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Meditation for Alcohol Abuse
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Alcohol withdrawal refers to a condition that occurs when a "heavy" or "frequent" drinker suddenly stops drinking alcohol and goes "cold turkey."
When an excessive drinker suddenly stops drinking, their body usually reacts to produce the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal within 12 hours although the symptoms can be experienced up to one or two weeks later. About 95% of people who quit using alcohol experience some type of withdrawal symptoms, which sometimes necessitates treatment in an alcohol rehab center. The symptoms of withdrawal range from mild to moderate to severe depending upon the degree of "chemical dependency" the drinker has developed over time. The mild symptoms of alcohol withdrawal include:
Moderate symptoms of alcohol withdrawal include more serious conditions such as:
The severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal include fever, convulsions, seizures, blackouts, and hallucinations. A condition called delirium tremens (DT) can occur that involves confusion, disorientation, hallucinations and severe heart disturbances. The more heavily a person has been drinking and the more "alcohol dependent" they have become, the more likely and serious the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal to be expected. In serious cases, the symptoms can become life threatening and require hospitalization. In those cases, doctors will monitor an individual for their heart rate and breathing, elevated temperature (fever), dehydration, liver failure, and other possible signs of alcoholism related damage. Alcohol withdrawal is a serious matter requiring hospitalization and a doctor's care, who may administer various medications based on the sufferer's conditions. When someone is hospitalized for alcohol withdrawal, they are usually observed closely and tested for various disorders such as liver damage, cardiomyopathy, neuropathy, blood clotting disorders, and malnutiriton. During the hospitalization withdrawal period, they may often be sedated or given tranquilizers to reduce the symptoms. There is also a "drying out" period during which time no alcohol is allowed to be ingested. Alcohol rehabilitation is often recommended by doctors after withdrawl and can continue to involve medication, behavioral therapy and social support systems. The big problem is dealing with the lingering cravings for alcohol that remain. The cravings for alcohol that continue to occur after withdrawal can be managed through (1) meditation that teaches the process of detaching from thoughts, cravings and impulses, (2) through detox and withdrawal supplements such as thiamine and glutamine, (3) through an improved diet that's low in junk food, sugars and grains, (4) through support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and (5) through improved motivational discipline, which is bolstered through mental training techniques such as NLP (neurolinguistic programming) and the emotional freedom technique of Gary Craig as well as by subliminal suggestion tapes designed to help you break the drinking habit. More information on alcohol withdrawal symptoms and alcohol rehab and detoxification can be found below: |