Alcohol Withdrawal
Alcohol withdrawal can range from mild to life threatening. Alcohol
withdrawal can also be physical alcohol withdrawal or psychological
alcohol withdrawal. Both kinds of alcohol withdrawal send a signal
in the form of cravings that the alcohol dependent person needs
to take another drink or face worse symptoms.
Physical Alcohol Withdrawal
Physical alcohol withdrawal can be as mild as simply getting a
hangover or even "the shakes" when one has abstained
from drinking alcohol for a short period-of-time. Other milder
physical alcohol withdrawal symptoms can include the sweats, nausea,
headache, anxiety, a rapid heart beat, and increased blood pressure.
Although these symptoms are uncomfortable and enough to send a
chemically dependent person back into a binge, they are not, of
themselves life threatening.
More serious physical alcohol withdrawal symptoms include
delirium tremens or the DT's as many call it. The DT's can
include visual and auditory hallucinations (and even smell)
plus profound confusion, disorientation, hyperactivity, and
extreme cardiovascular disturbances. Serious convulsions,
Grand mal seizures, stroke and heart attacks can also occur,
all of which can be life threatening in nature. Once the DT's
begin there is no way to medically treat them.
The good news is that with the help of professional medical
treatment, even the most severe of alcohol withdrawal symptoms
can be lessened to a great degree. One such medical treatment
is to substitute Valium for alcohol and gradually lessen the
doses. Milder addiction cases can be treated with vitamin
therapy.
Psychological Alcohol Withdrawal
Psychological alcohol withdrawal symptoms must also be treated
if an alcohol dependent person is to recover. Alcohol may
be being used by the dependent to self-medicate psychological
or emotions problems. If these underlying problems are not
dealt with in conjunction with a qualified therapist and treatment
program, most likely the dependent will repeat the drinking
and self-medicating behavior.
Many see the psychological alcohol withdrawal symptoms such
as the anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, hallucinations,
delusions and others as the only noteworthy psychological
and emotions symptoms. But in a therapeutic setting, beliefs
about alcohol and addiction will need to be explored, family
history analyzed and behaviors challenged. Many therapists
see alcohol abuse as merely a symptom of greater underlying
emotional drama and trauma.
No matter what, though, both types of alcohol withdrawal
symptoms will need to be dealt with in order to offer the
alcohol dependent a good chance at recovery. Alcohol withdrawal
needs to take place in a medically and emotionally safe environment
in order to ensure the highest odds in recovery.
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