If you have been drinking alcohol heavily or for an extended period of time, it is likely that you’ll have withdrawal symptoms if you stop suddenly. That’s because over time, your brain adjusts to the depressive effects of alcohol by working harder to transmit signals and keep itself alert. When alcohol is taken out of the equation, this state of restlessness remains, causing you to feel extremely irritable, anxious and confused. Intense cravings coupled with these unpleasant effects of alcohol withdrawal cause many people to continue drinking, even when they sincerely want to quit.