What is Alcohol Detox Treatment?

The question of what is alcohol detox treatment is one that many people want to know the answer to before thinking about committing to the idea of getting help. Some individuals cannot even come to terms with the fact that they might need alcohol help and it is left to their loved ones to think about what is alcohol detox treatment and can it be used for their affected family member.

What you should know is that an alcohol detox is usually a very important part of the recovery process and is required to break the physical cycle of addiction. It is the process that will help with the elimination of built-up chemicals and toxins after many years of alcohol abuse.

Alcohol detox treatment can help to make the process easier and safer and the type of treatment provided will depend on your own individual circumstances. Before we discuss what is alcohol detox treatment though, it is important to learn a bit more about the process of detoxification and what to expect from it.

Where Can I Find Alcohol Detox?

If you are looking for help for an alcohol addiction for yourself or someone you love, it is important to know a bit more about alcohol detox treatment and where you can find it. The good news is that this type of treatment is offered in towns and cities the length and breadth of the country.

Organisations such as the NHS, charities and private clinics can help you if you need help to overcome alcohol addiction. Here at Recovery.org.uk, we work with many organisations in our mission to connect those in need of help for addiction with the facilities that provide it.

By getting in touch with us today, you can quickly access a programme of detox treatment that will help you break the bond between yourself and alcohol.

What is Alcohol Detox Like?

One of the biggest obstacles to alcohol treatment is detoxification. Many people have heard stories about how excruciatingly painful a detox is, and the very idea of alcohol withdrawals is enough to make some believe they would be better off continuing as they are.

Negative portrayal of addiction and recovery in the media for decades has led countless affected individuals to fear alcohol detox. This prevents many people from tackling their addictions, and, ultimately, failure to get treatment for alcoholism can be disastrous.

So, what is an alcohol detox like, and do you have any reason to fear it? The resounding answer in terms of fearing it is no. An alcohol detox is your opportunity to break those chains of addiction that have been holding you back for so long.

While there is no denying that an alcohol detox is not a pleasant experience, most of those having gone through it would put it on a par with having a bout of the flu; you are likely to feel unwell for a number of days, but these feelings will pass and when they do, you will be ready to tackle the other issues that have led you to this point in your life.

What you should know is that because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that affects almost every single cell in the body, it is likely that you will experience withdrawal symptoms as your body attempts the process of healing itself and getting back to normal.

What to Expect from Alcohol Detox

Your alcohol detox will begin when you quit drinking alcohol. For years, your body will have been used to your consumption of alcohol and will have adjusted to its presence. When you suddenly stop drinking it, your body will go into overdrive as it attempts to flush out any remaining chemicals and get back to normal.

After around six to twelve hours from the time you had your last drink, the effects of alcohol will begin to wear off and your body will realise that the next dose is not coming. At this point it will begin the healing process and you are likely to experience the earliest signs of withdrawal.

Your symptoms at this juncture might include:

• hyperactivity
• tremors
• loss of appetite
• nausea
• vomiting
• headache
• agitation
• restlessness
• sweating
• racing pulse
• high blood pressure.

The type of symptoms that you do experience will depend on how heavily you were drinking and how long you had been abusing alcohol. Some individuals will only experience one or two mild symptoms; others might suffer the whole gamut of symptoms from mild to severe – it is impossible to predict.

What you should be aware of is that most of the mild symptoms will ease after a few days. Nevertheless, other symptoms such as hallucinations may begin; around a quarter of all those going through an alcohol detox will suffer hallucinations. While these are not life-threatening, they can be quite frightening for some.

Severe symptoms are also a risk with an alcohol detox and can include convulsions, seizures, and delirium tremens (DTs). The DTs are a set of sudden and complex changes within the body that can lead to intense symptoms such as severe shaking, paranoid delusions, severe sweating, high blood pressure, high temperature and dehydration.

The DTs are classed as a medical emergency and should be dealt with as such; those who develop the DTs will require medical intervention. The good news is that in a supervised detox facility, the severest alcohol withdrawal symptoms, including the DTs, can usually be prevented with alcohol detox treatment. What is alcohol detox treatment though?

What is Alcohol Detox Treatment Like?

You have the choice of detoxing at home or in a dedicated facility. If you choose to detox at home, you will need people around you throughout the process to supervise and monitor you, even when you sleep.

It is advisable, however, to detox in a dedicated facility where experienced staff will be on hand around-the-clock to take care of your needs and to administer treatment where appropriate. With careful supervision, the worst symptoms of withdrawal can be avoided, meaning you will be at almost no risk and the entire process will be a lot more comfortable for you.

If it is deemed appropriate to your situation, medical professionals at the facility will prescribe medication that will help to ease your symptoms. Sedative replacement drugs such as lorazepam or phenobarbital are often given in decreasing doses over the course of five to six days, which will help to ensure that you do not experience the worst symptoms.

To reduce the risk of seizures and the DTs, staff may also prescribe supplements such as a multivitamins, folate, thiamine, or magnesium sulphate. In addition to these medications, staff can prescribe pain medication where appropriate to help ease any pain and discomfort that you may experience from other symptoms.

With care and support from fully qualified and experienced staff, your alcohol detox does not have to be a painful one. Staff are passionate about making sure patients get the care they need to ease any symptoms they are experiencing. It is generally accepted, and our strong recommendation, that the best place to detox is in a dedicated facility.

What Happens After Alcohol Detox?

Your alcohol detox can take anywhere between one and two weeks to complete and when you are finished, you are likely to feel a lot better – certainly better than you have done in years. Nonetheless, some symptoms might linger for a while – remember, your body has been suffering for many years and it will take some time for it to get back to normal.

Swelling to your liver will go down and your muscles will begin to repair themselves. You can expect to spend a lot of time in and out of the toilet as your kidneys begin releasing excess fluids as they try to get back to normal. It tends to take around four weeks for these symptoms to subside.

It is common for mental health issues to linger for a bit longer, so you may continue to have some mood swings and depression for a time. It also might take a while for your sleeping patterns to get back to normal. However, you should remember that your body was taking a battering for a long time and expecting to recover overnight is not realistic. As long as you are patient, you will reap the rewards and your body will thank you for it.

Staying sober now is the key to your recovery, both mentally and physically. Allow your body and brain time to heal and you will have a happier and healthier life that is worth living.

You will need to follow your alcohol detox with a programme of rehabilitation as well. The temptation to quit your treatment after detox might be strong, particularly if you are feeling good about yourself and the fact that you have managed to stay sober for as long as two weeks.

It is common to assume you are cured at this point, simply because you are not craving alcohol. You should bear in mind though that the issues that caused your illness in the first place are still likely to be lingering under the surface. An alcohol detox does nothing to address these issues; it will only tackle the physical side of your illness.

If you want to achieve permanent sobriety going forward, you must deal with both the physical and the psychological elements of addiction. With a programme of rehabilitation, you will find out the cause of your addictive behaviour and will learn new ways of thinking and behaving. Positive coping strategies are the key to helping you avoid a relapse and enjoy a happy and healthy sober life going forward.

For more information on any part of the recovery process, including detox treatment or how to access it, please call Recovery.org.uk today.