Withdrawal

Withdrawal symptoms occur when a person dependent on a drug stops using it or significantly cuts down the amount they are using. Not everyone who stops drinking experiences withdrawal symptoms, but most people who have been drinking for a long period of time, or drinking frequently, or drink heavily when they do drink, will experience some form of withdrawal symptoms if they stop drinking suddenly.

There is no way to predict how any individual will respond to quitting. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms may include :

• Sweating, especially the palms of the hands or the face, clammy skin
• Nausea and/or vomiting/ Loss of appetite
• Feelings of jumpiness or nervousness, irritability or overexcitement
• Rapid emotional changes
• Depression, fatigue
• Difficulty with thinking clearly, bad dreams
• Headache - general, pulsating
• Insomnia, sleeping difficulty
• Rapid heart rate (palpitations), tremor of the hands
• A state of confusion and hallucinations - known as delirium tremens
• Fever
• Convulsions