Giving Up Alcohol: The Risks and After-Effects

When a person stops taking alcohol after being a habitual drinker for a much longer duration, he experiences certain health related issues commonly known as alcohol withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms may be mild as well as severe depending on the duration of alcoholism, quality of alcohol consumed and the general health of the alcoholic. The symptoms occur as the body becomes addicted to alcohol, so when alcohol is not present in the blood, the system does not function properly.

Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

The severity of alcohol withdrawal symptoms depends upon the duration for which the person has been consuming alcohol. This situation is also called alcohol withdrawal syndrome and includes:

•     Headache
•     Fever
•     Hallucination
•     Fear
•     Gastrointestinal upset
•     Depression
•     De-realization
•     Depression
•     Confusion
•     Catatonia
•     Anxiety
•     Anorexia
•     Weakness
•     Tachycardia
•     Tremors
•     Sweating
•     Palpitations
•     Migraines
•     Irritability
•     Insomnia
•     Hyperthermia
•     Seizures
•     Euphoria
•     Agitation
•     Delirium tremens
•     Blackouts
•     Death

What happens in the Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome?

When a person has excessive alcohol for a prolonged period of time, his body becomes physically dependent on the alcohol. In such situation, without the presence of alcohol in the blood, the body system cannot function normally leading to the withdrawal syndrome. During this state the central nervous system goes in a hyper-excitable state which can be fatal at times. The person may have delirium tremens and seizures which may lead to excite-neurotoxicity.

Risk involved in the Withdrawal Syndrome

Longer the duration of alcohol addiction longer will be the duration of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Some withdrawal symptoms can be very dangerous and may lead to seizure, strokes and even death. These symptoms are seen in those patients who have been habitual drinkers for a very long period of time. These patients are at a high risk and must get treated from a good rehabilitation center. A good rehabilitation center will have all the advanced treatments that will heal the patient from this stage of alcoholism.

Such high risk withdrawal symptoms includes

    Hallucination
    Strokes
    Heart attack
    Grand mal seizures
    Delirium tremens


Alternative Alcohol Rehab Treatment

Alcohol rehabilitation is usually a 12 step rehabilitation program but some people do not react well to this traditional method treatment. For them here are some alternative alcohol rehab treatments (refer here  http://www.rehabilitations.org/alcohol/alternative-alcohol-rehab.html).

•     Outpatient Treatment

Some alcoholics do not get healed completely when they are admitted in the hospital and they go through the traditional way of treatment. It could be because they cannot adapt to the hospital’s atmosphere and therefore cannot react properly to the treatment. For them outpatient classes are a great way to get healed. Support of family and friends in this outpatient class helps them a lot.

•     Religious Based Treatment Program

Some treatment programs are based on religious grounds. People who have immense faith in their religion can enter into such treatment programs. Such programs include a counselor and the priest of the respective religion.

•     Therapy Classes

Some people can not work in a group so that they can attain therapy or counseling classes where they will be treated on one on by the therapist. There will also be a dietician who will prescribe special diet to suit the patient's health.

Apart from all the advanced treatment, a patient must have dedication and will power to stop drinking alcohol and move towards a better and healthy life.