Increased severity of alcohol withdrawal in in‐patient alcoholics with a co‐existing anxiety diagnosis

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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine whether alcoholics with a co‐existing anxiety disorder (dual‐diagnosed group) experienced different withdrawal symptomatology from alcoholics without an anxiety disorder (alcohol‐only group). Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal were measured on admission to an in‐patient treatment program and throughout treatment (days 0, 2, 7, 14 and 21) using the revised Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol (CIWA‐Ar) scale. The dual‐diagnosed group exhibited more severe alcohol withdrawal, as indicated by higher total CIWA‐Ar scores, at all time points than the alcohol‐only group. The possibility that anxiety disorders and alcohol withdrawal share a common neurochemical basis and that the CIWA‐Ar scale may be useful as a screening instrument for anxiety disorders in alcoholics is discussed.