The physical and psychological symptoms that result when a person who is dependent on alcohol suddenly stops drinking.
The neurological, psychiatric, and cardiovascular signs and symptoms that result when a person accustomed to consuming large quantities of alcohol suddenly becomes abstinent. Alcohol withdrawal usually follows a predictable pattern. In the first hours of abstinence, patients are often irritable, anxious, tremulous, and easily startled. Their blood pressure and pulse rise, but they remain alert and oriented. If they do not consume alcohol (or receive drug treatment) in the first 12 to 48 hours, they may suffer an alcohol withdrawal seizure. Abstinence for 72 to 96 hours may result in severe agitation, hallucinations, and marked fluctuations in blood pressure and pulse. This stage of withdrawal is known as delirium tremens, or alcoholic delirium; it may prove fatal in as many as 15% of patients.