Right now
I need a drink
Pick the one that sounds most like what is happening.
Alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous and can be fatal. If you drink heavily every day, get shakes or feel ill without alcohol, or have had withdrawal before, do not suddenly stop without medical advice.
For a seizure, hallucinations, severe confusion, collapse or serious deterioration, call 999.
What fits best?
Right now...
Do this first
Get through the next few minutes
Do not argue with yourself about forever. Make it harder to take the first drink right now.
Move away from the alcohol. Leave the room, the shop or the pub if you can.
Tell somebody what is happening. Say: “I am trying not to drink and I need you to stay with me or talk to me.”
Eat something and have a non-alcoholic drink. Give yourself something else to do while this moment passes.
Do not keep testing yourself. You do not need to stand beside alcohol proving you can resist it.
This matters
If you feel you need alcohol to feel normal
A hangover and alcohol withdrawal can overlap. If you are shaky, sweaty, anxious, sick, vomiting, or feel much worse when the alcohol wears off, your body may be dependent on alcohol.
Do not treat this by guessing how much more alcohol to drink. Get medical advice about stopping safely.
Contact your GP for medical advice. If you need urgent medical help and your GP is closed, call NHS 24 on 111.
Get medical help
Do not try to manage severe withdrawal alone
If you are dependent on alcohol, stopping suddenly can be dangerous. Get medical advice now rather than trying to push through it by yourself.
Contact your GP for medical advice. If you need urgent medical help and your GP is closed, call NHS 24 on 111.
If you have severe confusion, hallucinations, a seizure, collapse, or are seriously unwell, call 999.
Talk to someone now
Do not sit with this on your own
Call someone you trust and tell them plainly that you are close to drinking and need them to stay on the phone or be with you.