and acetaldehyde.
These chaotic events cause significant disruptions in the brain’s chemical and electrical activity. As soon as the blood alcohol level begins to descend, the brain cells become excited and agitated. The brain is affected, as the sensitive neurons send highly disorganized and chaotic distress signals. The pandemonium creates numerous psychological and physical problems for the alcoholic, including profound mental confusion, memory defects, lack of muscular coordination, convulsions, hallucinations, paranoia, violent or fearful behaviour – all the symptoms associated with an acute withdrawal syndrome.
For early-stage alcoholics, the significant withdrawal symptoms are:
- Anxiety
- Tremors
- Agitation
- Nervousness
- Weakness
- Insomnia
- Vivid Dreaming
- Nausea
- Excessive Perspiration
- Loss of Appetite
- Impairment of Memory
Many nonalcoholics experiences these symptoms after a night of heavy drinking.The alcoholic often dismisses these symptoms as ”normal” reactions to an excessive alcohol intake. ”I overdid it last night,” the alcoholic confesses to a nonalcoholic friend, who nods his head in sympathy, having experienced some dreadful hangovers himself.
Hangovers
Often the first evidence of the alcoholic withdrawal syndrome is a shaky and agitated feeling the morning after drinking and the growing desire for a remedy for these symptoms. While the symptoms are uncomfortable and unpleasant, they last for a relatively short time and are not incapacitating. The alcoholic can get out of bed and go about his work with no significant difficulties.
Most drinkers are familiar with the hangover. A pounding headache signals the start of a rough day. The person feels irritated, thirsty and their mouth is cotton dry. The mere thought of alcohol turns their stomachs upside down. When they finally make it through the day, they may swear to themselves that they will never drink that much again.
Alcoholics feel physically wretched during a hangover, but they also feel deeply and profoundly ashamed. From experience, they know better, but they got drunk anyway – Why? Ignorant of the powerful working of the addiction, the alcoholic only blames himself. Remorse, self-loathing, and guilt go hand in hand with the throbbing headache and queasy stomach.
The emotional impact of over-drinkingaccumulated over the years – the guilt, anxiety, self-accusation, sense of helplessness, despair, confusion and shame – are all aspects that lead to a distorted personality, and addiction treatment with psychotherapyneeds to address these in full.
Alcoholics may swear to themselves, their partners, children, friends or anyone else concerned with their drinking that they will control their intake. But their addiction compels them to drink despite their best intentions and heartfelt promises.
The alcoholic’s most cherished values – honesty, integrity, self-discipline, even their love for their family – are repeatedly overthrown because they cannot predict or control their behaviour. They begin to feel disgusted and self-loathing at this seemingly pathetic inability to exert control and exercise willpower.
The addict’s guilt, depression, self-loathing, shame and despair are therefore understandable reactions to a bewildering and mysterious inability to stop the cravings of drinking.
No wonder the alcoholic or his family believes he is weak-willed or morally deficient. He develops low self-worth and compensates with grandiosity, criticism of others and aggression. Many people who observe his behaviour believe that he is psychologically unstable, self-destructive, and perhaps suicidal. Without an understanding or knowledge of his physiological addiction, they have no way of knowing that the alcoholic’s irrational behaviour is beyond his control.
Severe withdrawal symptoms
Alcoholics who have been drinking heavily for long periods of time are prime candidates for these severe withdrawal symptoms:
Convulsions involve loss of consciousness and bodily control, extreme rigidity or tenseness, and jerking movements. Several physical disorders trigger them brought about by the withdrawal of alcohol, including extremely low blood sugar, low levels of certain hormones in the blood, malnutrition, and the accumulation of toxins in the bloodstream.
Hallucinations:These indicate a profound disorder in the central nervous system. Hallucinations are usually terrifying for the alcoholic as they involve such horror-movie ingredients as butcher knives, ghosts, excrement, spider webs, bloody body parts, ants, bees, and rodents.
Delirium Tremens (DT’s):These can be dangerous and life-threatening. Translateddirectly from Latin, ‘’delirium tremens’’ means ‘’shaking insanity.’’ The DT’s typically begin three to four days after the alcoholic’s last drink, when alcohol is eliminated from the bloodstream. They usually last anywhere from three to seven agonizing days. An alcoholic in DT’s is mentally disoriented, hallucinating, and unable to control the movements of his body. Like all the symptoms of acute withdrawal, however, the DT’s have any number of outward expressions. Some alcoholics experience violent and terrifying hallucinations, and others become aggressive and dangerous. Still, others may sweat and shake while concentrating intently on playing a game of cards with a non-existent deck.
No matter how violent, distracted, or peaceful the alcoholic might seem, the DT’s are a sign of profound disturbances in the brain and throughout the body. The condition is so stressful that any other medical complication occurring simultaneously, such as gastrointestinal problems, pancreatitis, or heart and liver disease, can cause a fatal breakdown in the alcoholic’s already stressed body. In some instances, the trauma of DT’s alone may be severe enough to precipitate a massive coronary, brain haemorrhage, or respiratory shutdown, which can be fatal.
If all alcoholics received adequate medical treatment during withdrawal, it could virtually eliminate DT’s. The incidence of DT’s is significantly reduced if the client gets appropriate medical care in an in-patient treatment facility. It is essential that a rehab has competent medical and psychiatric supervision, especially during the withdrawal stage, and subsequently to address the protracted withdrawal symptoms.
If you or a loved one is struggling with addictions, call 9000850001