There is some confusion over exactly what a tolerance to alcohol is and where it comes from. Some people mistakenly believe that alcohol tolerance refers to something genetic or some kind of useful ability to resist intoxication, when in fact, alcohol tolerance is not a healthy condition to fall into at all. What alcohol tolerance actually is is the point where a person’s body has become so used to alcohol that it has become reliant on it, as well as becoming resistant to its effects. Alcohol has addictive qualities, but it is also a toxin to the body when consumed too heavily, which means that anyone who has become tolerant to the effects of alcohol has a high level of toxicity within their body.

Alcohol tolerance develops through a process over a period of time rather than developing quickly. Tolerance and substance addiction are not the same thing, however, tolerance is always present in substance addiction. The basis for alcohol tolerance begins when a person discovers that the effects of alcohol are desirable, and they want to keep experiencing these effects whenever they choose. As they pursue these effects over time, they will discover that they need to keep increasing the amount of alcohol they consume in order to continue feeling these effects. This discovery may be subconscious, but the decision to increase alcohol consumption is consistent.

Alcohol is something the human body becomes used to and dependent on overtime. As the body continuously receives more and more alcohol, it will change its chemistry to treat the alcohol like a necessary chemical, which is the truest definition of alcohol tolerance. It is a condition that can only be increasing, decreasing or non-existent, never balanced. Tolerance to alcohol is harmful for the human body and brain. If you or someone you are close to has built a tolerance to alcohol, it is highly advisable that substance abuse treatment is sought right away.

What goes up must come down. This adage plainly represents the state of withdrawing from alcohol. To be an alcoholic is like being in a dream state. There is no denying that waking from it is going to be unpleasant. Alcohol withdrawal is what a person goes through when their body has become dependent on alcohol and then alcohol is eliminated. There is nothing enjoyable about it. Not only will you be forced to take inventory of the ways alcohol has damaged your life, but you will be experiencing unpleasant physical symptoms that can range anywhere from headaches and lethargy to full blown seizures. The worse the alcoholism, the worse the withdrawal symptoms, which give you an accurate understanding of the toxicity level within your body.

Withdrawal symptoms can be minor or they can be serious, depending on how severe the alcoholism is. A person who is only mildly or moderately addicted will experience symptoms such as sweats, headaches, restlessness, difficulty sleeping and nausea. A person who is a severe alcoholic will endure harder symptoms, such as tremors, flu like symptoms and in extreme cases, even seizures and unconsciousness. There are documented cases of people dying due to severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Because these symptoms can pose a health threat to the recovering addict, it is highly recommended by medical and mental health professionals to undergo a medically supervised detoxification when quitting any kind of substance abuse addiction.

The length of time it takes to withdraw from alcohol depends largely on the individual’s personal biochemistry and on the severity of the alcoholism. Generally speaking, the worse the alcoholism, the worse the withdrawal symptoms. Everyone’s body chemistry is different, and some people have deteriorated worse than others due to their alcohol addiction. Their withdrawal symptoms will tend to be worse than others. The average length of withdrawal is a few weeks, but can be as fast as several days or as long as several months.