The Process and Dangers of Alcohol Detoxification

You wake up in the morning feeling horrible, your head is pounding, and you feel ashamed as well as furious with yourself. You tell yourself over-and-over again that today is the day you are going to stop drinking, that you will never again pick up a bottle. However, at the end of the day, you find yourself pulling up to the liquor store convincing yourself that you deserve to have a drink after such a stressful day and the cycle begins again.

If this sounds like you, then you are most likely facing alcoholism. (Take alcoholism screening test) However, through alcohol detoxification and proper alcohol abuse treatment, all toxic substances can be removed from your body while you also learn the skills needed to lead a sober and happy life, free from the vicious cycle of alcohol abuse.

Treatment program: Lauren Hardy, M.A., writes on behalf of Park Royal Health Services, which is a free-standing psychiatric hospital that provides life-changing care for middle-age adults and older adults who are struggling with a number of different mental health disorders.

Dangers of Alcohol Detoxification

Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal

If you are struggling with a chemical dependence to alcohol, you should never just stop drinking on your own because alcohol withdrawal can be extremely dangerous. If you stop drinking abruptly without professional help, alcohol detox can be dangerous and even deadly. Serious consequences may include seizures, mental instability, hallucinations, and onset of delirium tremens. However, the severity of the alcohol withdrawal symptoms are going to depend upon how long a person has been drinking, the frequency of consumption, and the quantity consumed.

Mental instability can be dangerous because it can cause you to act in an inappropriate manner to both real and imagined events, leading to physical harm to oneself or others. Seizures can also lead to the development of physical injury, especially if they occur when a person is engaging in specific activities like walking or driving. Finally, delirium tremens is the most dangerous condition that those who are withdrawing from alcohol may encounter. Delirium tremens can cause seizures, heart attacks, strokes, and even death.

Process of Alcohol Detox

If you are addicted to alcohol (alcoholic symptoms, signs of alcoholic), the cold hard truth is that detoxification and alcoholism rehab treatment can save your life. In most instances, alcoholics will require the assistance of an inpatient treatment program in order to provide medical stabilization from the immediate symptoms associated with withdrawal. During medical detox, certain drugs, such as benzodiazepines, haloperidol, or even beta-blockers, can be used to help ease some of the often uncomfortable symptoms of withdrawal. Throughout this process, all medication will be taken on a regular basis, for about 3 to 5 days, in order to make the process not only more comfortable, but as safe as possible. Furthermore, you will be monitored 24/7 by nurses and physicians throughout the whole detoxification process.

Once you have become stabilized and the danger of alcohol withdrawal has passed, your next big challenge will be to confront the emotional and psychological aspects of this disease. Unless you take the time to work on the underlying cause for why you began drinking in the first place, you are likely to return to this destructive behavior. Alcoholism is not only a physical disease, but also includes psychological and social components as well. Each and every one of these elements must be treated in order to ensure a more successful recovery.

You can also find Lauren Hardy on Google+.