Alcohol Detox

Withdrawal Symptoms

Any person going through detox from alcohol will experience some withdrawal symptoms.

The duration of the symptoms as well as the severity will depend on many factors. The personal health history of the individual, the amount of alcohol abused, the potency of the alcohol, the duration of one’s abuse and if the individual used other drugs simultaneously will all weigh into the withdrawal symptoms that may be experienced by the individual.

Some of the examples of withdrawal symptoms that may be experienced by a person detoxing from alcohol can include any combination of the following:

The above are merely examples, and every individual is different. Each person will have a nuanced experience when it comes to his or her detox from alcohol.

Detox Types

Depending on the type of substance an individual has been abusing, he or she may go through varying degrees of supervised detox.

Some individuals may opt for a cold turkey approach, at home without the support of a professional. Others may decide to attend a detox program with twenty-four hour professional support. These inpatient programs offer the support of a non-medical professional to assist assure one’s safety throughout the detox process. There are also medically supervised detox programs (as referred to above) that are the best option for those struggling with alcohol abuse. Although alcohol is a legal substance for individuals over the age of twenty-one in America, it is also one of the most detrimental substances when it comes to abuse. Alcohol can take a serous toll on a person’s body, emotions and mind.

Some of the more severe side effects of detoxing from alcohol include hallucinations and seizures. In order to keep an individual safe throughout the duration of his or her detox, medical intervention may be necessary. Attending a medically supervised detox program will allow twenty-four-hour supervision of a medically qualified individual to help manage a person’s withdrawal symptoms. This not only insures one’s safety, but also allows for the immediate distribution of medications should they be necessary.

Treatment

While successfully going through detox is the first stage of one’s recovery from alcohol abuse, it is not the last.

An individual that finds him or her in a detox program has likely abused drugs and/ or alcohol enough to the point that he or she has adjusted certain aspects of his or her life to accommodate his or her substance abuse. While the detox stage rids one’s body of the abused substances, it does not necessarily address any underlying issues as to the core of one’s abuse and/ or dependence problems. Attending some form of subsequent treatment program is essential for an individual to recover from substance abuse and/ or addiction. There are many options when it comes to alcohol abuse treatment programs. Any inpatient detox program will help to set an individual up with subsequent treatment to enable the individual to continue on a path of sobriety.