Gradual Alcohol Withdrawal - How to Quit Drinking

How Do Addiction and Habit Affect a Person?

Alcohol addiction causes many negative changes in daily life. The effects of drinking can be felt immediately or over time. Their intensity and type depend on the amount of alcohol consumed and the duration of addiction. The most common and quickly felt is a hangover, and this affects not only addicted people. In the case of advanced alcohol disease, sudden alcohol withdrawal in most cases leads to withdrawal syndrome, which can trigger a number of symptoms dangerous to our health. Ethyl alcohol and alcohol metabolites dilate blood vessels, causing blood pressure to drop, heart rhythm disturbances, and facial redness. Alcohol negatively affects immunity and permanently damages cells. This results in circulatory and gastrointestinal diseases, mental disorders, and sometimes premature death. Alcoholic beverages cause overproduction of dopamine and serotonin, which is why their consumption initially positively affects well-being. See: Binge drinking – how to end it and what are the consequences? However, alcohol is a highly addictive substance and contributes to depression. To care for physical health and mental well-being, it is recommended to limit alcohol consumption. In the case of alcoholics, the only solution is complete alcohol withdrawal, i.e., permanent sobriety.

How to Quit Alcohol and Cope with Maintaining Abstinence

Quitting alcohol is not simple, especially for an alcoholic. Alcohol abuse in addicted people is a daily necessity, so giving up alcohol doesn't come easily to them. How to overcome the desire to drink alcohol? First, it's worth admitting to yourself that an alcohol problem actually exists. Alcohol disease is a serious condition and is mainly related to the psyche and incorrect reactions to surrounding reality. Self-awareness and the desire to stop drinking alcohol are the foundation. Using addiction therapy should be voluntary. Otherwise, therapy may prove ineffective and the addiction may return with even greater force. Treatment looks different for every alcoholic. Its course depends on how long the addiction has lasted and the condition of the body and psyche of the drinking person. In the case of alcohol addiction, it's better to use the help of a specialist in addiction treatment. Only 0.05% of alcoholics quit alcoholism without any help. Now people addicted to drinking alcohol can use not only psychology but also pharmacology, making therapy comprehensive and more effective.
  • alcohol detox – cleanses the body of alcohol, regenerates the body after prolonged binge drinking and alleviates withdrawal syndrome symptoms; the IV drip is tailored to the patient's needs and prepares for safe interruption of drinking without side effects on well-being.
  • Esperal implantation – the drug disulfiram is in the form of subcutaneous tablets that are implanted under the skin in the buttock area; the implant causes aversion to alcohol and forces abstinence for 8-12 months through unpleasant symptoms that hinder daily functioning.
  • therapy – time and number of meetings depend on the alcoholic's situation; the therapist helps understand the reasons for the drinking problem and suggests solutions that will replace alcohol in daily life in such a way that the addiction doesn't return.

What Are the Benefits of Quitting Alcohol?

Gradual alcohol withdrawal positively affects not only the body but above all the mind. For an addicted person, the positives are not always noticeable due to the difficulty of treatment, but over time abstinence proves to be the best possible solution for daily life. Is it easy to stop drinking? Certainly not, but the benefits associated with it compensate for the time devoted to addiction therapy.
  • Improvement of physical and mental health.
  • Change in skin condition and energy increase.
  • Strengthening of the body's immunity.
  • Improvement of relationships with loved ones and the environment.
  • More money and time for self-realization.

Alcoholism – Consequences

Binge drinking is a term used for a person who abuses alcohol for at least 2 days. This means they exceed a certain alcohol dose and remain in a state of alcohol intoxication. It can occur not only in addicted people, and the type of alcoholic beverage that leads to this state is not important. Usually, people find it difficult to interrupt binge drinking because they fear withdrawal syndrome. Withdrawal syndrome is characterized by feeling constant anxiety, fear, body trembling, vomiting, increased sweating, sleep disorders, psychosis and hallucinations, whose authenticity is difficult to verify. In fear of mental and physical discomfort, alcoholics prefer to remain in a state of constant intoxication, which is comfortable for them. Alcohol destructively affects internal organs. Mentality also suffers. Living in binge drinking is not a solution but an attempt to escape from the consequences of addiction, which are still felt over time. Every glass that exceeds the norm causes a person to live 15 minutes shorter. This cannot be reversed, only the alcohol loop can be interrupted.

Sudden Alcohol Withdrawal

Sudden alcohol withdrawal can trigger a number of symptoms dangerous to our health and even life. These unpleasant symptoms are: – life-threatening seizures (alcoholic epilepsy), – severe abdominal pain and headaches, – delirium tremens, – elevated blood pressure, – trembling delirium, – undefined anxiety, – drying of mucous membranes, – hand trembling and general weakness.

How to Interrupt Binge Drinking?

Binge drinking has a negative impact on a person. In the case of alcoholics, it is often characteristic of the chronic phase of alcohol disease. It can be interrupted at home, but it's not safe. When withdrawal syndrome symptoms appear, it's difficult to react properly without specialized knowledge on the subject. More beneficial and optimal for mental and physical health is to use the help of doctors. The clinic offers alcohol detox. It is also used in the case of severe and bothersome hangover. Alcohol detoxification slowly cleanses the body of toxic substances that accumulated in it during binge drinking. This also affects the psyche. Sudden sobriety in some causes not only hand trembling, undefined anxiety and worry, but also aggression. Alcoholics in so-called "hunger" are unpredictable and impulsive and face consciousness disorders. Alcohol detox lasts from 12 to 24 hours until it provides relief to the patient. During this time, fluids are administered in the form of vitamins, mineral salts, and electrolytes. The IV drip is intravenous, so anesthesia is omitted. A one-time alcohol detox regenerates 100%. Right after alcohol detoxification, there are no contraindications to performing daily activities.

Binge Drinking – How to Prevent Relapses?

In the case of alcoholics, binge drinking is a common ailment. It can be interrupted with the help of alcohol detox, but what about the moment when, after cleansing the body, alcohol still tempts? If the addicted person lacks strong will and fears that detox alone won't change anything, it's worth using sobriety and getting an Esperal implant. The absence of alcohol in the body is a necessary condition before implanting the alcohol implant. Thanks to this, sobriety won't be interrupted for several months, and the return of binge drinking will be less likely. If, despite treatment with Esperal, the patient decides to drink alcohol, they must be prepared for unpleasant effects of the drug, i.e., headaches, life-threatening seizures, abdominal pain, general weakness. See: What does the Esperal implantation procedure look like?
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