When someone who has been abusing alcohol for a long period of time decides to stop drinking, there are certain symptoms that they may experience. These are known as withdrawal symptoms and because we are all different, the severity of it will vary from person to person and in some cases, it can be dangerous. The dangers of these withdrawal symptoms make it advisable for people who want to stop drinking to seek professional medical help above anything else. We offer access to the best private alcohol rehabilitation centres all over South Africa, the United Kingdom and Thailand. Call us and let one of our accredited alcoholism counsellors assist in finding suitable treatment for you.
So what does alcohol do to the body? Before an alcoholic quits drinking, it’s important that they become aware of the physical and mental symptoms that may be experienced. Knowing what they are provides a better chance of handling them correctly and safely. When alcohol is no longer available, alcoholics may feel anxious, nervous and stressed. They may also become energetic or tired and miserable. Other symptoms include being unable to think rationally, continuously having mood swings and suffering nightmares. The physical withdrawal symptoms that might be experienced are migraines, increased sweating, sleeplessness, increased heart rate, nausea and uncontrolled body movements.The severe feelings that can be felt include fevers, seizures and confusion. In some cases, people may also experience a condition known as delirium tremens, which is considered to be the most unpleasant of all the withdrawal symptoms as it contains all of the above and additional symptoms such as disorientation and hallucinations.
People may also faint and forget about events that occurred during a time when they were drinking. Withdrawal symptoms can be serious and as I mentioned above, the best way to treat it is by residing in an alcohol rehabilitation centre for a minimum of 4 weeks. In rehab, patients will receive a medically supervised detoxification that will help minimise or manage any withdrawal symptoms which may be experienced. Patients will engage in different types of addiction counselling and therapy such as one-one-one counselling and 12-step group therapy, which helps in educating alcoholics about their addiction and what can be done to avoid using the drug in the future. For alcoholics who have major obligations to attend to, depending on the seriousness and extent of the addiction, they can also attend outpatient treatment, which consists of attending regular counselling and therapy meetings every evening while completing their daily responsibilities. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings are also available for people wanting to stop drinking. In AA sessions, alcoholics will be able to share their own personal stories of addiction and recovery while listening and taking strength out of the experiences of others in similar predicaments as themselves.
For more information, don’t hesitate to call us now and we will gladly assist in finding the right treatment for you.