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Alcohol

Alcohol withdrawal can be medically dangerous — please read this first.

Risk: life-threatening

Do not detox alone. Get medical supervision. Call SAMHSA 1-800-662-HELP or 911.

About alcohol

Ethanol is a central-nervous-system depressant that crosses the blood-brain barrier within minutes, boosting GABA and suppressing glutamate. Regular heavy use rewires that balance, which is why stopping suddenly can be dangerous.

EthanolBoozeLiquor

Health statistics

~2.6 million

Global deaths each year

Source: WHO, 2024

~4.7%

Share of all global deaths

Source: WHO

~29.5 million

US adults with alcohol use disorder

Source: NIAAA / NSDUH 2023

7+ types

Cancers causally linked to alcohol

Source: IARC

Short-term effects

•Slurred speech, impaired coordination and judgment
•Disinhibition followed by sedation
•Nausea, vomiting, dehydration
•Blackouts at high blood-alcohol levels

Long-term health risks

•Liver disease: fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis
•Heart: high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy, stroke
•Cancers: mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, breast, colon
•Brain: memory loss, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
•Mental health: depression, anxiety, suicide risk

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What to expect — timeline

6–12 hrs
Anxiety, shaky hands, headache, nausea, trouble sleeping, sweating.
12–24 hrs
Sometimes hallucinations (alcoholic hallucinosis). Usually still safe-ish, but worth a check-in.
24–48 hrs
Seizure risk is highest here. If you've ever had a seizure during withdrawal, do NOT detox at home.
48–72 hrs
Delirium tremens (DTs) can begin — confusion, fever, racing heart, severe tremor. This is a medical emergency.
Day 4–7
Symptoms ease for most. Cravings stay strong. Sleep often takes weeks to settle.

What helps

•Hydrate constantly — small sips of water, broth, or oral rehydration salts.
•Eat what you can. Bananas, eggs, toast, soup. B-vitamins (especially thiamine) matter a lot here.
•Cool washcloth on the back of the neck for nausea and sweating.
•Don't be alone overnight in the first 72 hours if you can avoid it.
•Soft lighting, calm music or familiar TV — sensory load makes everything worse.

Red flags — go to ER

Seizures, confusion, hallucinations, fever above 38.3°C / 101°F.
Heart racing above 120 bpm at rest.
Severe vomiting that won't stop.
Any past history of DTs or seizures during withdrawal.

When to get help

Heavy daily drinkers should detox with medical supervision. Call SAMHSA 1-800-662-HELP, your local ER, or 911 if any red flag appears. This is one of the few substances where unsupervised withdrawal can kill you.

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