Stopping alcohol use can cause severe withdrawal symptoms. The effects of alcohol withdrawal are intensely uncomfortable and can be dangerous if not treated by medical professionals. If you’re experiencing alcohol withdrawal effects, BlueCrest Recovery’s alcohol rehab center in New Jersey can help. Contact our team at 888.292.9652 to start treatment today.
What Causes Alcohol Withdrawal?
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that has a wide range of effects on the mind and body. But in terms of alcohol withdrawal, one effect has an outsized influence: the way alcohol affects the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
GABA is the brain’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, the chemical that instructs your body to calm down and relax. Alcohol enhances the effect of GABA in the brain and body, creating many of the relaxing effects that people experience when they use alcohol.
But when someone has an alcohol addiction, they become accustomed to these inhibitory effects. In response, their brain becomes more active, balancing out the effects of alcohol. The person’s brain is trying to reach homeostasis: a delicate balance between its baseline activity level and the alcohol that constantly drags it down.
But when someone struggling with an alcohol addiction suddenly stops drinking, this increase in nervous system activity has nothing to slow it down. The central nervous system becomes dangerously overactive, leading to many common effects of alcohol withdrawal.
Alcohol Withdrawal Effects
Alcohol withdrawal has several different physical and mental symptoms. The most common alcohol withdrawal effects that people experience include:
- Shakes or tremors
- Anxiety
- Sweats
- Fatigue
- Nausea and vomiting
- Irregular heart rate
- Headaches
- Abdominal pain
However, people with more severe drinking problems and those drinking for extended periods will often experience more powerful effects. Severe alcohol withdrawal is sometimes called delirium tremens (DTs) and includes symptoms such as:
- Auditory and visual hallucinations
- Profound confusion and disorientation
- Delusional thoughts or beliefs
- Stroke
The strokes from alcohol withdrawal can be fatal. For this reason, it’s never recommended that people with an alcohol use disorder attempt to stop drinking independently.
To stop drinking, you should always contact professional treatment services. Clinicians can provide treatments and therapies that can help you achieve sobriety safely and as comfortably as possible.
How to Stop Alcohol Withdrawal Shakes and Other Withdrawal Symptoms
When you reach out to a professional addiction treatment center, you can access medical detoxification and treatment resources. Addiction treatment professionals know how to stop alcohol withdrawal shakes, stroke, and other symptoms in their tracks with targeted medications and treatments. Getting help can make your path to sobriety much easier—and BlueCrest Recovery can help by referring you to excellent medical detox centers.
Treatment at a medical detox center typically follows a regimen known as a medical taper. This treatment helps slow the course of withdrawal, ease many withdrawal symptoms, and reduce the risk of serious complications. Typically, this involves taking targeted medications to soothe the central nervous system and slowly lowering your dosage over a week or two.
Find Treatment for Alcohol Addiction at BlueCrest Recovery
If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol withdrawal effects, contact the professionals at BlueCrest Recovery by calling 888.292.9652. Our team can help you understand the entire treatment process, help you find the level of care that works best for you, and will be there to support you along every step of your recovery journey.
Recovering from an alcohol use disorder isn’t always easy, but it is possible. At BlueCrest Recovery, our caring and compassionate team of professionals is dedicated to helping you or your loved one reach your recovery goals and reap the rewards of sobriety for a lifetime.
