The majority of people who stop drinking alcohol with immediate effect will go onto suffer from mild to moderate alcohol withdrawal symptoms due to the body reacting to the cutting off of a substance that it had become dependent on. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a term used to describe the body’s subsequent state once the alcohol is no longer consumed after a long period of consumption.
Hardly anyone will escape either part of extensive alcohol withdrawal symptoms and not only alcoholics but even heavier or frequent drinkers will suffer the effect when they stop drinking alcohol overnight.
There are different degrees of alcohol Benzo Withdrawal Symptoms ranging from mild to moderate to extreme. This is the major reason for having to get proper medical advice before stepping into a new alcohol free life; as although you may get off lightly, the situation is an unpredictable one and the resulting reaction could be severe.
Mild to moderate physical alcohol withdrawal symptoms include being physically sick, headaches, nausea, sweaty hands, loss of appetite, palpitations, a pale complexion, enlarged or dilated pupils, insomnia, involuntary movement of the eyes and eyelids, shaky hands and excessive perspiring. If you are about to give up or have just given up consuming alcohol, then you are about to encounter some or all of these mild to moderate physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms.
Mild to moderate mental or psychological symptoms of alcohol withdrawal will also affect a person who gives up alcohol in a dramatic fashion just to accompany those physical symptoms. To name just a few of these symptoms include anxiety attacks, fatigue, mood swings, nervousness or irritability and emotional instability, uncontrollable trembling, a state of depression, a lack of ability to think clearly and nightmares.
The majority of the previously mentioned symptoms can be easily treated through outpatient monitoring and medication. But unfortunately the more severe withdrawal symptoms will require patients to be admitted to medical installations in order to receive around the clock monitoring and specialized treatment.
We will now move onto the really serious symptoms due to alcohol withdrawal which can include involuntary muscular contractions, perturbations, hallucinations and high fever. There is an even more serious disorder called delirium tremens which can lead to hallucinations and a confused state of mind. In more extreme cases it can cause black outs and temporary memory loss resulting in not being able to remember past events.
So just to recap, the most important thing for either you or somebody you know to do if suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms would be to go straight to the Doctors. The medical practitioner will advise you about the severity of the condition and how it can be treated. The most common treatment is prescribed medication which can be self administered, but if the condition is really bad admission to a medical institution would be the more likely outcome.