Quitting cold turkey can have serious consequences, recovery experts say. Photo / 123rf
Quitting cold turkey can have serious consequences, recovery experts say. Photo / 123rf
While methamphetamine often makes the headlines, alcohol addiction is the number one drug people seek help for at a Tauranga addiction treatment centre.
Quitting cold turkey, however, can have serious consequences, recovery experts say.
Alcohol harm in New Zealand costs an estimated $7.86 billion per year, according to a June 2024 report from the public health agency within the Ministry of Health.
“Consistently, we’ve always seen that alcohol, by far, has the biggest number of people referring to our service,” Hanmer Clinic director Sue Hancock said.
Of the 515 clients, alcohol was the first problem for 340, followed by methamphetamine (116) and cannabis (59) as three primary addictions people seek help for at the clinic in Greerton.
“The problem is the addiction starts to develop over time, and people’s purpose for drinking shifts,” Hancock said.
A person wanting help for alcohol could face incredible stigma when asking for help, and simply admitting a problem could lead to a real and perceived fear of losing the support of friends and family.
“There’s a lack of understanding about what an addiction is, but there’s also a resistance on an individual level, that somebody’s got an issue until they may be at a point where they’re losing so much.”
Quitting long-term alcohol addiction was not just a simple matter of going cold turkey and quitting drinking on the spot – as the consequences of this can be fatal.
“Coming off alcohol, one has to be careful,” Hancock said.
“We’ve got to assess people. It’s not just a case of, well, stop.”
The risk of detoxing alone
Withdrawing from alcohol addiction can be dangerous, especially for people with severe dependence due to the risk of severe symptoms such as seizures, delirium tremens and even death, co-owner of Mount Medical Centre and addiction specialist, Dr Tony Farrell said.
The first 24-72 hours were the most dangerous for those withdrawing. Symptoms including mild anxiety, shaking, sweating, and nausea, could escalate to hallucinations and seizures, Farrell said.
People seeking detox should seek professional help to manage withdrawal symptoms and receive psychological support for long-term recovery.
Tony Farrell is a GP who specialises in addiction. Photo / Andrew Warner
People could approach their healthcare provider or go directly to some services such as the Salvation Army, Hanmer Clinic, or Alcohol and Drug Helpline.
Local addiction services such as those available through Te Whatu Ora also offered support, he said.
Reaching out to supportive, non-judgemental friends would provide support and motivation through the challenges of withdrawal.
People battling addiction also had co-existing illnesses, including depression, anxiety or post-traumatic street, he said.
“Many people with addiction have also suffered life events, such as sexual abuse, which also are surrounded by stigma and taboo. Women are also more harshly judged than men, so there are many layers of stigma.”
To reduce alcohol abuse he backed recommendations from Alcohol Action NZ for the Government to raise alcohol prices and the purchase age; limit outlets selling alcohol and sale hours; reduce marketing and advertising of alcohol; and increase treatment options by making addiction services more accessible.
In 2021, a Local Alcohol Policy Background Report was released by Tauranga City Council, where the area was shown to have higher rates of chronic alcohol use than the New Zealand average.
The city council implemented the Local Alcohol Policy (LAP) on July 8 of this year, which lays out rules for the sale and supply of alcohol locally.
Changes included bans on new bottle stores in high-deprivation areas, closing time for on-licensed premises moving from 3am to 2am and a range of discretionary conditions that could be applied to off-licenses.
