Quitting Alcohol and the Withdrawal Symptoms

The alcoholic has decided to quit drinking. Alcohol has become too much of a problem and is affecting their life too drastically to continue. Now that they have been blessed with the determination to quit drinking, what can they expect? What withdrawal symptoms will they experience as they begin to abstain from alcohol?

Because quitting alcohol has the potential to cause seizures and even death, anyone who has made the decision to stop drinking should consult with a doctor first in an attempt to avoid the worst possible withdrawal symptoms. If possible they should even check into a rehabilitation facility so that nurses and doctors can monitor them and make sure that withdrawal symptoms stay in check.

Not all people experience the same level of severity with withdrawals but it is better to be prepared. A condition called “alcohol withdrawal syndrome” develops with some people who are quitting and can be deadly or cause life-long issues. Knowing that should not deter anyone from quitting, but rather help them be prepared. If they can’t afford to go to a doctor or check into rehab, at least the alcoholic can be aware of the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome so that they can take a trip to the emergency room if they find themselves in the situation.

Common Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome can include different levels of anxiety, severe shakiness, and seizures. It is more likely that the addict will acquire the syndrome upon quitting if they have other heart, lung, or health conditions. If the addict is basically healthy other than the alcohol addiction, it is unlikely that they will suffer alcohol withdrawal syndrome upon quitting drinking.

Now that the worst case scenario has been covered, it’s time to take a look at common symptoms of alcohol withdrawal that the majority of alcoholics might expect to experience.

The more mild symptoms that might be experienced also include shakiness but on a more mild scale. Sweating can be expected. The recovering alcoholic will probably experience a lot of agitation at first at everything around them because everything within them is changing and chemical changes can easily cause agitation.

Headaches are an inevitable withdrawal symptom. It’s going to happen. Hopefully the alcoholic is somewhat prepared and has some type of over the counter headache relief handy.

Nausea is a common symptom but does not always lead to vomiting. Sometimes the recovering addict will feel nauseous and go through the choking and gagging motions of vomiting but not actually vomit. It just depends on the person.

The first couple of days will probably be spent in bed. Someone who is quitting alcohol will feel ill and not have much energy. Those rare moments when the recovering addict rises from bed, it will be to retreat to the bathroom for diarrhea. The alcoholic might feel as though they have acquired influenza. Some people are even confused because it seems like they have an illness and they are not sure whether it is an actual illness or whether the feeling is due to the alcohol withdrawals. It’s especially confusing because fever often occurs and adds to the suspicion that they have acquired an illness. One might expect the first days to be the worst, but it is actually a few days in when the worst withdrawals take place. After a stint in bed, the alcoholic is suddenly awake and sober but might end up resorting back to bed because they will experience hot and cold spells, possible vomiting, and find themselves covered in sweat despite a comfortable room temperature.

Other early symptoms might include either no appetite at all or a sudden desire to eat a lot. It is different for different people but eating habits will change one way or another. Some recovering alcoholics take pleasure in being able to eat throughout the day without worrying that food will ruin the effect of alcohol. They have become so accustomed to eating only at night before sleeping. Suddenly being able to eat whenever they want is a new found freedom.

Many people will crave sweets when quitting alcohol because their body is asking them to find a replacement for all of the sugar that was in the alcohol. By satisfying the body’s need for sugar, it actually contributes to experiencing less harsh withdrawal symptoms.

It is not unusual for a recovering alcoholic’s behavior to change drastically. That’s because the mind goes back to an earlier time and place. For instance, someone who began drinking alcohol regularly as a teenager and quits drinking as a middle aged person might find that they enjoy the same activities that they enjoyed as a teenager. Family and friends will be surprised when an older person is suddenly interested in playing video games and watching anime. But it is just a part of recovery. The time spent drinking is in a way time that was lost.

Much of what took place during years of alcoholism vanishes and the recovering addict is like a completely different person. Those who care about the recovery must keep that in mind so they do not become too critical or misinterpret the behavior as being a distance forming between themselves and the recovering alcoholic.

Just when it seems that the worst withdrawal symptoms have passed - when the recovering alcoholic is beginning to feel good and feel like they are getting a lot accomplished because they are thinking so much more clearly, that is when the next series of withdrawal symptoms will kick in.

It can be even more difficult than making it through the physical illnesses that overtook the body when the alcoholic quit. This is the time when the problem drinker begins to have constant thoughts of drinking again, despite the positive changes that they have experienced. All of the praise in the world can’t deter the alcoholic from thinking about drinking again. This is the worst stage of withdrawal because how it is handled can determine whether or not the alcoholic will relapse.

When this stage hits, there had better be a support system in place. This is when the alcoholic needs to call someone and talk about their feelings before it is too late. Some might not consider those urges to be withdrawal symptoms but they are. They are a big symptom and the hardest to deal with.

Being sick in bed might seem to be worse, but the initial withdrawal symptoms eventually come to an end, but the urge to drink again does not. Sometimes this urge continues for years on end. A recovering alcoholic can’t get through this symptom alone.

Many alcoholics try to quit drinking. Some try again and again. Even though they never want to suffer the withdrawal symptoms again, once they pick up and consume just one drink, the alcoholism begins all over again.

Relapses are common but not definite. It is possible to quit drinking and stay quit. It depends on many factors. Of course the adamancy of the desire to quit plays a big role in success. Knowing the withdrawal symptoms and preparing for them before they actually occur is another big bonus. Having a support network in place before trying to quit drinking alcohol is the best thing that the recovering person can do so that when the alcohol withdrawal symptoms occur over a series of time and changes, there is someone to talk to at the worst of times.

A Quick Look at Binge Drinking

Binge Drinking: Escaping Reality, Disrupting the Brain and Society

Teenagers and young adults often seek methods with which to escape what they perceive to be the grim realities around them. It is normal for people of those ages to experience some dark feelings as they make the transition between childhood and adulthood.

How they handle the transition differs drastically depending on individual personalities and family experiences. Some are naturally resilient and glide through changes. Some seek contentment through counseling. Some turn to sex and some turn to drugs. But many are turning to one of the biggest recent trends—binge drinking. Statistically, binge drinking is a type of social activity that males are more prone to be drawn into than females.

Binge Drinking for Fun

Binge drinking is not always due to emotional transitions. Many teenagers and young college students binge drink just for the thrill and fun. Some older people partake in binge drinking but it is more common among younger generations. Those who try binge drinking, however, are more likely to become full time alcoholics. Whether any individual succumbs to alcoholism or not, both binge drinking and alcoholism are capable of causing many health issues, although the issues caused are different depending on which of the types of drinking in which one partakes.

Before exploring the health risks involved, binge drinking should be more clearly defined. Just how much alcohol consumption over what period of time qualifies as binge drinking?

It cannot be specifically defined by the number of alcoholic beverages consumed but is measured rather by Blood Alcohol Concentration. If the subject consumes enough to raise their Blood Alcohol Concentration to 0.8 grams per deciliter of blood within a two hour time period, it qualifies as binge drinking.

So how can the average person know how many drinks will bring them to this heightened level? It is widely accepted that five drinks within two hours is the standard for men to achieve binge drinking, while for women it only takes four alcoholic beverages. Remember, those are only a standard based on the average sizes of most men and women and therefore do not apply to all people.

It is a common misconception that long term alcoholism is worse for one’s health than occasional binge drinking. Alcoholism is less likely to cause brain damage.

Why is binge drinking worse? 

 Someone who binge drinks constantly goes through withdrawals quickly after each session. This is more than just a hangover. The repetition of withdrawals can cause neurological issues, whereas a long term alcoholic keeps feeding the alcoholism and does not experience repetitive withdrawals. Binge drinking draws the human brain into different directions too quickly.

As with any alcohol use, binge drinking can affect the heart and immune system in negative ways. But for every health issue that can be caused by binge drinking, there is also a possible social issue. Binge drinking is criticized more often for the societal problems it causes than for inevitable health risks. Why would societal issues be more important than the health of those who binge drink?

The societal problems that have been traced to binge drinking affect innocent people who have not even chosen to partake in the consumption of alcohol. Random street violence, automobile accidents, and many other incidents that are the results of binge drinking infringe upon the safety of innocent victims.

As with any trend, there will be conflict among opinion and those who choose to partake despite the consequences. Teenagers and young adults can be especially hard to deflect from such activities because many of them are under the impression that they are invincible. The best advice to offer binge drinkers is to stay off the road while partaking in their consumption, because driving accidents are one of the main causes of death among those who participate in the trend.

Teenage Alcoholism Who Is At Risk? Never Give Up On Your Teenager

Can teenagers even really become alcoholics?

To some people the possibility might seem impossible.

But teenage alcoholism is an unfortunate reality. Even teenagers as young as thirteen have succumbed to the devastation of alcoholism.

 How prevalent is this problem?

Sadly, it is not a rarity for teenagers to become alcoholics. Parents might assume that all children try drinking at some point but that there is no real danger of addiction with youth. Some parents even condone their teenagers drinking at home.

It is common for parents to prefer that their teenagers drink at home in order to minimize the amount of danger associated with the consumption of alcohol. They assume that if their teenagers are under parental supervision rather than drinking elsewhere, they are less likely to be taken advantage of or to make serious, potentially life altering mistakes such as driving while intoxicated.

Many parents allow teenage drinking in the home because they feel that it is the only way to protect teenagers who are going to drink somewhere regardless of whether or not they have permission.

Allowing your kids to drink at home can actually harm them.

This way of thinking is a big mistake and is actually harmful to teenagers. If parents enforce strict rules against drinking alcohol and monitor where their children go and what they do, it is extremely more beneficial to teenagers than allowing them to drink in the home. It is true that it is impossible to be there to protect one’s children every moment of every day, but parents can instill lasting values into their children that will sustain them throughout adolescence and into adulthood.

There are also other ways that teenagers can obtain alcohol. Sympathetic older friends or family members might procure the alcohol for them. Teenagers are innovative and always concocting plans to obtain what they desire.

It’s true that some teenagers only experiment with alcohol, but it is becoming a widespread phenomenon that the number of teenage alcoholics is drastically on the rise.

Why is this happening? 

 For one thing, as previously touched upon, many parents are lax about teenage drinking. But that does not account for all teenage alcoholism.

Teenagers find themselves in that delicate position of no longer being a child but not yet having the rights and freedoms associated with adulthood. Their bodies are changing and they feel that they are more mature than the world gives them credit for.

By this point in life, they are capable of so many things and long to have the freedoms of adulthood. While they long for the freedoms, rights, and respect that they feel are all parts of adulthood, they fail to realize how much responsibility and stress are associated with adulthood. Teenagers tend to want the benefits of being adults without taking on or even recognizing the responsibility that is part of being an adult.

Because of these feelings of being trapped in an adult body and yet restricted by childhood rules and regulations, many teenagers attempt to partake in activities that are legally reserved for adults, such as drinking alcohol and having sex. By doing so, they feel that they are proving that they are no longer children and that they are demanding their acceptance into the world of adults.

When teenagers take part in these kinds of activities, only then are they exposed to substances that they would not otherwise experience. Some of them find that consuming alcohol makes it easier to cope with the caged feeling of being a teenager.

Some of them feel that they are more creative when they are under the influence of alcohol. Others find that it is an escape from reality. While parents might feel that their children have everything they could possibly want or need and that the children have no reason to be unhappy, their teenagers perceive life differently.

Teenagers often feel that they are treated unfairly or that their parents do not understand them. Some teenagers become completely convinced that their parents are the enemy and are only there to prevent them from having any type of fun. Teenage reality and parental reality are two totally different worlds.
Something about being a teenager makes one feel either invincible or completely lost. While their bodies are going through extreme chemical and hormonal changes, their brains respond accordingly. The child that once loved and depended on their parents for everything suddenly seems to be a completely new and different person. Everything their parents did to care for them in the past seems to dissolve into nothing as teenagers analyze every aspect of life and begin to be judgmental about their parents.

All of these changing emotions that teenagers experience contribute to the likelihood that if they begin to experiment with alcohol they will become alcoholics. Not all of them will succumb to alcoholism, but many teenagers find alcohol to be that needed escape from reality that they have been searching for.

Once a teenager tries a substance and finds that it has such mood enhancing effects, they are likely to resort to that substance again and again as they go through the natural changes of adolescence. Alcohol is a substance that is easily attainable. It is no wonder that so many teenagers are becoming alcoholics.
It is very sad when people so young are stricken with an addiction. These people who have bright futures ahead of them can easily find themselves addicted to alcohol and all of their options suddenly seem to converge into one path—one path leading to where and how to obtain their next fix of alcohol.

It does not matter what level of society a person comes from. Nor does prominence or family name make any difference. Teenagers of every walk of life are susceptible to the woes of teenage alcoholism.
People with money have problems. People without money have problems. Every teenager goes through so many changes and there is always something in their lives that they wish to escape from.

Waking Call for Parents and Guardians

It is important for parents to realize that their child is not immune from the dangers of alcoholism for any reason. Parents tend to think that teenagers go through phases and will make it through eventually without much intervention. But if alcohol gets its grip on a teenager, it is not going to be a simple stage of growing up.

Another mistake that parents commonly make is that once their children reach that independent age, parents cease to be as involved in their lives as they once were. Some parents feel that the hardest part of their job as a parent is accomplished. That is far from the truth.

The days of raising infants are actually fairly easy when compared to the challenges of raising teenagers. It is an important and impressionable age at which parental attention and intervention is necessary to their smooth transition into adulthood.

Denial Will Do NO Good

Parents must be aware of the dangers of teenage alcoholism and avoid practicing denial. No matter how intelligent, bright, and outgoing the child was in the past, the danger is real and parents must remain diligent in their resolve to help their teenagers make it through this confusing time in life. A parent must never give up on a child no matter how rocky the road becomes.

What is Alcoholism?

The Definition of Alcoholism

Alcoholism has existed for centuries. It is not specific to any nation. Alcoholism is not sexist or racist. Alcoholism does not discriminate in any way. The rich, the poor, and everyone in between are potential victims of this disease. Many nations have enacted legislation regarding alcohol, but alcoholism does not adhere to laws.

There are no specific numerical guidelines to determine whether or not someone is an alcoholic. This cannot be measured by the number of alcoholic beverages that one consumes within a certain time frame. Alcoholism is measured by dependency. Some alcoholics take a break from drinking now and then, but not for very long periods of time. Anyone who is mentally and physically unable to refrain from the consumption of alcohol qualifies as an alcoholic.

Who Is At Risk? Who Can Help? Who Can Be Helped?

An alcoholic is someone who is addicted to alcohol. Even if the person quits drinking, they are still considered to be an alcoholic, albeit a “recovering alcoholic.” Why is that? Alcoholism affects one’s mindset regardless of whether or not they continue to consume alcohol. Part of being an alcoholic is the fact that even if the alcoholic ceases to consume alcohol, there is always that danger and knowledge that the consumption of merely one alcoholic beverage has the potential to draw the person back into a dependency on the substance.

Alcoholism has been defined as a disease. Just like any other disease, it affects entire families. It hurts friends of those who carry the disease, and it affects every aspect of the life of the carrier of the disease. Alcoholism frequently prevents people from maintaining permanent employment and supporting their families. Alcoholism ruins important relationships as their loved ones strive to be understanding but become weighed down as they are forced to take on the responsibilities of the alcoholic, thus having to carry the burden of extra responsibility in an already stressful environment.

Alcoholism is a DISEASE

Alcoholism is indeed a disease, but it is also a financial drain and a detour from realizing one’s hopes, dreams, and goals.

Loved ones frequently find themselves in the uncomfortable position of having to make excuses for the alcoholic because it is common for an alcoholic to misappropriate his or her priorities.

Many use alcohol as a crutch - that is, something to lean on whenever times are hard. The problem is that alcoholics will constantly come up with reasons to drink, when really they are just feeding their alcoholism.

When they are sad, depressed, or simply trying to ease the normal stresses of life, they consume alcohol. Yet alcohol is also used to celebrate. Every holiday is a cause for celebrating. Many alcoholics create holidays as a reason to drink, and many will celebrate the smallest achievement by consuming alcohol. While using alcohol as a crutch for the hard times or sad experience, they also use alcohol for celebration. What is the problem with this contradiction? The problem is that people are usually either happy or sad, and almost always facing some type of stress, which means that alcoholics subconsciously have found justification for non-stop consumption.

On days when the happy or sad factor does not apply, they might find boredom as the justification to drink. Or on the contrary, they might constantly be doing constructive things around the house and yard as justification to consume alcohol as well. What’s the problem if they are getting things done?

The problem remains that no matter how much an alcoholic might accomplish, they are trapped in an endless cycle of self-harm and have built a subconscious system of justification.

Even if an alcoholic realizes the affect that they have on themselves and others, it is not simply a question of caring enough to stop consuming alcohol. Just like any disease, alcoholism requires a complex system of treatment to cure. And if not treated, alcoholism has the potential of causing an unlimited number of health problems. Alcohol directly affects the functioning of the liver and can be responsible for early aging and constant dehydration among other issues.

Many alcoholics have been faced with the ultimatum of having to choose people or choose alcohol. Most alcoholics are good people who happen to have a disease. No matter what they want to choose, just as with an illness, they do not necessarily have a choice.

The best and most brilliant, even ingenious people have the potential to become alcoholics. Alcoholism in no way reflects who anyone is as a person. It can happen to anyone. Someone’s personality might drastically change as an effect of the alcoholism but somewhere under the surface the true person remains, wanting and wishing to get back to a better time and place—a time before the alcoholism found them.

It is widely known that an alcoholic must first realize and be able to admit that they have a problem before they are able to heal. But it is not as well known that the alcoholic must want to change for personal reasons, and are not able to cease from drinking simply because another person needs them to stop. Recovery is only possible when the alcoholic desperately wants to find a cure.

Available Help for Alcoholics

There are a lot of resources for alcoholics to utilize if they truly desire to take a step towards an important life change. First of all, if someone feels that they have a problem or that they are in immediate danger of acquiring a problem, there are several places that they can go to find people who have had similar experiences.

It is important for people to know that they are not alone in their struggle and that being an alcoholic does not mean that they are a bad person. Many prominent people have struggled with the disease. But every person is special and has a contribution to make to the world. Whether online or in person, there are help groups, articles and forums full of people who care and who will support others who are seeking assistance.

Some people are more comfortable speaking to a close friend. Many people find it helpful to speak to people who they do not know personally because they are embarrassed to confide their problem to their friends. The most important thing is to reach out to someone.

Alcoholism might be a disease, but it has a cure. There is even hope for those who suffer the disease in the worst degree. Unlike diseases that can only be cured by treatment from doctors, alcoholism can be treated by ordinary people who will listen and help the alcoholic through the worst battles on the path to recovery.

Ordinary people are the crusaders of battling alcoholism. So many people have gone through the struggles themselves and learned how to handle the many issues that one might face when in recovery. One of the best traits of confiding in alcoholism help groups is that the members of the group are very non-judgmental. That is a characteristic that it can be hard to acquire from friends and family no matter how sincere their intentions may be.

It is always inspiring to celebrate one’s accomplishments, and this rings true for alcoholics as well. One of the most precious aspects of the help groups is that they celebrate abstinence, whether it is for one month or ten years. Each day is another success and a new reason to celebrate - alcohol free.