Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms Duration
This article will evaluate alcohol withdrawal symptoms duration in hopes that better understanding will help individuals battling alcohol dependence seek help. Alcohol addiction is a serious disease which effects almost 18% of the United States population during some period of their lifetime. For those individuals battling alcohol addiction seeking treatment can be difficult. For some people it is the threat of change to their lifestyle. To others it is the realization that alcohol withdrawal can be a life threatening part of their recovery.
The alcohol withdrawal symptoms duration can range from mild to extremely severe. This depends upon the individual as well as the length of their dependence upon alcohol. People can experience withdrawal symptoms after drinking heavily for week, months or years. Some of the mild associated symptoms are shaking of the hands, nausea and vomiting, headache, sweating, mild anxiety, difficulty sleeping and difficulty concentrating.
Some of the more severe symptoms associated with alcohol withdrawal are seizures and delirium tremens (often called DTs). In a very small percentage of DT’s they can become critical due to temperature spikes and rapid heartbeat. It is obvious that none of these symptoms should be taken lightly. If treated most individuals can avoid these most severe symptoms.
One of the most serious concerns for individuals dealing with withdrawal is the alcohol withdrawal symptoms duration. There are reports of people experiencing symptoms for as long as several weeks. This is an obvious deterent to seeking treatment. Typically the milder symptoms will begin six to twelve hours after the last alcoholic beverage is consumed. They usually begin with the more mild symptoms. The height of symptoms is generally experienced somewhere between day two and three. The alcohol withdrawal symptoms duration, from start to finish, is usually a little over a week. For most people the symptoms will start off mild, accelerate after a couple of days and then gradually decline to the point at which they feel healthy. By participating in a treatment program medical staff can help create an environment where someone can be more comfortable and experience the most mild symptoms possible.
It is extremely important that people who experience any symptoms seek medical attention immediately. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can accelerate rapidly. Seeking medical attention will help ensure that the withdrawal process does not advance beyond mild symptoms into the more major and sometimes life threatening symptoms.
Because the chances of developing an alcohol dependence is so significant in the United States it is critically important to understand the alcohol withdrawal symptoms duration. The symptoms can be long and quite severe without medical help so finding the right people to help with recovery is paramount. Knowing that the disease is treatable and there is help available will increase the chances that people battling addiction will get the help they need.