When people get into the habit of consuming alcohol, they at times become so much used to it that they cannot function without it.
They end up consuming more alcohol to cater for their daily physical and mental functions.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms refer to the various outcomes of a person stopping consuming alcohol suddenly.
The body takes time to get used to this new routine and this is when the withdrawal symptoms occur.
They always reflect on how long a person has been taking alcohol.
They can be mild or severe and this depends on how long and how much alcohol they have consumed.
Mild symptoms will be experienced by those who have used alcohol over a short period of time whereas severe symptoms are synonymous with those that have taken large quantities of alcohol for a long time.
These symptoms are otherwise referred to as delirium tremens (DTs) and if not contained can cause death.
When people are undergoing mild withdrawal symptoms, they will get irritable, anxious, and will also vomit and suffer from insomnia.
Other alcohol withdrawal symptoms still on mild withdrawal include a feeling of fatigue, a craving for alcohol, which is mostly mild as well as a reduced appetite.
Depression may crop up as well as headaches and a pale skin color.
They will also become unstable and appear to shake when walking, sitting or grasping objects.
Their hands will also be clammy and cold due to the effects alcohol has on them.
People with delirium tremens, which refers to severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms, will have dilated pupils.
They will also suffer from tremors and involuntary movements, which are brought about by their overuse of alcohol.
Hallucinations also make a huge part of the severe symptoms and these people will always appear confused and dreamy.
Other severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms will include high fever, heart arrhythmias, and convulsions.
These symptoms may be experienced within the first 12 hours of going off the drink and they keep getting worse as the days go by.
They maybe felt for many months and that is why it is advisable to seek the advice of a medic.
The good news is that alcohol dependency is treatable through proper medication.
People with mild alcohol withdrawal symptoms are subjected to Thiamin, which is a dose of vitamin.
They are also advised to embark on a healthy diet that helps wean them from this addictive behavior.
Those with severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms are also treated by a physician.
They are introduced to valium, which helps reduce the alcohol from the system gradually.
This does is reduced with time to allow the victim time to recover from alcohol dependency without succumbing to the withdrawal symptoms.
There are many facilities that specialize in the rehabilitation of heavy drinkers and these can be trusted to help people get back to their normal selves.
Other groups that may help include the popular Alcoholic Anonymous, which brings the recovering addicts together.
The support they get from each other helps them cope with the withdrawal symptoms and with time get over alcoholism.