The decision to quit drinking isn’t always as easy as quitting ‘cold turkey.’ Heavy or frequent drinkers will frequently experience physical withdrawal symptoms that can range from mildly uncomfortable to severe. Some alcohol withdrawal symptoms can even be life-threatening. That’s why you should always consult a medical professional before quitting cold turkey. Even people who don’t drink heavily or every day are at risk for experiencing unpleasant side effects. There’s no way to predict how you will respond to sudden withdrawal, so it’s always a good idea to undergo supervised alcohol detox at an alcohol rehab. Professional alcohol detox can provide the medical care and supervision needed to greatly reduce or even eliminate painful withdrawal symptoms.
Alcohol Detox: Withdrawal Symptoms
There are a wide range of alcohol withdrawal symptoms you may experience in alcohol detox. These mild to moderate physical and psychological symptoms include:
* Headache
* Sweating
* Loss of appetite
* Nausea/Vomiting
* Insomnia or difficulty sleeping
* Rapid heart rate
* Clammy skin
* Anxiety
* Depression
* Fatigue
* Feeling jumpy or nervous
* Shakiness
* Hand tremors
* Irritability or easily excited
* Mood swings
* Bad dreams
* Involuntary, abnormal eyelid movement
Heavy or chronic drinkers may experience more severe symptoms that can be life-threatening. In these extreme cases, medications may be used to help the individual detoxify safely and to help relieve the severity of the symptoms. These severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms include:
* Delirium tremens (hallucinations, state of confusion)
* Agitation
* Fever
* Convulsions/seizures
* Black outs
Luckily, all of these symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can be alleviated and even eliminated through proper alcohol addiction treatment. Even individuals who are severely alcohol dependent will be able to detox safely and relatively comfortably.
Alcohol Detox: Getting Treatment
Most alcohol detox centers simply provide treatment to avoid the physical withdrawal symptoms. If you’re serious about recovery, though, you should find an alcohol detox center that incorporates counseling and therapy during detox to help with the psychological components of your addiction as well. Detox alone is not a treatment and is not effective in preventing relapse.
The first step is to consult with a medical professional or a facility that specializes in alcohol and drug treatment. If you’re honest about your drinking habits, they can assess which type of alcohol addiction treatment is right for you. After undergoing a safe and supervised detox, you’ll enter an alcohol addiction treatment program tailored to your specific needs. Most alcohol treatment programs offer a combination of 12-step programs, educational counseling and cognitive-behavioral therapy. In addition to these traditional treatment methods, many alcohol treatment programs also offer alternative methods of treatments. These highly effective alternative treatments include holistic treatments that address a person’s entire well-being, including their physical health, mental health, and spiritual health. Some of the most popular alternative treatments for alcohol addiction are acupuncture, massage therapy, yoga, Chinese medicine, and more.
When choosing a treatment center, ask if they offer dual diagnosis treatment. Oftentimes a person will turn to alcohol as a way to cope with an underlying mood or personality disorder, such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), etc. Dual diagnosis treatment will simultaneously treat both the addiction and the underlying disorder so that full recovery is possible.
Alcohol Detox: After Treatment
The point of alcohol detox and treatment is to rid the body of all residual alcohol and to treat your physical and psychological addiction to alcohol. Even after treatment, though, relapse may occur. This is an unfortunate reality of recovery, but it is one that can be minimized through aftercare programs.
When choosing an alcohol rehab, choose one that offers aftercare programs to help you work through the difficult first months of sobriety and maintain your sobriety. Effective aftercare can include continuing outpatient therapy through weekly phone calls or in-person visits, or through joining a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous. If an individual is at high risk for relapse, sober living may also be recommended. A sober living home is a group of recovering alcoholics who live together in order to support each other and provide an environment free of alcohol and drugs. Sober living is recommended for people who have just completed residential treatment and are at risk for relapsing if they return home.
Don’t let an addiction to alcohol run your life any longer. Call an alcohol treatment facility today and ask how alcohol detox and addiction treatment can give you back the life you deserve.
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