A curvilinear relationship between alcoholic withdrawal tremor and personality

Many studies cite no more than 80% incidence of hand tremor during withdrawal in known alcoholics, although this symptom is one of the diagnostic signs of addiction. We found that of 48 patients tested, hand tremor increased in 29 Ss after the application of a passive relaxation technique while it decreased in 28. It was found that MMPI data obtained for both groups fitted the inverted U curve in that the most distressed Ss tremored as little as did the least distressed originally, while the tremor increased in the high stress group after relaxation therapy while it decreased in the least stressed group. Implications for alcoholism research and theory were discussed, and the possible superiority of the CES to drug therapy for withdrawal was noted.