What are the Symptoms and Stages Of Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

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Last updated on April 28th, 2022 at 10:01 am

Wondering where to seek rehab help for alcohol addiction in England and Wales?

*This page was medically reviewed by Dr Robert Lefever in 2021

We have all the information you need on alcohol withdrawal, all in a single place.

For someone who has become alcohol dependent, trying to cut alcohol intake can be challenging. If you drink heavily, you risk an increased heart rate when you quit. The pressure on your nervous system can trigger mental and physical medical symptoms – but if you can get through the treatment for alcohol withdrawal symptoms, you can recover. The severity of the alcohol withdrawal symptoms you may experience when you quit drinking will vary. How long your recovery lasts is generally dependent on how long and how much you have been drinking. Most cases of acute alcohol withdrawal will be over within a week to ten days. If you have decided to quit on your own, we suggest you seek medical advice before you go any further.

Understanding how to Quit an Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol withdrawal is a condition that affects your whole being. There’s a common misconception that alcoholism is just “in your head”, as if it were a mental health problem. The reality is that once the addiction has taken hold, it affects your entire body including your brain. Your mental health is affected as a result. You will need a doctor or rehab to recover.

When a person drinks all the time, recovery can seem impossible. Fortunately, the alcohol detox process is at its worst for the first 72 hours. After this 72 hour period, the medical symptoms stop being so severe and you can make your recovery.

You will build a tolerance to alcohol over time

The more you drink, the more your mind starts to consider it a “normal” state. This is known as building a tolerance for alcohol. If you become tolerant of alcohol, then you need to drink more to experience the same relaxed and happy feelings.

With this tolerance comes an increase in your addiction. The longer it goes on for, the more tolerant to alcohol you become and the worse your withdrawal symptoms will be[i].

Remember, you can call Help 4 Addiction on 0203 955 7700 to seek out a rehab clinic that suits you.

What happens if I go “Cold Turkey”?

The term “cold turkey” refers to people completely cutting off their alcohol use. When someone stops drinking all at once without recovery treatment, we call it cold turkey. The person has realised that they have an addiction or alcohol use disorder and wants to do something about it.

When you detox cold turkey, withdrawal symptoms could be severe or life threatening. People who have their situation medically reviewed before they start addiction treatment have a better chance to get help and stop drinking for good.

Physical and Psychological Symptoms of Alcohol Addiction Withdrawal

There are both physical and psychological effects of alcohol addiction.

The Physical Symptoms

Your heart suffers during alcohol withdrawal. Drinking a high amount of alcohol over a long period of time or binging on drinks at a party can cause a person serious heart issues like high blood pressure. Your liver also takes a heavy toll when you drink a lot. You’ll find you could start experiencing liver inflammations if you’re too careless.

Other physical symptoms of alcohol withdrawal include everything from a mild headache to a more severe cardiac arrest[ii].

The Psychological Symptoms

Alcohol withdrawal gives you a persistent lack of focus, sometimes for many weeks. You can also expect to feel understandably anxious at the change in lifestyle. Depression is also possible since your brain will be trying to convince you to drink again. Fight through it and it will be worthwhile.

What is Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome?

Known as Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (or AWS[iii]), this is a name we give to persistent symptoms of withdrawal after you quit drinking. You can experience AWS whenever you lessen how much you are drinking. Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome encompasses all the alcohol withdrawal symptoms and ranges in severity between light and heavy drinkers.

What are the Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal?

The signs of alcohol withdrawal will begin a few hours after your last drink and will get steadily worse within the following 24-48 hour period.

Mild Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

The mild symptoms of alcoholism include:

A feeling of anxiety
Depressive thoughts
Excessive tiredness/fatigue
A rise in irritability
A lowering or rising of blood pressure
Regular nightmares
Difficulty focusing
Constant mood swings

How long do mild alcohol withdrawal symptoms last?

Severe Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

These are the severe withdrawal symptoms that occur during stage three and four of withdrawal from drinking. Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal include:

Constant headaches
Insomnia
Tremors
Nausea and vomiting
Profuse sweating
A loss of appetite
Fever
Delirium tremens

If you, a friend or a loved one experiences these withdrawal symptoms, then it’s vital to get help because these symptoms could easily escalate to DTs (Delirium Tremens). When that happens, you will need to be in the treatment of medical professionals to deal with the symptoms that may potentially be life-threatening[iv].

What is Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome?

Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, or PAWS, is a term applied to a persistent set of symptoms that cluster together to make alcohol withdrawal unbearable for some. It is essentially a mental illness which convinces you that you must drink again. Although you might not be aware of it at the time, the symptoms become so bad that you give in. PAWS can last for years after you stop drinking but it can be managed with therapy.

The Four Stages of Alcohol Withdrawal

Some people describe the stages of alcohol withdrawal in four parts.

Stage One – Stage 1 detox starts with light withdrawal symptoms that may include tremors, anxiety, headaches, sweating, abdominal pain, hating life, and fatigue. These may start within 12 hours of you last drinking.

Stage Two – Stage two introduces hallucinations. This often starts 12 hours after your last drink, and you may find that the hallucinations will become increasingly vivid as the hours pass. Symptoms from stage 1 will typically overlap with these hallucinations, amplifying their severity.

Stage Three – Stage three of detox comes 48 hours after you stop drinking. You may start to experience seizures due to dehydration. Symptoms may include trembling.

Stage Four – Stage four is known as delirium tremens or DTs (Delirium Tremens). During this stage, you will experience confusion, delirium, continued hallucinations, seizures, fever, sweating and potentially even a stroke. This can start 48 hours after you stop drinking but is known to also start around two weeks after your last drink. There is currently no way to stop the delirium tremens stage once it begins and it is considered the most dangerous[v].

The stage of withdrawal from drinking that you experience will depend on how much alcohol you consume.

How to Deal with Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms?

If you are only experienced stage one or two symptoms, then a comfortable environment in the care of a loved one or trustworthy friends will be all you need to deal with your symptoms. Alcohol dries you out so it’s important to drink plenty of fluids[vi].

However, if you exhibit stage three or four symptoms, then it’s time to get help. It’s important to prepare so that in the event you do suffer from hallucinations and life threatening symptoms, you have professional medics that are ready to give you treatment.

The-long term solution for solving alcohol withdrawal symptoms lies within your alcoholism itself. You need to work on training your digestive system to operate normally without alcohol. Specialised medication, detox, and alcohol rehab treatment can help deal with the symptoms, but it will not help the underlying issue of alcohol abuse or dependency.

Dealing With Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

If you are only experience stage one or two symptoms, then a comfortable environment in the care of a loved one or trustworthy friends will be all you need to deal with your symptoms. Alcohol dries you out so it’s important to drink plenty of fluids. You may want to search for someone to watch over you in case you express stage 4 symptoms in your sleep.

The-long term solution for solvingalcohol withdrawal symptoms lies within your alcoholism itself. You need to work on training your digestive system to operate normally without alcohol. Specialised medication, detox, and alcohol rehab treatment can help deal with the symptoms, but it will not help the underlying issue of alcohol abuse or dependency.

What happens when you stop drinking?

Several things will happen when you stop drinking.

1 – Your appearance will improve

When you stop drinking, your appearance improves. You are less dehydrated, you take better care of yourself, and you may even put on or lose weight.

2 – Your body will recover

Your body will recover from your alcohol addiction if it was mild or middling. A severe alcohol addiction will take its toll on you, but it can heal itself. Alcohol withdrawal will eventually pass, leaving you free of your drinking problem. Treatment may help speed the process.

3 – You will begin to forget

Once you have been not been dependent on alcohol for three weeks or more, you will start to forget about your addiction. Gradually, one day at a time, you will wake up and think about other things.

4 – Your mental health will significantly improve

With no addiction in your life, you can look forward to losing that anxiety you have been carrying around with you. There will be no more worrying about what to do when the drugs or money run out[vii].

5 – You will Heal

Your mind and body will begin to heal. With each new day you will feel better. You will be able to have the kind of life that you see other people with. When you stop drinking, your life will get better. It takes a few weeks, but that’s what we are here for.

What Help4Addiction do to Help You Fight Addiction?

If you’d like to learn more about alcohol withdrawal symptoms or want advice on treatment clinics to get in touch with, then feel free to contact us on 0203 955 7700. We’re always willing to offer impartial and non-judgmental advice and you can remain anonymous if it makes you more comfortable.

[i] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/alcohol-misuse/treatment/

[ii] https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/mental-health/alcohol-withdrawal-symptoms

[iii] https://www.healthline.com/health/alcoholism/withdrawal

[iv] https://patient.info/doctor/acute-alcohol-withdrawal-and-delirium-tremens

[v] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6286444/

[vi] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322373

[vii] https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/mental-health/alcohol-and-mental-health

[viii] https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/mental-health/alcohol-withdrawal-symptoms

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do you go through alcohol withdrawal for?

The length of time you suffer the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal for will depend on how long you drank, when you drank, how much you drank, and other factors. Your weight, metabolism, and willpower will all come into play in the measurement.
This means that alcohol withdrawal symptoms could last anything from 3 days to 3 months. It is probable that you will still crave alcohol for years after you successfully quit drinking. However, those alcohol withdrawal symptoms represent the worst of your detox/rehab from alcoholism and should disappear within the first few weeks at most.

What are the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal?

There are multiple symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. They range from mild to severe. Milder alcohol withdrawal symptoms include headaches, aches and pains, and a short temper. More elaborate alcohol withdrawal symptoms – such as those experienced by heavy drinkers – can feature bigger problems. Cardiac arrest, delirium, and even high fever can all accompany alcohol withdrawal. The longer you have been a drinker for, the worse you can expect those symptoms to be.

Is Delirium a symptom of alcohol withdrawal?

Yes, but only in the most serious of circumstances. If you have been a heavy drinker for a long time, both delirium and cardiac arrest are the two main alcohol withdrawal symptoms you should worry about. It is for these reasons that you should not try to quit cold turkey if you have been a heavy drinker for a long time. Go to your doctor instead or call us.

What’s the worst thing that can happen if you go “cold turkey” from drinking too much?

The worst symptom of alcohol withdrawal is those experienced by heavy drinkers, who have decided to quit all at once. Going cold turkey is fine for those with a mild addiction, but if you have been an alcoholic for any longer than a few weeks, you ought to get medical advice before you quit.
Let’s not beat about the bush here… alcohol withdrawal can kill you if you are used to drinking large quantities every day.

How do you know if you have alcohol poisoning?

Not all alcoholics will experience alcohol poisoning throughout their time as a drinker, but most will go through it at some point. If you have alcohol poisoning, your life is in danger. Those that are suffering from alcohol poisoning should call 999 immediately, or 911 if you live in the states.Those with alcohol poisoning experience a loss of co-ordination and severe confusion. Their speech will be slurred, they will breathe irregularly, and they may even pass out and become unresponsive. This condition can also incorporate vomiting and may lead to brain damage or even death.

How long do drinkers live?

Again, this depends on how much they drink and the frequency with which they take it. a mild drinker might only lose a year or two off their life – but a heavy drinker can expect liver failure to cut their life short. There are several other conditions that are all connected to drinking too much, inclusive of pancreatitis, cancer, malnourishment and vitamin deficiencies, and stomach and gut issues. All of these will take time off your life when it comes down to it.

How long will a light drinker go through alcohol withdrawal for?

A light-yet-frequent drinker will take at least three days for the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal to pass. A very light drinker might even go through detox and rehab in just a few days. This is one of the reasons we tell people it is never too early to get help for addiction here in the UK. It is far easier to suffer for three days and be clean of alcohol than it is to suffer for three weeks.

How long will a heavy drinker go through alcohol withdrawal symptoms?

For the drinker who has been daily drinking for many months, they can expect a harder time of recovery. The longer you drink for and the more you take, the harder it is to quit it. You can expect the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal to remain acute for anything up to three weeks. A fortnight is the normal time period, but if you are a larger person with a slower metabolism, then you can expect it to be closer to three weeks.
Remember, even when you are free of drink completely, you will always be tempted by it. These aren’t withdrawal symptoms; they are similar to a pregnant person’s cravings. However, once the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal have passed, it will be far easier to say no than it is at the start of your recovery journey.

How long does it take to detox from alcohol?

Again, this depends on you and your circumstance. On average, a person going through alcohol detox will take around 72 hours before the sharpest of the detoxing has passed.

How long does alcohol stay in your system for?

Whether you are a heavy drinker or a light one, alcohol stays in your system for the same amount of time. It leaves your body at a rate of one unit per hour. This means that if you drink 12 units, it will be 12 hours before you can legally drive… which is definitely something to keep in mind if you are out for a night on the tiles!