What is Alcohol Detox?
If you become physically dependent on alcohol after a long period of drinking, binge drinking, or heavy drinking, you may develop an alcohol use disorder, otherwise known as alcoholism or alcohol addiction. This is the uncontrollable urge to drink alcohol, even when you don’t want to drink. Characterized by alcohol cravings, developed tolerance to alcohol, and alcohol disrupting your everyday life, alcoholism may also cause you to experience withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop or cut back.
Alcohol detox is the first phase of addiction treatments for alcohol abuse, where you taper off or quit drinking, and your body readjusts to not having alcohol in your system. It can be very uncomfortable, and withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to dangerous, making it imperative that any attempt to quit drinking is monitored by medical professionals.
Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
Psychological and physical symptoms of alcohol withdrawal vary from aches and pains to upset stomach to feelings of anxiety, depending on your level of addiction, how long you have been drinking, and other factors like physical and mental health issues and family history. There is a serious risk of suffering seizures and developing delirium tremens during detox, which, if untreated, may result in brain damage, coma, or even death.
What are the Stages of Alcohol Detox?
There are three distinct stages of alcohol withdrawal in detox, each of which can be managed safely in a medical detox environment. At Serenity Oaks, we provide mediations and medical care, along with therapy and holistic practices to ensure you remain safe, comfortable, and relaxed as your body removes the toxins from your system. The stages and timeline of alcohol detox are:
Stage 1 (Mild Symptoms) – people addicted to alcohol may experience symptoms like nausea, fatigue, brain fog, mood swings, depression, and heart palpitations even when not attempting detox. These sensations begin 6 to 8 hours after your last drink and may cause you to continue drinking just to get through the day without suffering.
Stage 2 (Moderate Symptoms) – this stage occurs 1 to 3 days after your last drink, sending the body into shock. Common symptoms are irregular heart rate, sweating, confusion, irritability, increased blood pressure, fever, and rapid respiration. This stage can be dangerous to your health and should be overseen by a doctor.
Stage 3 (Severe Symptoms) – a person in stage 3 detox (3 to 7 days after final alcohol consumption) needs medical treatment. This is when severe withdrawal symptoms like wet brain, delirium tremens, and seizures may occur, accompanied by high fever and hallucinations. Without medical care, some people may die in this stage.
Managing Symptoms with Medically Supervised Alcohol Detox
At Serenity Oaks, we will monitor your symptoms closely in our medically supervised alcohol detox program, keeping you safe through medications that will help stave off:
- Nausea
- Insomnia
- Dehydration
- Seizures
We also provide FDA-approved naltrexone, disulfiram, and acamprosate to help you remain on the sober path, reduce alcohol cravings, and discourage drinking.
You will stay in the detox center 24 hours a day as you detox, where we will monitor your vital signs, and provide a tapering schedule, along with a nutritional plan, and professional psychological and emotional care through therapy and dual diagnosis treatments if a co-occurring mental illness is present during alcoholism treatment.
Why Choose a Medical Detox Program?
A drug and alcohol medical detox process will ensure you are safe and healthy as you detox, and as it takes place in a completely sober facility, will keep away the temptation to drink during the most difficult moments of your detox. You will begin to address underlying psychological issues tied to your drinking and be provided with full support, followed by a substance abuse rehabilitation plan that will give you the tools you need to remain sober long term, with sober living support as long as you need it.
Alcohol Detox at Serenity Oaks
At Serenity Oaks, our integrated detox program combines medical treatment with psychological health care and medication-assisted detox in a whole-patient approach to healing your body, mind, and spirit, providing you the best chance of success.
After detox is complete, we will provide inpatient rehab, partial hospitalization programs, intensive outpatient programs, and alumni support groups for a continuum of treatment that will give you all the support, care, and knowledge you will need to move forward in life on a positive trajectory with treatments like:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Multidimensional Family Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Nutrition classes
- Meditation and Yoga
- Life Skills Courses
- Group Therapy
- Individual therapy
If you or your loved ones need drug rehab, are a heavy drinker, have a heroin addiction, or are suffering symptoms of alcohol or drug addiction, contact our intake team today for advice diagnosis, or treatment info, and to find out how to begin down the path of sobriety with Serenity Oaks.
Want to learn more about the stages of alcohol detox? Click the link below to learn more! #alcoholdetox #alcoholaddiction https://t.co/0A65At3TgK
— Serenity Oaks (@Serenity_Oaks_) May 11, 2022
