Dying for a Drink?
07/09/2011
If a person drinks alcohol at certain levels they may develop a physical dependency. Simply put they physically need alcohol. When a person becomes dependent (some say addicted) it is potentially life threatening if they stop drinking or even reduce their consumption. This doesn’t mean that they can never stop, but it does mean that it is not as simple as going “cold turkey”.
Excessive drinking causes a number of changes in the body and brain so that the person’s central nervous system and neurochemistry is only “balanced” when the habitual levels of alcohol are present. When the alcohol levels drop the person enters a phase of withdrawal, also known as detoxing. There are a number of symptoms of detox that range from the mild, moderate to severe and even fatal.
There are basically two ways to deal with a person entering into the withdrawal phase;
1. Keep drinking. Maybe this sounds strange, that having a drink could be the right option, but truth is that if someone goes into an unsupported withdrawal they are at risk of any of the withdrawal symptoms. You can’t predict exactly what symptoms they’ll experience. As death is a potential complication it could be a case of literally “dying for a drink”.
The quickest way for the body and brain to stabilise is to consume more alcohol to avoid withdrawal. This is one of the reasons why people can’t just stop drinking on their own. Will power or wanting to stop don’t have any part to play here. People may have tried to stop but simply can’t cope with what they experience.
2. Get Urgent Medical Help. It is best to only stop drinking with expert help. This should be arranged before you stop drinking. Sometimes people are so desperate to stop drinking that they clear the house of alcohol or worse still someone else does. They are adamant that they won’t drink anything. Withdrawal hits and suddenly they need help. A& E departments may be the only place to turn. It is best to plan your treatment so that you can avoid these kinds of crises.
Detoxification treatment involves the prescription of medication to prevent and reduce alcohol withdrawal symptoms. This medication supports the patient, physically and neurochemically taking the place of the alcohol. This medication is then gently reduced a period of time – usually one week to 10 days.
Alcohol Withdrawal present a number of risks ranging from minor discomforts to serious medical complications. Only alcohol withdrawal carry an inherent risk of death.
Convulsions and seizures are a significant risk that can result in death in some cases and cause permanent brain damage in other cases. Not only can these fits cause harm but other injuries including trauma to the head can also occur during attacks.
The likelihood of these complications can be reduced by the person receiving specialist medicated detoxification with clinical supervision and support; this makes it the safest and most effective way to stop drinking.
