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I Do Not Know the Severity of Your Alcohol Dependence, But...

answered 01:15 PM EST, Wed March 12, 2014
anonymous anonymous
I quit alcohol 16 days ago. The first days were really hard but after day 3 I felt better than I had felt for a long time. Yesterday all of a sudden I started feeling disassociated and extreme anxiety for no reason and I have had nagging anxiety bugging me since I woke up today with no cause for it. Could what I am feeling be related to my withdrawal such as related to PAWS? I never took the vitamin regimens that were suggested to me to avoid PAWS but is it still too late to do anything about it?

Dr. Mark Abrahams Says...

Dr.  Mark Abrahams . Abrahams
PhD, MTS, LMHC, NCC, CCMHC, MAC, NBCFCH
LinkedIn.com

...You need to consult with a medical doctor. I am a non-medical practitioner who is not licensed to dispense either medicine or medical advice. I do not have enough information about you, like whether you required or even consulted a physician about getting off alcohol, what the level of your dependence was, what degree of withdrawal symptoms you had, etc. Abrupt withdrawal from severe alcohol dependence can be dangerous and even fatal, so I'm assuming you weren't in rehab undergoing detoxification (but I don't know), and it's good you're still out there and asking questions! You just need to ask the appropriate experts.

If a physician recommended a vitamin regime (especially B-complex, or an emphasis on B1, that says to me that you had a significant problem and should most definitely be taking these, so please begin! The result of specific vitamin deficiencies can create grave medical conditions. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) deficiency alone, for example, can result in Korsakoff's Syndrome, with cerebral atrophy - brain shrinkage! This in turn can create all manner of neurological impairments, like a shuffling gait, or confabulation (unintentionally fabricating complicated answers to simple questions), and severe memory loss that can effect one's ability to perform long practiced physical tasks. 

Do yourself a favor and follow a medical professional's advice here, alcohol is a dangerous toxin, ands PAWS is a statistically probable result if your dependence has been significant. Ask your physician if a GABA (Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid) supplement would be advised to relieve anxiety and facilitate sleep, but do not simply obtain this substance and dose yourself! It often helps to research things in order to ask pertinent questions of our physicians, but they are the ones who are versed in contraindications based on your own specific medical history. I know people who have taken GABA with negative effects. Please do not continue to take your recovery lightly.

 
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Page last updated Mar 12, 2014

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