In addition to physical symptoms, a person will likely experience some psychological side effects, such as alcohol cravings or anxiety. This guide will help you understand detox, manage withdrawal, and support your recovery. The success of a person’s long-term recovery journey depends on the comprehensive treatment they engage in after detox, such as therapy, support groups, and continuing medical care. Not sure what alcohol detox treatment options are available to you? You can talk to your doctor or visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) online program https://ecosober.com/ locator to see what treatment facilities are near you.
Gradually Taper Your Alcohol Intake
If you or a loved one has a drinking problem, contact a medical professional or an addiction treatment center to drug addiction treatment get resources and help to stop drinking. Diagnosing alcohol withdrawal is done by a medical professional, who will take a history and perform a thorough physical exam. Depending on the symptoms and their severity, the healthcare provider can clinically diagnose the alcohol withdrawal as mild, moderate, or severe using the CIWA-Ar protocol tool. The alcohol detox process can vary from person to person depending on factors like age, overall health, and the severity of alcohol use.
- You’re likely to start by seeing your primary health care provider.
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- This level of alcohol withdrawal is marked by seizures in people who have had no previous issues with seizures.
- During this time, professionals can provide necessary support and interventions to manage symptoms, prevent complications, and ensure individual safety.
What To Expect After Detoxing?
A large part of the problem stems from the horrendous detox symptoms that one must make it through before treatment. A better understanding of alcoholism and the detox process can vastly improve the chances of a successful recovery for you or a loved one. People may still be at risk for severe reactions, including seizures and hallucinations. Traditional detox programs are medically supervised inpatient or residential programs where the person stays overnight and is monitored by medical staff. Many medically supervised detox programs are inpatient units that are part of hospitals Alcoholics Anonymous or medical centers.
Why Does Alcohol Withdrawal Occur?
The risk, however, is that clinicians may be careless in monitoring withdrawal symptoms, potentially facing preventable issues or, in the worst case, a fatal outcome. Even after the most serious withdrawal symptoms have lessened, some people may experience post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) – the prolonged symptoms of detox. Generally, these symptoms include anxiety, low energy, trouble sleeping and delayed reflexes, and can last from several months to a year. Discover how inpatient rehab physical therapy helps patients regain independence through personalized care, expert support, and tailored treatments at top facilities. Signs your liver is healing from alcohol show up in both body and lab tests.
The First Week: Initial Signs of Healing
Some people can be treated at home, but others may need supervised care in a hospital setting to avoid potentially dangerous complications such as seizures. If you drink daily, your body becomes dependent on alcohol over time. When this happens, your central nervous system can no longer adapt easily to the lack of alcohol. If you suddenly stop drinking or significantly reduce the amount of alcohol you drink, it can cause AWS.
Medical Alcohol Detox
Intensive outpatient treatment involves a scheduled series of visits that are longer and more in-depth than a traditional outpatient program. You may do this after partial hospitalization, detox, or residential rehab. Detox alone isn’t treatment, but it’s the first step to getting better for people who are dependent on alcohol. This severe form of withdrawal may cause Alcohol Detox: The First Step to Recovery seizures, rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, psychosis, and extreme fluctuations in body temperature. Doing what you can to get in a nutrient-rich diet with vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and complex carbs is recommended to help promote physical and mental health. Night sweats and hot flashes are common, but temporary, during alcohol withdrawal.
