It’s probably not surprising that alcohol withdrawal gets worse as one becomes more dependent. Most everyone knows what a hangover looks like, it hits you the next morning and you deal with it the next day, and after 24 hours everything is pretty much back to normal. Of course, once drinking becomes more common or an everyday event, most experience mild alcohol withdrawal symptoms that are much more noticeable. The symptoms are a good sign that alcohol dependence is setting in, and the stages only get worse as you continue to drink and time goes on.

Mild alcohol withdrawal sores usually peak and then subside after 24 hours, depending on the severity of the drinking problem. At this level, you can think of them as “long hangovers” and that’s when you know you’re going the wrong way. Symptoms include malaise, nausea, fatigue, insomnia, light sweating, headaches, and feeling a little low. One may also experience a handshake, cold sweats, anxiety, and general depression. Each person experiences alcohol withdrawal differently and may have one or more or even all of these symptoms (cite: 1)

Getting rid of these conditions, symptoms or feelings seems easy to those who are falling prey to dependency, simply having another drink will do the trick, or so their brain tells them. Once you take a sip, your body and mind are calm again and the symptoms disappear, temporarily.

If you are at this point, you should know that chemical and physical abstinence from alcohol is perhaps 10 days to two weeks. It is a feeling of restlessness, mild anxiety, tension, irritation and feeling very uncomfortable. After that, two weeks is mostly a psychological issue, as your brain and psyche associate alcohol with having a good time. Can you stop drinking for 30 days without intervention? Otherwise, there is a strong chance that you will eventually experience the next stage of alcohol withdrawal and dependence.

This continuous circular trap of drinking, then abstinence, and then drinking again leads to the next level of dependence and a higher stage of alcohol withdrawal. Let’s call this next level moderate alcohol withdrawal. Generally speaking, it will peak in about 48 hours. You will experience much more of the same, only to a greater degree; increased anxiety, more sweating, more cravings for alcohol, mood swings, hypersensitivity, higher blood pressure, and even reflex responses. The more alcohol consumed, the greater the intensity of withdrawal (cite: 2).

References:

1. “Robert Swift Mechanisms and Mediators of the Alcohol Hangover,” MD, Ph.D.; and Dena Davidson, Ph. D. NIH published research.

2.) “Comparative Effectiveness and Costs of Detoxification for Inpatients and Outpatients with Mild-to-Moderate Alcohol Withdrawal,” Motoi Hayashida, MD, Sc.D., Arthur I. Alterman, Ph.D., A. Thomas McLellan, Ph.D., and. paraca New England Journal of Medicine, Feb. 1989. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM198902093200605.

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