Alcohol withdrawal can occur if your teen abruptly quits drinking or drastically lowers the amount of alcohol they consume. According to recent data, if someone with an alcohol addiction stops drinking suddenly, almost half of them will experience withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms generally affect 3 to 5% of teens in the United States.
Because of this, teens need to undergo treatment as soon as possible to avoid more severe complications. Teen alcohol rehab aims to provide treatment for teens in Los Angeles struggling with excessive alcohol consumption. Numerous facilities are available in the state that make treating substances and alcohol their top priority.
What is Alcohol Withdrawal?
Alcohol has a delaying or depressive impact on the teenage brain. The brain of a frequent, long-term drinker is vulnerable to alcohol’s depressive influence. The mind alters its structure over time to adapt to this impact. It achieves this by producing more naturally stimulating neurotransmitters, such as serotonin or norepinephrine, than someone who does not drink too much alcohol.
When your teen quits or drastically reduces their alcohol consumption after weeks, months, or years of heavy drinking, they may experience mental and physical issues, known collectively as a withdrawal. This starts a few hours after the last consumption and can last up to five days. It is a combination of distressing and sometimes harmful sensations caused by the absence of alcohol’s influence on the brain.
Symptoms of Teen Alcohol Withdrawal
Adolescents who suffer alcohol withdrawal commonly have a habitual drug use problem known as alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is a combination of symptoms that can develop after a duration of excessive drinking. The most common ones are anxiety, shakiness, shivering, nausea, increased heart rate, and fever. Convulsions, delusions, and delirium tremens (DTs) are some of the more severe symptoms of AWS.
According to some people who go through teen alcohol withdrawal, the process is much worse than the actual side effects. The withdrawal effects usually appear six hours after the last intake, then peak between 24 and 72 hours, and subside within at least seven days.
- Dizziness and nausea — Similar to the effects of alcohol during the first consumption, teens may feel nauseous. Also, some of them describe the feeling “as if the world is spinning too fast,” indicating that they are dizzy. They may vomit at least once or twice and feel an extreme headache in the morning. When experiencing alcohol withdrawal, this issue becomes worse. Usually, vomiting lasts the entire duration of withdrawal, and it may continuously occur for at least 12 hours. In some cases, teens may experience the same symptoms as migraines — extreme headaches, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to light and sounds.
- Irritability and anger — Due to your teen’s current situation, they may feel discouraged to do anything, which may cause them to feel worthless and helpless. They cannot process their emotions well since the alcohol in their body acts up, making it extremely difficult to control their raging emotions.
- Inattentiveness — Just like with other substances, like marijuana and cocaine, teens lose their focus when under the influence of alcohol. This sometimes gets worse during the withdrawal stage.
- Poor sleep quality — During alcohol withdrawal, your teen may struggle to sleep. Their frequent vomiting, dizziness, and extreme headaches may force them to stay up all night.
- Lack of appetite and sudden weight loss — Teens who suddenly quit drinking may lose their appetite, making them drop weight. Although they might want to eat, their body says otherwise and throws everything up. This happens because they crave alcohol but no longer have access to it. However, skipping meals may also be a rebellious act by someone being forced to stop drinking.
- Restlessness — Alcohol withdrawals also cause teens to feel uneasy. They may ask to increase the room’s thermostat, then sweat excessively. But when you slightly lower it, they might feel chills and shivers.
Easing the Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal
When it comes to managing substance use disorders (SUDs), adolescents typically go through two stages. Detox and treatments take different approaches; detox focuses on your child’s physical withdrawal symptoms, while therapy sessions focus on their behavioral and cognitive functioning.
Medications can aid with withdrawal symptoms during detox. Detox is typically not considered a treatment in itself but rather a first step in the recovery process. In 2017, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of the NSS-2 Bridge, an electronic stimulation device. It is placed behind the ear, and it helps alleviate substance withdrawal symptoms by stimulating the brain nerves responsible for drug ingestion.
In addition, the FDA has approved the use of the drug Lofexidine for the same reason. Outpatient programs, in which your child is allowed to go home following their treatment schedules with their doctor, are another option to solve teen alcohol withdrawals issues.
If you are looking for teen alcohol rehab facilities in Los Angeles, you came to the right place. Your teen will be in good hands with us. Not only do our rehab facilities aim to stop the alcoholic behavior, but they also focus on the overall improvement of their health.