Withdrawal after WLS, What should I expect?

When I take my last drink and wake up to a brand new beginning, what should I expect physically in the following hours, days, weeks? I have seen it first hand kind of, my good friend went thru medical detox and rehab, with Drs, meds, etc and I know its hard on the body. In his case it was 20 years of daily drinking. I don't know the stats of course, but for me it's been 1 year...will I be able to do it without medical intervention? I am seeking therapy at the same time, but I'm wondering if I should go to a medical dr for meds or anything?? I know I'm harming myself while drinking, but I don't want to add insult to injury in my quest to get sober. I have done research on line and realize I will feel crappy and nauseous, sweats, tired etc....so besides the mental part, the cravings and stuff, what can I expect physiologically? THANKS MY FRIENDS!! Lori

Everyone is different. My best suggestion is to go to a rehab or hospital emergency room and ask for help detoxing. You are asking a medical question of us and we are not medical professionals. I did not drink everyday, so I did not have to detox. Detoxing, for some alcoholics, can be fatal. That is why I recommend going to a hospital or rehab to detox. If you are serious about starting recovery, a rehab is a good place to start. They can help you with the early sobriety stuff. Hugs, Trish

Lori: I went through detox about a month ago - And have been sober since then. I was a daily heavy drinker - and at the detox unit they give you medications that keep the "edge" off and allow you to detox slowly. I can remember from my days when I was a volunteer at the local jail - that a sheriff there told me that detoxing from alcohol was harder then dedtoxing from any other drug other then heroin. In addition, since I went through detox I was able to be examined by a psychiatrist and got RX's for depression (Zoloft) and anxiety attacks - that I tend to suffer when I drive. If you have insurance - I highly encourage you to go to a detox unit. Anne