Making the decision to quit drinking is a difficult one regardless of how often you drink. Many social situations and gatherings will have alcohol present which makes quitting even more challenging. No one wants to be the person that brings down a party, but if you’re with true friends they’ll understand you can’t drink and then proceed to have fun with you all the same.
Another concern when it comes to ending alcohol consumption is the possibility of withdrawal symptoms as your body goes through detox from alcohol. Thankfully FDA-approved medical detox can alleviate a majority of symptoms during withdrawals to make the process as safe and comfortable as possible. Even with the extra support, it’s important to know what to expect in the days following your last drink.
What to Expect When Quitting Drinking
Taking the surprise out of alcohol withdrawal can make the symptoms feel less intense since you can anticipate them. Withdrawal symptoms happen due to the dependencies that are broken when you no longer provide your body with alcohol. The symptoms you’ll feel will differ from others going through the same process, but there are common effects found in most detoxes.
Dependencies form when alcohol is frequently present in your system as your mind and body adjust their normal functions to accommodate the presence of alcohol. When it’s taken away, your central nervous system and internal organs struggle to learn how to operate in a sober state. Since alcohol is a depressant, it slows down the central nervous system which can further weaken critical thinking and decision making skills.
Once you quit drinking, you can expect withdrawal symptoms to begin within 12 to 48 hours depending on how heavily alcohol has been abused. Withdrawal symptoms will vary in length and severity, but you can expect to experience one or more of the following:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Paranoia
- Nausea
- Head and muscle aches
- Trouble sleeping
- Irritability
- Fever
- Cold sweats
- Tremors
- Delirium tremens or DT
While these may seem unpleasant, each symptom is only temporary and tends to only last up to 10 days. With medical detox, the presence of these symptoms is greatly diminished. One outlier on the list is delirium tremens, a severe form of alcohol withdrawal that causes severe changes to brain function. The condition can be fatal as regular tremors turn into full seizures and hallucinations cause you to take dangerous risks.
Signs of Delirium Tremens
DT tends to impact those who are heavy daily drinkers or those who have abused alcohol for several years. If any signs of DT present themselves when you or a loved one go to quit drinking, it’s critical that you seek immediate medical attention. There’s no reason to risk your safety when trying to make a healthy decision for your life. If you’re worried about DT, watch out for:
- Delirium causing confusion and loss of environmental awareness
- Audio and visual hallucinations
- Severe irritability or violence towards others
- Lack of ability to create and recall short-term memories
Quit Drinking in Comfort at ARC
At America’s Rehab Campus, we understand how hard it is to quit drinking and aim to make the experience safe and as pleasant as possible. Our team of compassionate clinicians and recovery experts can help address any physical or psychological side effects felt during alcohol abuse treatment. To get started on your own path to recovery, contact the ARC team today!
