How Long Do Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms Last? (2024 Guide)
Content Overview
Deciding to quit drinking with our Alcohol home detox programme may sound like the end goal, but to ensure your sobriety success, that goal needs to be specific and realistic. There are three stages to consider:
1. The decision to stop drinking alcohol.
2. The planning of your treatment programme with a medical professional – Our at-home-based detox service conducts an extensive assessment with you over the phone to ensure your needs and safety during detox and withdrawal are taken into consideration.
3. Staying motivated during the withdrawal phase of your recovery. Understanding the withdrawal symptoms you may experience and the typical timeline these symptoms can occur in, will help you to be prepared and able to stay motivated and sober.
According to the Industrial Psychiatry Journal, here are some general guidelines as to what you can expect with alcohol withdrawal stages.
1st Day (Stage 1 & 2)
When you begin an alcohol detox, the first symptoms of alcohol withdrawal may begin within 6 hours of your last drink. These include:
irritability
anxiety
nausea
rapid heart rate
sweating
tremors
sleep disturbances
After passing the 12 to 24-hour mark, some people start experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms like:
tactile hallucinations, like a sense of itching, burning, or numbness after you significantly reduce alcohol intake.
auditory hallucinations, also known as hearing sounds that don’t exist as withdrawal affects brain functioning.
visual hallucinations, also known as seeing images that don’t exist. These are especially prevalent if you drink heavily but stop suddenly, according to the national institute of Alcohol studies.
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3rd Day to 1st Week (Stage 4)
Within 48 to 72 hours after your last alcohol drink or reduction in alcohol consumption, you may experience severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms, called DT – Delirium Tremens or Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium.
Delirium Tremens only affects long-term heavy drinkers, and usually occurs on alcohol withdrawal day 3. These severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal last will often occur with men who have 15 drinks or more per week and women who have 8 drinks or more per week. However, you face various risk factors of more severe withdrawal symptoms if you have:
a history of alcohol withdrawal
a history AWD
other health problems in addition to alcohol abuse
a history of alcohol withdrawal seizures or other brain damage
low platelet counts
High Blood pressure
low potassium levels
low sodium levels
older age at the time of withdrawal
pre-existing dehydration
presence of brain lesions
use of other drugs
Symptoms of AWD or DTs may include all or some of the following:
agitation or irritability
anxiety
chest pain
confusion
delirium (extremely disturbed state of mind)
delusions (firmly believing things that are proven untrue)
excessive sweating
excitement
eye and muscle movement problems
fatigue
fear
fever
hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there)
increased heart rate or breathing rate
increased startle reflex (exaggerated reaction to unexpected stimuli)
involuntary muscle contractions
nausea
nightmares
restlessness
seizures
sensitivity to light, sound, or touch
stomach pain
sudden mood changes
If your drinking habits have been heavy for a long time, and had alcohol withdrawal diagnosed, you may have a seizure within 6 hours of your last drink, which could be potentially life threatening.
If you are a long-term heavy drinker or are diagnosed with Alcohol Use Disorder, it is advised that you undergo the detox and withdrawal phases under medical supervision. They will help to reduce withdrawal symptoms using clinical and diagnostic research that is fit for people who drink alcohol. One of the benefits of online rehab is the access to medical professionals who can guide you through this process safely.
A ‘support buddy’ should be with you throughout the detox of alcohol addiction to help you stay hydrated, notice when you’re experiencing withdrawal symptoms, as well as ensure the medication you are prescribed is taken as directed.
If you don’t have a nominated person to help, we offer a Sober Coach as part of our home detox service. They have the necessary experience to notice alcohol withdrawal symptoms, whether they are mild symptoms or life threatening symptoms.
Minor withdrawal symptoms usually peak between 18 to 24 hours and start decreasing after about five days. In rare cases, moderate withdrawal symptoms (rapid heart rate, illusions) can last for a month, affecting your central nervous system, causing a nervous system disease or resulting in abnormal liver function. But all symptoms tend to cease in under 6 months, even in the most severe form of alcohol withdrawals.
We Can Help with Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome!
We understand that there’s a need for an affordable, safe, and flexible option to facilitate alcohol detox and deal with physical withdrawal symptoms at your home. That’s why our at-home detox service has been developed to provide the safest detox process possible with specific plans to help when you experience withdrawal symptoms.
Whether it’s mild alcohol withdrawal symptoms or it’s more severe form, our team can help with the necessary medical care or to get immediate medical attention.
Addiction treatment for drug abuse or alcohol misuse rarely requires you to go to a medical detox facility. As medical professionals of the local mental health services administration, our team can help reduce alcohol cravings and walk you through the alcohol withdrawal timeline UK following your last drink.
Mild anxiety or severe confusion are expected hours after the last drink, expecially if you had a heavy alcohol dependence. They understand the need to create a supportive environment when you experience symptoms, as worsening health conditions could lead to a medical emergency.
Our Service Offers
Medically Assisted Alcohol Withdrawal Treatment
We start with an initial assessment with a medical professional over the phone. To ensure a safe detox programme at home, our medical professional prescribes medication to manage potential withdrawal symptoms for the treatment for alcohol dependence. We post these medications confidentially as part of our convenient service to treat alcohol withdrawal.
Home-Based Therapy
Detoxing from alcohol use is a major achievement, but you’ll need to put in some work to stay sober.
Counselling is a vital part of any substance abuse treatment plan, as it can help cope with alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and family counselling can help you stay sober by helping you identify and cope with triggers of alcohol withdrawal syndrome like:
stress
cues in the environment or at home
social interactions, like spending time with friends who continue drinking
Our service offers an at-home therapy option to assist you during and after the alcohol withdrawal process. Regardless of the form of alcohol withdrawal that you experience or health conditions that you face, our team can help.
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Start the process of withdrawing from alcohol safely today!
Author / Jason Shiers / Dip.Psych
Jason Shiers is a Certified Transformative Coach & Certified Psychotherapist who is a specialist in addiction, trauma and eating disorders. He has been working in the field of addiction for 25 years now.
