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One of the hardest parts of quitting drinking for an alcoholic is dealing with the alcohol withdrawal symptoms that will start as soon as the alcohol level in their body starts to lower. The majority of alcoholics will experience these symptoms and they can range from mild to extremely unpleasant as the person’s body start to cleanse itself of a substance that is has become dependent upon. Often referred to as alcohol withdrawal syndrome this is the state the body is in when a person finally stops drinking after an extended period of drinking that often spans years.

Alcoholics are not the only ones however who can suffer with alcohol withdrawal symptoms, often binge drinkers or people who drink frequently can suffer these symptoms to a lesser degree. The heavier or more frequently they drink the more likely they are to suffer withdrawal symptoms and the worse the will be. Because the severity of the symptoms can vary from mild to extreme, medical advice should be sought before embarking on an alcohol free life.

For the person who is starting out on a new alcohol free life the physical alcohol withdrawal symptoms can include vomiting, intense headaches, being physically ill and having sweaty hands. They may also include loss of appetite, a pale sickly complexion, heart palpitations, having trouble sleeping and the shakes. For some people the shakes may just be in their hands but in some cases it can mean all over body shakes along with dilated pupils and involuntary eye movement and profuse sweating. Most of these symptoms will lessen relatively quickly as the body begins to recover from years of alcohol poisoning and learns to live without it.

There are more than physical alcohol withdrawal symptoms to be dealt with as a person recovers from alcoholism. There are some dramatic mental and psychological issues that will have to be dealt with as well. These might include fatigue, severe moods swings and anxiety attacks that can occur without warning. These symptoms can also include irritability, nervousness, emotional instability and prolonged periods of depression and uncontrollable trembling. Many people in recovery also say they experience severe nightmares and have trouble thinking clearly.

Most of these symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can be easily treated with proper medical help through careful outpatient monitoring and medicine. However some of the more severe symptoms may require constant monitoring and medication that require hospitalization. However there are some more severe symptoms that occur that can occur such as hallucinations, involuntary muscle contractions and a high fever. People in this stage of withdrawal can also suffer blackouts and memory loss, these symptoms are indicative of the need to be admitted to a medical facility for close monitoring and medication.

On average some 90% of people who stop drinking and suffer these alcohol withdrawal symptoms will be unable to handle them and go back to drinking to get them to stop. If you know someone who is trying to quit drinking the best help you can give them is to help them get medical help and advice and be there to support them on the road to sobriety.