Alcohol withdrawal is a set of symptoms that people have when they suddenly stop drinking after using alcohol for a long period of time. Some people have mild shakiness and sweats. Some people hallucinate (hear and see things that don't exist). The worst form of withdrawal is called "DTs" (delirium tremens). DTs can be very serious if not treated by a doctor.

Withdrawal symptoms rarely occur in people who only drink once in a while. Symptoms usually occur in people who have been drinking heavily for weeks or months and then suddenly stop drinking. People who have gone through withdrawal before are more likely to have withdrawal symptoms each time they quit drinking.

When someone who has become "alcohol dependent" decides to stop drinking, they will experience some level of physical discomfort. For this reason, it is extremely difficult for them to merely stop drinking "on their own" without assistance and support.

For some, who are less chemically dependent, withdrawal symptoms might be as "mild" as merely getting the shakes, or the sweats -- or perhaps nausea, headache, anxiety, a rapid heart beat, and increased blood pressure.

Although these symptoms are uncomfortable and irritating, they are not necessarily dangerous. But they are often accompanied by the "craving" for more alcohol, making the decision to continue abstinence much more difficult to make.

Even the "morning after" hangover of someone who only occasionally drinks to excess, is actually a mild form of alcohol withdrawal from the excesses of the night before, as the alcohol content of their blood begins to drop. The symptoms can appear within a few hours after not drinking.

• Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal
  • Anxiety or Panic Attacks
  • Paresthesias, Shakes or Jitters
  • Chills, Sweats, or Fevers
  • Chest Pain
  • Headache
  • Nausea or Vomiting
  • Abdominal pain
  • Paranoid delusions or illusions
  • Auditory and visual hallucinations
  • Sweating or Rapid Pulse
  • Increased Hand Tremor
  • Insomnia
  • Physical Agitation
  • Grand Mal Seizures
• Signs of Alcohol Withdrawal
  • Blood Pressure, pulse and temperature elevated
  • Hyperarousal, Agitation, or Restlessness
  • Cutaneous Flushing or Diaphoresis
  • Dilated pupils
  • Ataxia
  • Altered Level of Consciousness or Disorientation
  • Delirium tremens