What Happens During Alcohol Addiction Detox?

Knowing what to expect in alcohol addiction detox helps you manage and set expectations. Detox is safe, and a team of medical experts will monitor the progress of your body to ensure safety as it slowly builds independence from alcohol.

The Need For Alcohol Detoxification

Alcohol detox is necessary because there might be harm included when a person decides to quit drinking alone, especially those who have been heavily drinking for months or years. 

If a person suddenly quits their alcohol consumption, they experience adverse withdrawal effects that can make it hard for them to function normally. It’s common for heavy drinkers to experience hallucinations and seizures. By getting help from a professional, it ensures that the individual stays safe while they quit alcohol.

Who Requires Alcohol Detox?

Alcohol detox is available is available for people who have moderate to severe cases of alcohol use disorder and are ready to quit alcohol. These individuals are those who have been drinking heavily for months or years and have a hard time functioning cognitively and emotionally if they don’t have a drink that day.

People who have mild cases of alcoholism have relatively weaker withdrawal symptoms. However, it is based on the assessment of the physician handling them on whether or not they will be recommended for alcohol detox.

Causes Of Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

Alcohol is a depressant. It slows down the brain and changes how neurons communicate messages with each other. This slowing down produces the intoxication effect, where the individual feels less inhibited, more social, and more confident.

However, when alcohol is constantly present in a person’s system, the brain adjusts to accommodate that brain state. It can take a while for the brain to go back to its baseline, which results in physical dependence on drinking.

So, when the person stops drinking, and the alcohol level suddenly drops, the brain finds it hard to function as it has already been accustomed to having alcohol in the system. This mechanism leads the brain to find its balance again, creating tension that the individual experiences.

Timeline Of Alcohol Withdrawal

Alcohol withdrawal has pretty similar features among people, although it differs depending on how long the person has been drinking and how heavy it is.

In the first six hours after the last drink, the person might have anxiety, shaky hands, headache, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, and sweating. This stage is the initial one where the symptoms start to progress.

During day one and day two of abstinence, the person experiences the peak of alcohol withdrawal. They might go through hallucinations and seizures as a result.

From the third day onwards, the individual might still experience the peak of withdrawal depending on how the brain has become dependent on alcohol. They might experience delirium tremens, delusions, confusion, racing heart, high blood pressure, fever, and heavy sweating.

Fortunately, these symptoms don’t last forever and disappear as the brain slowly finds balance.

Symptoms And Complications

As the brain has difficulty finding balance, complications tend to result. Psychological complications can include anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance. In more severe cases, it can also include delusions and hallucinations.

The complications can also manifest physically. They can include shaky hands, headache, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, and sweating. 

Although a small percentage experience it, some people who have been drinking heavily for a more extended period might experience delirium tremens, where they experience visual and auditory hallucinations, confusion, and delusion.

How Long Can Detox Last?

Detox usually lasts around a week, but it can be extended for clients who are still experiencing withdrawal symptoms after that. The client’s severity of alcohol use disorder can alter the progress of detox. Severe cases of alcoholism might lead to an extended detoxification process.

What Happens During Alcohol Detox?

Knowing what happens to detox helps you prepare and set expectations. Here are the things you should know.

Is It Painful?

The withdrawal symptoms during detox can be challenging. However, caregivers provide medicines to lessen pain, resulting in a smoother recovery. 

Compared to quitting alone without the supervision of medical experts, medically assisted is less painful as the medicines are usually inaccessible, especially if you don’t have a prescription.

Can Medication Help?

Yes, medication can help. Medications are widely used during detoxification as a way to relieve the adverse effects of withdrawal.

Naltrexone is prescribed to lessen the cravings of alcohol. Acamprosate and disulfiram are used to help the person maintain their abstinence.

When it comes to withdrawal symptoms, benzodiazepines are used to manage anxiety and seizures. Melatonin is usually given to those who are struggling with their sleep.

Where Is Detox Carried Out?

Detox can be carried out at residential centres or hospitals. Inpatient residential treatment is usually recommended, especially for moderate to severe cases. Supervision and constant monitoring of vital signs are essential to keep the individual safe.

However, some centres also conduct outpatient treatment. This approach is given to people with prior school or work responsibilities. Furthermore, people who have mild cases of alcoholism are the most suited for this. 

Residential treatment is still highly recommended if someone has a moderate to severe case of alcohol abuse.

Will I Recover After Detox?

It’s meaningful to understand that alcohol detox, although it’s highly effective, is not a singular approach that can solve alcohol and drug addiction. That’s because the brain’s dependency on alcohol is not the only cause of its addiction.

Difficult life situations, problematic relationships, and mental health issues can fuel an individual to abuse alcohol. Suppose they have built a habit of self-medicating with alcohol when they have a complicated problem. In that case, there is a high likelihood that they will go back to drinking, even if, theoretically, they have done detox.

That’s why treatment centres include therapy, counselling, and holistic approaches to address these areas of the individual.

With that said, to recover from alcohol addiction, mental health, spiritual treatment, and aftercare are needed on top of detox to make the treatment work.

What Happens After Alcohol Addiction Detox?

Once the client’s withdrawal symptoms have subsided and they regain their mental clarity, the centre will schedule therapy and counselling sessions. The goal of these sessions is to address life problems and emotional difficulties that may have pushed the person to abuse alcohol.

Once the rehab has concluded, the centre would most likely conduct aftercare to help the clients reintegrate into their new life of recovery at home.

Why Do I Need Further Treatment For Alcohol Use Disorder?

Further treatment is necessary for alcohol use disorder because there are also issues that need to be addressed aside from the neurological effects of alcohol.

Rehabilitation Programmes

Treatment centres usually schedule therapy sessions, including behavioural therapies and holistic approaches.

Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) are the most commonly used behavioural therapies in rehab centres. CBT aims to identify and change maladaptive assumptions and beliefs about the world. DBT, on the other hand, helps people manage intense emotions.

Eye-movement desensitisation reprocessing (EMDR) is also conducted for clients who have had a traumatic experience and are still triggered by it in the present.

Holistic approaches are also commonly used, which are comprised of Eastern practices aimed at integrating the mind, body, and spirit that may have been impaired because of alcohol addiction.

Ongoing Process

After detox and other interventions have concluded, an ongoing process or aftercare is needed. This approach is aimed at helping people reintegrate back into their homes and bring the recovery they have achieved.

Addiction experts will stay in contact with the clients and help them overcome any challenges they might encounter at home regarding recovery and help them avoid relapse.

We Can Help Pave The Way To Recovery

We at Sivana Bali have been helping people overcome their alcohol addiction. We are a cost-effective luxury rehab that provides detox, therapy, and holistic approaches for our clients.

We accept a maximum of nine people at a time to help us focus our time and attention on the specific needs of our clients. Contact us so we can start the road to recovery.