Alcohol Use Disorder: Signs, Treatment and How to Stop Drinking

Get emergency help now if you have a seizure, confusion, hallucinations, fever or severe shaking after reducing or stopping alcohol. Call 112 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Don’t drive yourself. Ask someone to stay with you. 

You tell yourself you’ll have only one or two drinks tonight. But once you start, stopping at two becomes difficult. The next morning, you decide to take a break. By evening, you’re thinking about drinking again. You may still be working, managing your home and meeting people as usual. That can make it hard to know when regular drinking has become a health problem.

This article explains the signs to look for, when stopping suddenly may be dangerous and how alcohol treatment can help.

Can You Stop Drinking Alcohol Suddenly?

Not always. If you drink heavily every day, speak to a doctor before stopping.

Withdrawal can begin within hours of your last drink. You may feel shaky, sweaty, anxious or sick. Sleep can become difficult and your heart may beat faster. Seizures usually happen within 8 to 48 hours. Severe withdrawal can also cause hallucinations, fever, confusion and extreme agitation [1].

Call 112 or go to the nearest hospital if these symptoms appear. Do not try to manage severe withdrawal at home. Speaking to a doctor does not automatically mean going into rehabilitation. Some people can stop at home with medical support. Others need to be monitored for a few days.

What Are the Signs of Alcohol Use Disorder?

The main sign is loss of control, not simply how much you drink. You may have a problem with alcohol if you:

• Regularly drink more than you planned
• Have tried to cut down but could not continue
• Think about drinking often
• Need more alcohol than before
• Feel shaky or unwell when you miss a drink
• Continue drinking despite problems with health, work or relationships

Sometimes the reason for drinking changes too. It is no longer only for enjoyment. You drink to sleep, calm down or feel normal. Alcohol use disorder is one type of substance dependence. Doctors look at how many signs are present and how much they affect your life [2].

Can You Have a Drinking Problem and Still Seem Fine?

Yes. Many people with alcohol use disorder continue working and looking after their families. The signs may be easy to hide. Your evening starts revolving around the first drink. You avoid plans where alcohol will not be available or hide how much you have had.

Sleep gets worse. Mornings become harder. You keep setting the same limits and crossing them. From the outside, everything may look fine. That does not mean drinking is still under control.

How Much Alcohol Is Too Much?

There is no completely risk-free amount of alcohol. Health risks increase as drinking becomes heavier or more frequent. The World Health Organization classifies alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen because there is clear evidence that it can cause cancer [3].

This does not mean you need to panic about an occasional drink. But comparing yourself with somebody who drinks more will not tell you whether your own drinking has become a problem. Ask yourself: Can I comfortably choose not to drink? If your limits keep changing or even a short break feels difficult, pay attention to that.

Should You Cut Down or Stop Alcohol Completely?

That depends on your health and whether your body has become dependent on alcohol. If you are not physically dependent, you may be able to cut down. Decide your limit before you start drinking, keep some days alcohol-free and avoid storing extra bottles at home.

Also notice when the urge appears. If you normally drink after work, change what happens during that hour. Eat earlier, step outside or call someone. Changing the routine may be easier than sitting with the craving and trying to ignore it.

If you need a morning drink, feel shaky without alcohol or drink heavily every day, do not stop on your own. Ask a doctor on how to do it safely.

Why Is It Hard to Stop After One Drink?

Because alcohol affects judgement and self-control. The limit you made while you were sober becomes easier to ignore after the first drink. Drinking also becomes tied to routines such as coming home from work, having dinner, meeting friends or feeling stressed. After a while, the situation itself can bring on a craving.

This is why treatment looks at more than willpower. If stress often leads you to drink, mindfulness and relaxation techniques may help alongside treatment.

You do not need to wait for drinking to cause a major crisis. If you keep crossing the limits you set for yourself, speak to a doctor.

Does Alcohol Help You Sleep?

Alcohol may help you fall asleep quickly, but it often disturbs the second half of the night. You may wake early and feel tired or irritable the next day. By evening, another drink seems like the easiest way to relax and the cycle continues.

Read more about insomnia and sleep problems.

How Is Alcohol Use Disorder Treated?

Treatment may include medical care, medicines, therapy and support groups.

A doctor will first ask how much you drink, what happens when you stop and whether you have had withdrawal symptoms before. Blood tests may be needed to check your liver and general health.

• Some medicines make withdrawal safer. Others may help reduce cravings. Read more about how psychiatric medicines are prescribed and monitored.
• Therapy can help when drinking is connected with anxiety, depression, trauma, poor sleep or problems at home. It can also help you recognise triggers and plan for situations in which you usually drink. If therapy feels unfamiliar, read what to expect in psychotherapy.
• Most people are treated through outpatient appointments. Residential rehabilitation is only one option, and not everyone needs it.

Can People Recover from Alcohol Use Disorder?

Yes. Many people reduce or stop drinking with treatment and continued support.

A US survey of more than 4,000 adults who had experienced alcohol dependence found that around 36% were in full recovery. This included people who were abstinent and people drinking at low-risk levels without symptoms of dependence [4]. 

Recovery may take more than one attempt. Drinking again does not erase the progress you made. It may show that cravings, sleep or another trigger still needs attention and the treatment plan can be changed.

Where Can You Get Help for Alcohol Use Disorder in India?

You can speak to a psychiatrist, family doctor, hospital psychiatry department or de-addiction service. In many families, drinking is treated as bad behaviour rather than a health problem. That shame can keep people from asking for help. Family members may also feel angry or exhausted, and their concerns can be discussed during treatment. 

A small NIMHANS study interviewed 15 people with severe alcohol use disorder. They spoke about needing help not only with drinking, but also with family conflict, privacy, finances and finding affordable care near home [5]. 

If possible, take one supportive person to your first appointment. Ask about cost, privacy and whether you can receive treatment while living at home. You can also book a confidential consultation with Allo Health. A doctor can check whether stopping at home is safe and help you decide what to do next. You do not need to have already decided to stop forever.

If you are worried about somebody else’s drinking, read how to support a loved one.

When Is Alcohol Withdrawal an Emergency?

Seizures, confusion, hallucinations, fever or severe agitation after reducing alcohol need immediate medical care.

Call 112 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Stay with the person and do not try to manage severe withdrawal at home. If you or someone with you has thoughts of self-harm, see crisis support and helplines in India or call 112.