PHASE ONE
6-12 Hours After the Last Drink
Heavy drinkers may experience this phase many times before pursuing recovery. Six to twelve
hours after the last drink, nausea, headaches, anxiety, sweating, or body aches can set in. The desire to drink to quell them is strong.
PHASE TWO
12 Hours to 2 Days After the Last Drink
After twelve hours, the symptoms begin to escalate. This is when alcohol detox can become dangerous, if not medically managed. Possible alcohol withdrawal symptoms in this stage include irregular heartbeat, racing pulse, or even seizure or heart attack. For heavy users, it’s best to enter a medically managed detox to make it through this phase as safely and as comfortably as possible.
PHASE THREE
3 to 4 Days After the Last Drink
The effects of alcohol detox become worse three to four days after the last drink. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms during this stage can include blood pressure spikes and even death if not medically managed by professionals. More minor symptoms during this period include hallucinations, fever, heavy sweating, and insomnia.
PHASE FOUR
Days 5 Through 7
After day four, alcohol withdrawal symptoms begin to subside. Still, this is one of the most crucial stages of alcohol detox – the time when heavy users can begin to address the underlying issues that may have caused the alcohol abuse in the first place, and to plan for next steps.
