hen singer Amy Winehouse died suddenly in July 2011, there was a lot of speculation as to the cause of her death. While there were those who dug up her history of drug and alcohol abuse as a possible cause for her death, her family brought up the idea that Winehouse may have succumbed to alcohol withdrawal syndrome, as she has been trying to kick her drinking habit for good – although the presence of alcohol in her body, as indicated in toxicology reports, seems to refute this theory.

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome, however, is a very real condition, and regardless of the fact that it may not have played a role in Amy Winehouse’s death, knowledge about its symptoms and the dangers these may pose will be beneficial to anyone who is going through it, or anyone with a loved one who is trying to quit drinking.

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome describes the symptoms that someone who is trying to limit or stop drinking alcohol may experience, especially if alcohol consumption has become a habit and excessive alcohol intake has been going on for long periods of time.

Symptoms may range from mild to very severe, and while there are symptoms that may only cause discomfort to the individual concerned, there are those that may prove to be fatal if left unchecked.

Some of the symptoms are as follows: agitation, anxiety and panic attacks, confusion, and diarrhea. One may also suffer from depression, alcoholic hallucinosis, psychosis, and seizures.

The symptoms that a recovering alcoholic may experience, and the severity of these symptoms, may depend upon a variety of factors, such as age, genetics, degree of alcohol intake, duration of alcohol addiction, and the number of previous attempts at detoxification.