Things to Know About Alcohol Abstinence

After various studies and researches it has been found that millions of people all over the world are dependent on alcohol in one form or the other as today alcoholism or alcohol abuse has become the part of modern culture. Though the abuse of alcohol can cause several health and social issues like disturbed relationships and physical ailments etc. still people find it difficult to quit alcohol due to personal and social reasons. For these reasons, Addicts Helpline knows it is difficult to say anything about alcohol abstinence timeline unless one is determined to quit drinking. Another reason of failure of quitting alcohol is the withdrawal symptoms which one must face during this process.

The information provided in this write-up can help you in making up your mind and feeling comfortable while denying the use of alcohol. It is a step-wise process which can also help you to know the alcohol abstinence timeline for you.

Step1: Decide to Quit Drinking

Though it can be difficult for the people engaged in alcohol abuse to decide to stop drinking but it is an important initial step, if you really want to avoid alcoholism. Most of the people fail to quit drinking due to various fake reasons like dealing with life challenges or disappointments or treating some mental or physical health problems. But, alcohol cannot solve any problem. Alcohol can do nothing more than freezing the senses to feel negativities in one’s life for some time. But its consistent use can develop dependence on the alcohol. In this condition it is necessary to decide to stop drinking and face the consequences bravely to get rid of alcoholism.

Quitting alcohol, after drinking heavily for a long time, can be dangerous due to withdrawal symptoms as some of the symptoms can cause serious health problems and even death in some cases. So, it is better for such people to quit alcohol under the guidance of some health care professional as quitting alcohol can be a hard decision for them. Today professional treatments to detox an individual are available, which can help in quitting alcohol safely. They can make the process easier by easing some of the withdrawal symptoms. So, if you have decided to stop drinking then you should do it immediately.

Step 2: Know About Normal Alcohol Abstinence Timeline

According to medical experts, normally alcohol withdrawal symptoms become obvious in about 8 hours of quitting drinking. Many people tend to start drinking again due to these initial symptoms as the level of severity of these mild symptoms increases with time, especially if he used to drink heavily since long. The severity of these symptoms can be at the top within 24-72 hours. At this stage it is important to manage these withdrawal symptoms with some medical aid otherwise it can be injurious for the person.

Brief information about the development of withdrawal symptoms is provided here under in a step-wise manner.

Step 3: Withdrawal Symptoms of Stage

The initial withdrawal symptoms, which occur within 8 hours of having the last drink, may include abdominal pain, shakiness, vomiting, nausea, weakness in muscles, fatigue, loss of appetite and depression. These symptoms are normally experienced by every drinker, habitual or casual, but their intensity may differ in every case.

Step 4: Withdrawal Symptoms of Stage

At this stage one can experience symptoms like mood swings, increase in body temperature and blood pressure, shallow or quick breathing and irritability or anxiety. The symptoms of this stage may occur within 24 hours of the occurrence of the symptoms of stage. Depending upon the level of alcoholism, all these symptoms of stage 1 and 2 are experienced up to 72 hours of quitting alcohol.

Step 5: Withdrawal Symptom of Stage

The withdrawal symptoms of stage three, according to experts, can be most troublesome. Our team at Addicts Helpline know they can be life threatening for some people who experience DTs or delirium tremens. In such cases, it is necessary to give them medical care immediately.

Other symptoms at this stage may include trembling, seizures, delirium, lack of focus or confusion, agitation, restlessness, deep sleep for a day or more and hallucinations. It is not necessary that these symptoms will occur after the symptoms of stage 1 and 2. In some cases they can occur even after 12 hours of taking the last drink.

However, it is necessary to provide them medical aid instantly, regardless of the time taken in their occurrence. In other cases, also, medical care is necessary to detox the alcoholism as the symptoms of stage 3 can cause serious health problems. In some cases, they may lead to death.

Step 6: Management of Severity of the Symptoms

At this stage the severity of the withdrawal symptoms must be managed through medication, according to the experts. Addicts Helpline insists Doctors can help in controlling the intensity of the symptoms by calming down the individual psychologically as well as with the help of certain drugs. They can also provide them different medication according to the health condition of an individual patient. But all the treatments provided at this stage should be under the guidance of a qualified health care provider as some of the drugs, normally used at this stage, can be dangerous for an individual due to their addictive nature.

Step 7: Getting Involved in Further Treatment

Alcohol abstinence is not recommended, especially to those using alcohol heavily since long time, due to the risk of withdrawal symptoms. However, the availability of many treatment programs for alcohol abuse has made it easier to continue the detox programs with the help of medical aid to help the people who want to quit drinking on their own. They can help them in avoiding some of the withdrawal symptoms of worst nature.

However, while quitting drinking you should keep in mind that you will have to continue medical treatment for a long time. The chances of relapse of alcoholism are great like in case of the abuse of other substances as well as various chronic diseases like high blood pressure and asthma etc.

Conclusion

Thus, based on the information provided in this write-up, nothing confirm can be said about the alcohol abstinence timeline as it depends on every individual. Moreover, one has to continue the treatment for long to avoid relapse of alcoholism.