Alcohol Withdrawal
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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.
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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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