Can You Die From Alcohol Withdrawal?

Sometimes quitting alcohol can simply mean making small and manageable changes to your lifestyle. But for many, alcohol withdrawal can make stopping drinking more difficult.

When you engage in prolonged heavy drinking, there is potential for addiction. Cutting out alcohol when you have a physical dependence can have adverse effects, including intense cravings and alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawal symptoms are usually unpleasant, but they can be dangerous on rare occasions, and, in extremely rare cases, they can be fatal. This is why you should never quit alcohol cold turkey at home without seeking medical advice.

If your relationship with alcohol has taken a turn for the worst and you find yourself struggling with an addiction, detoxing and going through alcohol withdrawal at a rehab center, such as our own, is recommended.

During your time in rehab, you will receive constant care and support, and your alcohol withdrawal will be monitored.

What Are the Dangers of Alcohol?

Alcohol is a powerful drug that can profoundly affect your mind and body when abused. As a central nervous system depressant, alcohol consumption slows down messages sent between your brain and body, leading to a range of rapid-onset effects, such as:

Euphoria
A warming sensation
A feeling of relaxation
Lowered heart rate and blood pressure
Reduced reflexes and coordination
Reduced cognitive function

Government guidelines advise women not to drink more than one drink containing alcohol per day. In contrast, men should avoid drinking more than two drinks a day. However, many people often overlook this advice to feed their addiction.

Alcohol rehab support area:

What Are the Dangers of Alcohol Abuse?

Drinking heavily is defined as consuming around eight drinks or more per week for women and 15 drinks or more per week for men. Binge drinking typically occurs if a woman consumes four or more drinks within a two-hour period or five for a man. This kind of excessive drinking is considered alcohol abuse.

Alcohol abuse can cause adverse short and long-term health problems to arise. Potential long-term health consequences of alcohol include:

Heart attack
High blood pressure
Stroke
Heart disease
Liver disease
Chronic pancreatitis
Mouth, colon, liver, and pancreas cancer
Brain damage

In addition to the above, long-term health consequences of alcohol abuse can include alcohol poisoning, a condition that requires medical attention. Some signs of alcohol poisoning include:

Severe confusion
Vomiting
Slow or irregular breathing
Low heartbeat
Seizures
Unresponsiveness

If you think you may have an alcohol addiction, securing help is in your best interest. At our rehab center, we can provide you with the treatment you need to withdraw from alcohol in a safe environment. Likewise, don’t be afraid to talk to someone if you have a problem with alcohol abuse or addiction.

Alcohol rehab support area:

What Does Alcohol Addiction Look Like?

Alcohol triggers your brain to release dopamine, which causes the state of euphoria to occur after a few drinks. Through drinking heavily and frequently, alcohol corrupts our brain’s natural reward pathways.

Many things activate our reward pathways, such as music, food, and exercise. But our brains soon learn that alcohol causes instant pleasure and begins to crave it at all costs.

An addiction to alcohol causes both physical and psychological symptoms. However, you might not realize you are experiencing these symptoms, or you may not be ready to accept them. Yet, the only way to prevent them and combat an alcohol use disorder is via treatment.

Common physical signs of addiction include:

Tolerance to alcohol and needing more for the desired effect
Sudden weight gain or weight loss
Sleep problems, such as insomnia
Unexplained bruises and injuries
Lethargy
A disorganized appearance
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms

Common psychological symptoms of addiction include:

Short-term memory loss
Mood swings
Irritability
Exacerbated mental health issues

If you have developed an addiction to alcohol, your behavior will also begin to change, causing behavioral symptoms to impair your life. Changes in your behavior might be the first clue that you need help. Likewise, changes in your behavior may cause your loved ones to question your health and well-being.

Like many other people, you might not believe that your behavior is changing, and you may not believe you have an alcohol use disorder. However, if you notice that alcohol has slowly gotten the better of you, reach out for help.

Behavioral signs of addiction include:

An obsession with getting your next drink
Finding excuses to drink
Drinking in secret
Irritability and agitation when you can’t drink alcohol
Neglecting responsibilities
Poor hygiene
Prioritizing alcohol above things you once loved and enjoyed
Prioritizing alcohol over spending time with your friends and family
Defensiveness, secrecy, and lying about the extent of your alcohol use
Risky behavior, such as driving under the influence or unprotected sex

Sadly, addiction can slowly take over every aspect of your life. With addiction, you are no longer in control. But treatment is available to support you through the withdrawal process and help you make a long-term recovery.

What Are Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms?

If you have an alcohol dependence, the only way to overcome your problem is by seeking treatment at a rehab center. Usually, the first stage of treatment is detoxification.

During detoxification, alcohol withdrawal occurs as alcohol is removed from your body, which enables you to physically begin to recover. However, due to being physically dependent on alcohol, detox can cause you to experience withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal can be uncomfortable, but detoxing is an essential step to becoming alcohol-free, and such symptoms are a sign that your body is rewiring itself.

Common symptoms of alcohol withdrawal are:

Nausea and vomiting
Headaches
Tremors
Fatigue
Sleeping problems
Vivid dreams
Low mood and depression
Anxiety
Irritability
Cravings

Symptoms can start as soon as six hours after your last drink and peak at around 72 hours before tapering off. Rehab centers are designed to keep you comfortable throughout the duration of your detox. They also provide other resources for your recovery, such as therapy and mental health support.

For most people, the detox process only takes up to one week. However, for others, detox may take longer to complete, and more intense and severe withdrawal symptoms may arise.

What Are Delirium Tremens (DTs)?

In the case of severe addiction, detoxing may give way to more intense withdrawal symptoms. These are called delirium tremens (DTs). This particular withdrawal symptom is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition; however, they usually only occur in about 5% of detox cases when a person has a severe prolonged alcohol addiction.

People who experience delirium tremens usually do so around 24 to 48 hours after they stop drinking.

Symptoms of delirium tremens include:

Panic attacks
Shaking
Chest pains
Agitation
Nightmares

More serious symptoms of delirium tremens include:

Severe confusion
Hallucinations
Fever and sweating
Heart palpitations
Grand mal seizures

If you experience delirium tremens, supervision from medical professionals is vital. This is because life-threatening complications include sepsis, cardiac arrest, coma, and seizures. However, by attending a rehab center, these symptoms can be managed using medications, such as benzodiazepines.