If you abuse alcohol chronically, you will develop tolerance. This will soon be replaced by dependence and eventually give rise to the development of an alcohol use disorder, or alcoholism. When this happens, you will require alcohol detoxification services to get started on the road to recovery.
Chronic alcohol abuse is dangerous. Apart from the negative effects of alcohol on the human brain and body, the substance can also cause you to develop tolerance. This means that you will find that you have to continue drinking more alcohol and much more frequently than you used to before you can experience the pleasurable effects of this substance.
Eventually, tolerance will lead to physical and psychological dependence. When this happens, you could be said to be struggling with alcoholism or alcohol addiction. At this stage, if you stop drinking or significantly reduce the amount you drink, there is a high probability that you will suffer some negative symptoms of withdrawal.
Most of the withdrawal symptoms associated with alcohol abuse and addiction tend to be unpleasant, painful, and uncomfortable. However, they can also be potentially fatal and lead to death.
For this reason, it is recommended that you seek professional alcohol detoxification services. by so doing, you will get help going through the distressing withdrawal syndrome. These services will also ensure your safety and comfort throughout the process.
That said, alcohol withdrawal syndrome will manifest itself differently based on various factors. These factors include but are not limited to the duration and frequency of alcohol consumption, polysubstance abuse, age, mental and physical health, the amount you used to drink, and your physiology.
Some of the common symptoms of withdrawal associated with alcohol abuse and addiction include but are not limited to:
According to DSM-5 - the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - these withdrawal symptoms will emerge between 4 and 12 hours after your last drink.
The body metabolizes and clears alcohol fairly rapidly from the body. For this reason, withdrawal symptoms tend to appear quite abruptly before resolving relatively quickly. However, these symptoms will most likely peak on the 2nd day before subsiding on the 4th or 5th day.
That said, alcohol detoxification can turn out to be fatal or life-threatening. This is because it could lead to the development of delirium tremens, a severe condition that could cause you to lose your life.
For this reason, it is recommended that you seek detox services from an inpatient addiction treatment and rehabilitation facility. This will ensure that you receive round the clock medical attention, care, and supervision to reduce your risk of suffering too much during the alcohol detoxification process.
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