Alcohol withdrawal is the beginning of treatment for alcohol dependence. It is an important step towards recovery. The treatment serves to end the physical dependence on the alcohol. Depending on the severity of addiction, strong physical and mental symptoms can be seen without alcohol. Alcohol withdrawal is therefore a tough test for the sufferer, which should not be addressed without medical supervision. Read all important information about alcohol withdrawal here.
Inpatient or outpatient alcohol withdrawal
As a rule, alcohol withdrawal is carried out on a stationary basis. For the withdrawal symptoms can sometimes be very serious and even life-threatening. Ultimately, this is a detoxification. An inpatient stay offers those affected medical as well as psychological care.
An outpatient withdrawal is only useful if the doctor can exclude a severe withdrawal symptoms due to previous withdrawal. However, there is a risk that those affected will not comply with medical instructions and lose motivation. As a rule, it is therefore not recommended to carry out alcohol withdrawal at home. On the one hand seizures and delirium can occur, which require immediate medical help. On the other hand, the home environment is often linked to alcohol consumption and could provoke a relapse.
How long does an alcohol withdrawal take? The alcohol withdrawal duration varies individually. After a few days to a week, the physical withdrawal is usually completed. However, the risk of relapse is still high, as the mental dependency is serious. The alcohol withdrawal takes about three to four weeks together with the psychological support.
Alcohol withdrawal: symptoms
The first symptoms occur within 24 hours. Heavy alcoholics feel the withdrawal symptoms very quickly. Typical physical symptoms of alcohol withdrawal include profuse sweating, nausea and vomiting, trembling hands, eyelids and tongue, and dry mouth and general discomfort and weakness.
Psychological signs include sleep disorders, anxiety, depression and restlessness. Particularly dreaded is the most severe form of withdrawal symptoms – delirium tremens. At first, the patient is initially anxious and very restless. Mostly followed by seizures, which usually occur in the first two days of abstinence. Characteristic of the delirium are a strong disorientation and confusion of the patient. Often hallucinations and delusions are added. The affected are no longer responsive in this state. The seizures, tachycardia and circulatory disorders cause a life-threatening condition. If left untreated, the delirium tremens ends in 30% of cases.
Warm or cold alcohol withdrawal
There are different methods of alcohol withdrawal. One distinguishes between a warm and a cold withdrawal. In the past, only cold alcohol withdrawal was practiced. In the case of cold alcohol withdrawal, patients need to abstain from alcohol without medication. They are under medical observation and care during this period, as abrupt cessation of alcohol can be dangerous to the body.
There are now drugs that can significantly reduce the withdrawal symptoms. Inpatient treatment mainly clomethiazole and benzodiazepines are used. They have a soothing and anxiolytic effect and inhibit seizures as well as delirium. Both agents, however, have a high addictive potential. Some clinics therefore prefer withdrawal without these drugs. Often, alcohol consumption is no longer stopped abruptly, but slowly reduced. You may also need to be given anti-spasmodic drugs called anticonvulsants.
Other methods of alcohol withdrawal
The so-called “turbo-withdrawal” allows under anesthesia a rapid alcohol withdrawal. Medications such as naloxone or naltrexone accelerate the withdrawal to 36 hours. The advantage is that the withdrawal can not be stopped and the patient does not experience the withdrawal symptoms with full awareness. Frequently, however, withdrawal symptoms persist after anesthesia, so treatment must be continued. The therapy of psychological dependence must follow anyway. Due to severe complications and high costs, this method has not prevailed in practice.