Early signs of alcohol withdrawal. In most cases, although patients in the early stages of withdrawal experience prominent anxiety and physical discomfort, they do not exhibit gross impairment in orientation or attention, and they do not report perceptual disturbances.igns of alcohol withdrawal include: 1  anxiety or nervousness. 2  depression. 3  fatigue. 4  headache. 5  insomnia (sleeping difficulty). 6  irritability. 7  jumpiness or shakiness. 8  mood swings.