Alcohol Detox

The recovery from alcoholism begins with alcohol detox. Alcoholics are stripped of their dignity, and their capacity for hope. They lose the ability to care about anyone or anything other than their next high. The good news is that rehab can change all that, and it all starts with alcohol detox. People who drink alcohol on a regular basis become tolerant to many of the unpleasant effects, and thus are able to drink more before suffering these effects. Yet even with increased consumption, many such drinkers don.t appear intoxicated. While they continue to work and socialize reasonably well, their deteriorating physical condition may go unrecognized by others until severe damage develops such as liver disease and or hepatitis. It may take a trip to the hospital for some unrelated reasons at which point they suddenly experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Physical addiction to alcohol occurs consistently with heavy drinkers. Since their bodies have adapted to the presence of alcohol, they suffer alcohol withdrawal whenever they suddenly stop drinking. When you begin the process of alcohol detox, you will most likely experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms. These physical alcohol withdrawal symptoms are different for everyone, but can include sweats, nausea, vomiting, tremors, anxiety, and the possibility of convulsions and seizures. With the medications that are available today, an effective alcohol detox and alcohol treatment program can minimize, and in some cases almost eliminate, the symptoms associated with alcohol withdrawal.

Keep in mind that in an alcohol detox program, all that has been accomplished is the elimination of alcohol from the body, the management of alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and the development of a foundation for your future recovery. The real work must follow and comes in resolving the core issues surrounding why you continue to drink, despite all of the negative consequences. Research shows that people who only attend alcohol detox, instead of also following through with an alcohol rehab program, will most likely relapse.

The average length of time you spend in an alcohol detox program is between three to seven days. Alcohol detox can be completed safely and effectively in any residential alcohol treatment program. If you are using drugs in conjunction with alcohol, it is imperative that this information is shared with the treating physician. These additional drugs can drastically alter the alcohol detox protocol designed for you, which is the tool used to manage your alcohol withdrawal symptoms.