What Happens When You Stop Drinking Alcohol Cold Turkey

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, approximately 15.1 million adults have alcohol use disorder. In addition, 26.9 % of adults say they’ve engaged in binge drinking recently. Alcohol use disorder is a disease that requires the aid of alcohol addiction treatment in Jacksonville FL in order to successfully become sober. You may wonder what happens when you stop drinking alcohol cold turkey?

The Effects of Alcohol on the Body

To understand the effects of quitting alcohol cold turkey, we must first look at how alcohol affects the body.

Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows down your central nervous system and respiratory system. Alcohol affects the body’s brain, liver, stomach, pancreas, heart, bones, and central nervous system. When someone drinks regularly and heavily, his or her body adjusts to the depressant’s effect while allowing the alcohol to continue bringing damage to the other organs.

What Happens When You Stop Drinking Alcohol Cold Turkey?

People usually realize that they have a problem with alcohol and want to stop drinking. They may make a promise to family or loved ones that they are going to quit drinking, but doing so on their own can be very risky.

When your body has become adjusted to alcohol and you abruptly stop, you may experience alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). Since the body was used to being in a slowed down state, your brain had to work differently to keep up with staying alert. When you abruptly stop, your brain is still in hyperactive mode and your central nervous system attempts to bounce back to a “normal” state. This causes a lot of symptoms. Some of what happens when you stop drinking alcohol cold turkey are as follows:

Mild symptoms

• Shakiness or tremors
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Difficulty sleeping
• Sweating
• Anxiety

Severe symptoms

• Cardiac complications from the low electrolytes, which could lead to a heart attack
• Hypophosphatemia, which is a low level of phosphate, and can lead to a coma
• Seizures
• Lung malfunction
• Alcoholic ketoacidosis, which impacts the pancreas’ ability to produce insulin and can be life-threatening

Help at Beaches Recovery

Welcome to Beaches Recovery, where we can help you come off alcohol safely. We provide premier treatment in a compassionate environment to ensure our guests are comfortable. All of our therapies are evidence-based and proven to bring those struggling with alcohol use disorder safely to a place of sobriety. Some of our therapies include:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Individual therapy
• Family therapy
• Group therapy
• Trauma therapy

Don’t let alcohol dominate your life. Now that you know what happens when you stop drinking alcohol cold turkey, seek the treatment you need to overcome your addiction safely. Contact us at 866.605.0532, and we’ll get you on the road to recovery.