You Can Stop Drinking Now

When you stop drinking completely and immediately, what happens is your brain receptors that were previously inhibited or blocked by alcohol are now more fully functional and “exposed”, causing different variations of alcohol withdrawal symptoms that result from this condition.

If you have been drinking a large amount daily for a long period of time, it is a good idea to detox under medical supervision for at least the first week.  It is common for the medical treatment to include benzodiazepines and carbamazepine, among other drugs used to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms.

The list of possible withdrawal symptoms is a long one, and includes:

The Basic Psychological Symptoms:

• Intense nervousness
• Shakiness
• High anxiety
• Irritability
• Emotional overreaction to situations
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Clouded thinking
• Unpleasant dreams

The Basic Physical Symptoms:

• Headaches
• Sweating more than usual
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Insomnia - this will usually be ongoing
• Rapid heart beat
• Clumsiness and abnormal movements
• Hands shaking
• Sweating

The More Severe Symptoms:

• Hallucinations
• More extreme confusion
• Intense agitation
• Convulsions

In some people who have been drinking a large quantity every day for months or years, seizures can occur.

When you stop drinking there will be an intense craving for a drink.  That is of course your body telling you that you need more alcohol.  For those who have tried to stop drinking on many occasions, which many of us do, every time we stop the withdrawal and cravings set in. It’s a vicious cycle and the general withdrawal symptoms combined with the anxiety and depression that comes with abstinence many times will be the very thing that compels you to pick up another drink.