Going cold turkey may be torturous and life-threatening for alcoholics, says rehab expert:
Cape Town - A rehabilitation medical specialist said if people addicted to alcohol were to go cold turkey, they may experience severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms which may not only be torturous but life-threatening too.
Alcohol sales having been banned since the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown on March 27 and Laurenson said mild symptoms that people experience withdrawal symptoms include mood swings, irritability, anxiety, fatigue, and insomnia, which in some individuals may last for weeks and even months. “It may surprise many people to learn that in the high-risk individual, alcohol withdrawal is more dangerous than any other type of drug withdrawal,” he said.
"This is particularly important if the individual has had a long history of heavy drinking, is over the age of 50, and has also had a previous history of seizures, heart attack, or stroke, as they are at particularly high risk of suffering serious, and even potentially fatal,withdrawal symptoms.”
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