Unavailability of alcohol sends addicts to hospital

From a maximum of five patients a day, the number has increased to 90

31/03/2020, K SHIVA SHANKER,HYDERABAD

Deprived of regular dose of alcohol, addicts are suffering from seizures and delirium.

The number of people visiting the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Erragadda, with severe alcohol withdrawal effects has seen a dramatic increase after the lockdown in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Usually, a maximum of five persons suffering from withdrawal effects visit IMH. However, the number touched 16 on Saturday, 25 on Sunday and 90 on Monday.

Along with other commercial establishments, liquor shops too have been shut for over a week as part of efforts to contain the spread of the virus.

Severe effects

Deprived of their regular dose of alcohol, addicts have slipped from symptoms such as restlessness and trembling, to severe effects such as seizures and delirium. Though people have been holding on to the hope that exemption might be made for chronic alcoholics if a doctor prescribes daily consumption of certain amount of alcohol, psychiatrists debunked the idea.

They said no doctor will prescribe alcohol to patients, even as little as two or three pegs, as the body will only demand more.

Detoxification and de-addiction treatment was strongly suggested as the path to recovery. Liquor shops were closed in the State on March 22.

IMH’s superintendent M. Uma Shankar said that when an addict is denied alcohol, he initially suffers from effects such as trembling, anxiousness, sleeplessness at night and perspiration. He is unable to sit in one place.

“After two or three days, they might develop severe effects such as seizures and delirium — acute confusion where people will be disoriented about time, place, people,” Dr. Uma Shankar said.

Psychiatrists at IMH said they were also seeing people who were hallucinating in the past few days.

Detoxification process

When a person walks in with the problem, his blood pressure, pulse rate and respiration are checked. As chronic alcoholics do not eat on time, they suffer from hypoglycemia. Dehydration and weakness too are observed.

Fluids and detoxifying agents are given as part of treatment. People suffering from delirium and seizures are admitted.

Dr. Uma Shankar said the detoxification process lasts eight to 10 days. “Time for de-addiction treatment depends on whether the patient cooperates, and if there is family support,” he said.