Why Does Alcohol Make My Anxiety or Mood Feel Worse the Next Day?
If you think you may be physically dependent on alcohol, stopping is not simply a question of willpower.
If you think you may be physically dependent on alcohol, stopping is not simply a question of willpower.
When the body has adapted to regular alcohol, a sudden stop or substantial reduction can trigger acute alcohol withdrawal. In moderate or severe dependence this can become medically dangerous.
The safest first step is therefore not to design your own detox. It is to get an appropriate medical or specialist alcohol assessment.
What can suggest physical dependence
NHS guidance describes withdrawal symptoms including anxiety, difficulty sleeping, nausea or vomiting, a racing heartbeat, sweating and shaking.
People may also notice that symptoms improve after drinking again.
Craving, needing more alcohol to get the same effect, drinking in the morning or repeatedly being unable to reduce drinking can also be warning signs of alcohol-use disorder or dependence.
Why suddenly stopping can be dangerous
The Department of Health and Social Care’s current UK clinical guidelines say people with moderate or severe dependence can develop acute alcohol withdrawal when they abruptly stop or substantially reduce drinking.
Serious complications can include seizures, hallucinations and delirium tremens, which can involve severe shaking, agitation, fever and profound confusion.
This is why advice that simply says “pour the alcohol away and stop today” can be unsafe for somebody who is dependent.
What should I do instead
Contact a GP or specialist alcohol-treatment service and explain honestly what you drink and whether you have had symptoms when reducing or stopping.
Assessment can consider your drinking pattern, severity of dependence, previous withdrawal, physical and mental health, medicines, other substance use and your circumstances.
Current UK guidance says people who may be dependent should be assessed to determine whether medically assisted withdrawal is needed and what setting is appropriate.
Does treatment always mean going into hospital
No.
Current clinical guidance says medically assisted withdrawal can often take place in the community for people whose assessment shows that this is safe. People with severe dependence, previous withdrawal seizures or delirium tremens, significant health complications or other complex needs may require more intensive or inpatient care.
The setting is a clinical decision based on individual risk, not something a guide can determine from the amount somebody reports drinking.
What is medically assisted withdrawal
It is a planned withdrawal managed by appropriately trained clinicians.
Medication may be used to reduce withdrawal symptoms and complications, with monitoring and other treatment according to individual need. UK guidance also addresses thiamine because heavy alcohol use can create a risk of serious neurological complications.
The exact medicines, doses and setting are clinical decisions and should not be copied from somebody else’s detox plan.
When withdrawal symptoms need emergency attention
NHS guidance advises calling 999 or going to A&E for severe alcohol-withdrawal symptoms such as severe visible shaking, marked agitation or restlessness, confusion, hallucinations or a seizure.
If you are unsure whether symptoms are serious, seek urgent medical advice rather than trying to manage escalating withdrawal alone.
Withdrawal is only one part of treatment
Getting alcohol safely out of the body does not by itself resolve the reasons drinking became important.
Good treatment can also address craving, mental health, physical health, relationships, housing, work and the situations that make returning to alcohol more likely.
A medically safe withdrawal can be the beginning of recovery rather than the whole of it.
Last reviewed
6 September 2026
Important informationThis guide provides general information only and is not medical advice, a diagnosis or a substitute for professional healthcare or alcohol-treatment advice. Alcohol can cause physical dependence. If you experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop or reduce drinking, or think you may be dependent on alcohol, seek medical or specialist alcohol-treatment advice before making a significant change to your drinking.