Effects Of Alcohol On The Body
Sunday, 07.15.2007, 10:40am (GMT)
There are a group of symptoms that may occur when
a person suddenly stops drinking alcohol. These symptoms may take place
after either chronic or prolonged ingestion of alcohol. While not
everyone who stops drinking will experience withdrawal symptoms, most
people who have been drinking heavily or for a long period of time will
have some form of withdrawal symptoms. It is hard to predict which
symptoms an individual will experience.
If you have been drinking for years or if you have been drinking
alcohol in large amounts you may want to contact a professional before
you stop drinking suddenly. Going cold turkey can be dangerous and may
not be successful.
Before you stop drinking there are some symptoms you should be
aware of. There are both psychological and physical symptoms and they
range from mild to moderate to severe. If you know about the symptoms
before you quit you may have a better chance of managing them.
You may have feelings of shakiness, nervousness or jumpiness. Your
anxiety level may rise or you may be more irritable than usual. You
also may become easily excited and have problems with fatigue or
depression.
Other mild to moderate psychological symptoms include difficulty
thinking clearly and bad dreams. You may experience emotional mood
problems like emotional volatility or rapid emotional changes.
Mild to moderate physical symptoms may include but are not limited
to headaches, either pulsing or general, and sweating, especially the
face or the palms of the hands. Your sleeping patterns may be disrupted
and you may suffer from insomnia. You may experience nausea, vomiting
and loss of appetite. Your heart may race and your skin may feel
clammy. Other symptoms are hand tremors or abnormal and involuntary
movements of the eyelids.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be severe. People who stop drinking
alcohol suddenly may suffer from convulsions and fever. They may also
have problems with agitation and they may be confused. Delirium tremens
can occur as well. There are times when a person who withdraws from the
consumption of alcohol will have blackouts. This is when the person
forgets what happened during a certain drinking episode.
It is usually a good idea for someone who is struggling with an
addiction to alcohol to get help rather than trying to stop drinking on
their own. There are many trained professionals and excellent programs
available. These people and programs know the best ways to handle
alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
Before you try to stop drinking alcohol on your own, consider
getting help. The withdrawal and recovery process can be easier if a
person receives professional help. Support systems are available, too,
and these are often extremely helpful.
If you think alcohol has become a problem in your life, there are
ways to handle the situation. Getting the help you need and the
assistance to give up the addiction will allow you to stop drinking
surrounded by those who are trained to help. Going it on your own is
usually not a successful and often is much more difficult.
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