Alcoholism is a serious disease, and though it has the profound ability to affect everyone, not everyone who drinks is necessarily an alcoholic. Alcoholism is a tough monster to kill. One of its most prominently distinguishing features is the tormenting physical withdrawal an alcoholic suffers when he makes the noble attempt to cease using the drug. Alcohol detox is the first step toward recovery, and considering alcohol is the only drug whose withdrawal symptoms can actually kill the addict, it is also perhaps the most difficult step. The logic almost seems backwards; to think that the act of quitting a drug has actually yielded a significant mortality rate.
The most feared alcohol detox symptom (in fact, it's quite often referred to as "the fear") is delirium tremens. Though the shakes only plague a fraction of recovering alcoholics, nearly 10% of those folks lose their lives during the battle. There are receptors in the brain known as GABA, which essentially govern your ability to relax. One long term effect of excessive drinking is the continuous degeneration of the function of these receptors. Therefore, when delirium sets in, the addict can be met with diarrhea, fever, bewilderment, frightening visual hallucinations, and most seriously, lethally severe seizures.
Though one can certainly "kick the habit" after several attempts, psychological cravings for the drug along with withdrawal symptoms get increasingly vivacious and violent during each succeeding trial. This continuous progression of withdrawal severity is what's commonly termed the 'kindling effect'. Considering the said phenomenon, it's absolutely crucial that the addict try to get it right the first time . Due to the dire potential side effects resulting in the cessation of alcohol dependency, it is strongly recommended that anyone bravely attempting to stop their addiction not do it alone. There are places you can go to get professional assistance, helping to ensure that you don't fail.
If, for whatever reason, you choose to forge alone without professional help, it's critical that you educate yourself. You could possibly be battling many of the aforementioned symptoms, including dehydration. Learn what you need to do to properly supply your body with the fluids that it needs to keep hydrated. If you begin to encounter serious withdrawal side effects, particularly seizures and hyper anxiety, it's imperative that you immediately seek medical attention. Physicians are able to help control the intensity of said symptoms with medication such as Valium to keep you as stable as possible. That said, it is still strongly recommended that you find professional guidance before you start.
To steer you in the right direction, you can use free resources like Recovery Connection or Sober Recovery. Many people share the pain caused by alcohol abuse, but not everyone has the same needs, or means to address them. Use the aforesaid resources to help find the right alcohol detox program for you. Alcoholism, as well as the battle for recovery carry life threatening contingencies - there's no such thing as taking it too seriously.
