According to a study carried out,87% of adults have had a drink at least once in their lives. Are you one of them? Nobody who takes alcohol as a way of reducing stress thinks that they can be a slave to it. This habit starts as a joke with one or two drinks until you find yourself craving for more. Being totally dependent on alcohol leads to serious problems not only to you as the individual but also to your family. You may end up with liver cirrhosis from the habit as you drain your family’s finances in a bid to fill the void that always craves for more.
It is true that alcohol withdrawal is not easy but this does not make it impossible.The fear of withdrawal symptoms is what makes people continue with the addiction even when they know it is deadly. Alcoholics argue that they would rather drink to death rather than be punished trying to withdraw. This is because the symptoms of withdrawing feel like a punishment trying to stay on the right track.
Depending on how long you have been drinking, you may experience health related issues such as tremors, hallucinations and anxiety. Though one may find it hard to withdraw, would you rather suffer addiction for the rest of your life, being dependent on a substance that only kills your liver or go through withdrawal symptoms and finally break the habit?Weighing both sides, withdrawal is a better option as a way of fighting this addiction because a sober mind is definitely, a healthier you.
Below, is a discussion on alcohol addiction and how you can withdraw easily from it, as a start to treating this habit. Symptoms are also outlined as well as various methods that are used to let you know which one is the most effective.
Alcohol addiction
You may be wondering just how much drinking is considered too much for your body? If you are cannot spend a whole day without feeling the need to have a bottle, know you are probably getting to the addiction stage. The recommended amount of drinking is 1 can a beer once in a while. Drinking more than 4 drinks at the same time is a sign that you are headed for the worse. If you wake up and the first thing that crosses your mind is the liquor bar, it is the high time that you started withdrawing from alcohol before the situation advances.
What is withdrawal and what causes it?
This happens when you have made up your mind to stop drinking after you are already addicted to the drug. It is probably the best decision you can ever make but comes with a price and it is part of what happens when treating substance abuse, whether alcohol, drugs or pain killers. Using alcohol affects your brain by slowing it down so that your nerves get used to it. Since your brain is already tuned to receiving the substance, reducing the level of alcohol causes withdrawal symptoms `which may either be mild or serious depending on how much you have consuming.
Symptoms that come with withdrawing
If you are have a medical history of alcoholism or high stress levels, you may experience worse withdrawal symptoms. Your day may be filled with migraines, constant sweating, nausea and seizures. This should not deter you from quitting believing that you can make it.
Withdrawal methods
Home remedy
Addicts find it hard to withdraw from alcohol because of a couple of reasons. You may have tried breaking the habit in the past but failed. This is because you lack the necessary support that you need to communicate with someone who not only understands you but can also help you medically. Cases of death from people who tried to withdraw from home have been reported. Home therefore remains an unsafe place for you to be when trying to break addiction.
Thetremors caused by withdrawing can make your family member at home feel pity on you and give you a sip as a way of helping you relax. This does not help you in any way since what you need is a professional who will give better alternative to handling the shaking problem.
Trying to withdraw from home comes with too much temptations. Since this is a habit, it is likely that all your friends are drink buddies. Declining a Friday night invitation to drink becomes so hard for you to succeed in the process of withdrawing.
Also, you need the right kind of nutrients to replace the sugar that you were used to taking through your liquor with healthy diets that help you not crave for a drink. Your spouse may not know how to balance the right diet for you.This is what causes many to suffer a relapse when they cannot handle one more day of vomiting and diarrhea as they try to stay sober. If you have tried home remedy and failed, drop the embarrassment that you are probably feeling and seek medical attention.
Medical support
The journey to staying sober should start in a medical institution that understands what you are going through. According to a report made by New England journal of medicine in 2003, there are more than 500,000 cases of withdrawal victims that need medical support. This should let you know that you are not alone and can beat your addiction.
Doctors help you fight withdrawal symptoms such as hallucinations and nightmares by providing you with the necessary anti-anxietydrugs to take you through the process. They also monitor your progress as you communicate with specialist about how you feel on a daily basis without taking alcohol. Preventing you from malnutrition and dehydration you also get the right kinds of foods to help with the symptoms.
Counselling is also given to help find the root cause of the problem. Your counsellor tries to understand what caused the addiction, how it feels like to withdraw as well as how you are taking the new experience.
Final thoughts
Do not be one of those who think that alcohol withdrawal is more of a punishment than a solution to addiction. Start the journey today with the help of a doctor and detox from alcohol. You will not only save yourself the shame of being an alcoholic but also save your kids from the trauma of growing up with an addicted parent.
