Alcohol Withdrawal Timeline

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Understanding Alcohol Withdrawal

People who develop an alcohol use disorder and then quit drinking will go through withdrawal.

As a result, they develop physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms and, if left untreated, endure physical and emotional pain so severe that they usually start drinking again. These withdrawal symptoms cannot be willed away and can actually be dangerous or deadly, which makes getting into a licensed alcohol detox program so important.

Alcohol Withdrawal Timeline

While not everyone has the same symptoms or duration of them, there is a general alcohol withdrawal timeline. It can be influenced by how long a person has been addicted to alcohol and how much they typically consume it.

• Day 1-2: The symptoms can start within a few hours of having the last drink and may include headaches, anxiety, moodiness, nausea, and shakiness.

• Day 3-5: The withdrawal symptoms are at their peak during this time. They include ones the person is already experiencing, plus others like vomiting, insomnia, nightmares, and sweating.

• Day 6-10: Most withdrawal symptoms start to subside during this time or stop altogether. The ones that tend to continue past this stage are often emotional in nature, such as anxiety, depression, and moodiness.

How Long Does Alcohol Withdrawal Last?

The initial stages of alcohol withdrawal last up to two weeks.

This is the time a person is most at risk of relapsing and needs to be surrounded by residential support to help them stay on track in recovery. After leaving detox, the individual should enroll in a residential or outpatient program to keep building on their progress.

After detox, they will likely still have some withdrawal symptoms, but those can be treated with prescription medications. As well, the therapy they attend helps them keep the symptoms in check and stay laser-focused on healing their mental and physical health.

What Is Delirium Tremens?

Delirium tremens (DTs) can happen to someone going through alcohol withdrawal, especially if they have abused alcohol for an extended period of time and consumed large amounts each day.

Delirium tremens can be dangerous and even deadly if not treated by medical professionals. This makes it important that someone going through detox attends a residential program so all of their symptoms can be monitored. 

Symptoms of delirium tremens can include the following:

• Being in a state of confusion or a stupor
• Serious cognitive difficulties
• Body tremors
• Hallucinations
• Lapsing into a coma

What Causes Alcohol Withdrawal?

People go through an alcohol withdrawal timeline because of the effect that long-term alcohol abuse has on their bodies.

Heavy alcohol consumption affects the central nervous system and often creates a dependence on drinking. People’s brains naturally produce feel-good hormones like endorphins. Repeated alcohol abuse causes the brain to have difficulty producing these hormones, and the individual relies on drinking to feel joy and elation.

When a person attempts to quit drinking, their emotional system crashes, and they experience withdrawal symptoms because they have become reliant on alcohol. 

What is the Treatment for Alcohol Withdrawal?

A person attending an alcohol treatment program will spend the first days experiencing some symptoms as part of their alcohol withdrawal timeline.

During this time, they will be provided with access to prescription medications that help ease these withdrawal symptoms. Additionally, we provide several types of therapy that teach people to dig into the reasons they are driven to abuse alcohol and develop healthy coping skills to resist triggers.

These therapy modalities include:

• Trauma Therapy
• Holistic Therapy
• Family Therapy
• EMDR Therapy
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

Recommended: Supplements for Alcohol Withdrawal

The Importance of Professional Alcohol Detox in Arkansas

Too often, people think they can go through the detoxification process on their own. Sadly, this is rarely effective and puts the person in danger if they have withdrawal symptoms that require medical treatment.

Our detox program provides a safe and nurturing environment for people to go through their withdrawal. Because our program is residential, each person we treat can take advantage of getting away from the daily stressors and temptations of life while they work to restore balance in their life.

Our skilled staff stands prepared to help people when they have withdrawal symptoms that include both medical and emotional ones.