system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: What happens in the body that causes seizures during alcohol withdrawal/detox?

My dad had a seizure while going through withdrawals when I was younger and it was horrifying. When he came to, he looked like he was drunk again despite not drinking at all that day. Can someone explain this to me, please?
gpt
There's a receptor in the brain called GABA-A. It's inhibitory, meaning it reduces the electrical signals in the brain. Alcohol and benzos activate the GABA-A receptor. These drugs have an inhibitory effect on the brain (they are "downers").

However, when you use these drugs for long periods of time, the brain will produce less GABA-A receptors. This is called desensitization. If you stop using the drugs suddenly, your brain now has a GABA deficit. It has a shortage of inhibitory signals, which leads to *dis*inhibition. The number of electrical signals increase, and you have a seizure.