Alcohol withdrawal symptoms happen when a person who is addicted to alcohol suddenly stops consuming it. Because the alcoholic's body has been dependent to alcohol, immediate withdrawal will give negative side effects to the person's body system. This is the reason why you will see alcoholics starting to shake and stutter once the alcohol content in their body goes down. And in order for them to be normal, they have to consume more alcohol to replace the substance that was lost.
It has always been argued upon if withdrawal symptoms are life threatening or not. This to some degree has led some alcoholics to believe that quitting abruptly might cause severe side effects or even their death. Of course this is a fallacy and it is just being used as an excuse to protect their addiction. Some common symptoms are irritability (mood swings), confusion, depression, diarrhea, fear, hallucinations, headaches, heart palpitations, high blood pressure and insomnia to name a few.
The symptoms mentioned above are just a few examples what a person will feel once he quits or abstains from alcohol. The seriousness on these symptoms will generally depend on how long has the person been addicted to alcohol. A person who has been drinking everyday for 5 years can cope much easily compared from a person who has been drinking everyday for the past 10 years. There are many factors to be considered and not all individuals will act the same if alcohol is removed from their body.
I have known successful quitters who have been drinking almost all their life but they did not suffer severe side effects when they stopped. For them, their strong determination and commitment strengthened them to endure the symptoms they felt during their quitting period. Although from some articles I have read, some quitters succumb to massive heart attacks while others developed serious diseases that later on caused their eventual death. If this is the case then medical assistance is greatly advised especially if the quitter feels really bad during the first day of quitting.
Now these stories should not be a hindrance if you have been drinking for a long period of time and would like to quit. Rather, be positive and never let go of your goal to become a non-alcoholic once more. You may discuss this to your health practitioner which in return will give you some medicine to help you cope up during your withdrawal stage. Don't be shy to open up your vice and addiction, you might need some medical help along the way.
Don't lose focus in fighting your addiction to alcohol. Withdrawal symptoms no matter how severe they are will not last and should never be a hindrance in attaining your goal and objective. Try to regain back your respect and freedom and quit drinking today.
-By Chris Amorsolo
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