What Causes Alcohol Withdrawal?
People experience alcohol withdrawal when minimizing or no longer drinking alcohol because their brains and bodies have become accustomed to functioning with alcohol. In fact, withdrawal from any drug happens because a person’s body has become physically dependent on the substance. For example, If you suddenly quit drinking coffee after a 10 cup a day habit, you will probably get a headache.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms occur because of a central nervous system depressant that changes the way your brain works. Technically, drinking alcohol causes your brain to produce more GABA (a neurotransmitter that causes you to feel calm and euphoric) and less glutamate (a neurotransmitter that makes you feel excited). Thus, when detoxing from alcohol, the brain starts producing less GABA and more glutamate to balance things out.
When you suddenly stop consuming alcohol, your brain can’t keep up with the changes and you feel the effects of unbalanced neurotransmitters. This causes individuals that detox from alcohol to often experience the alcohol withdrawal symptoms of jumpiness, tremors, and anxiety.
Whether you experience many alcohol withdrawal symptoms or not, when you stop drinking often depends on a few factors including:
- How much you typically drink
- How long you’ve been drinking
- Other health conditions
Generally speaking, if you’ve been drinking heavily for a long period of time, you are more likely to experience more intense alcohol withdrawal symptoms when you stop.