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How to Detox from Alcohol

9 Minutes

Edited & medically reviewed by THE BALANCE Team

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CONTENTS

Alcohol addiction is a complex disease that affects all aspects of health. With a tendency to become progressive and chronic, misuse of alcohol essentially poisons the whole body, damaging the liver, stomach, brain, and heart and triggering problems like malnutrition, sexual dysfunction, and vitamin deficiencies. Alarmingly, alcohol abuse has also been linked to an increased risk of certain types of cancers and carries a potential to cause death if continued for long enough.

In addition to the health risks, many other reasons are there to get help for alcoholism in a luxury alcohol treatment centre. If you or a dear one struggles with heavy drinking, you know that life will soon become isolating and destructive for both of you. Hence, joining a rehabilitation centre where you will go through extensive medical interventions, detoxification, and holistic therapies can be the best way out.

The presence of the following signs and symptoms confirm a drinking problem and warrants the need to undertake a detox programme as soon as possible before alcoholism starts affecting life in a negative way.

The need to take alcohol to relax, deal with stress, or just to feel “normal”
The need to take more and more alcohol to achieve the same level of high
Frequent short-term memory losses or blackouts due to heavy drinking
Developing withdrawal symptoms, such as depression, insomnia, shakiness, nausea, and mood swings whenever you try to quit
Failure to cut back on drinking or quit altogether
Drinking alone
Lying about the quantity or frequency of alcohol consumption
Putting yourself or others in danger while drinking
A feeling that alcohol controls your life
Issues at work because of hangovers or excessive drinking
Legal or financial problems due to alcohol use
Troubles in relationships due to drinking habit

Four basic levels of care are usually offered at every alcohol detox centre. These levels include:

Outpatient Sessions for medication support, counselling, or both without requiring admission
Intensive outpatient or partial hospitalisation for patients with complex needs
Residential Programmes for inpatient care in 24/7 medical supervision

A complete assessment of your alcohol programs and complications is required to understand which level of care is right for you. Call us now to book an initial evaluation today.

Withdrawal symptoms of alcohol detox usually begin to surface within one to two hours following the last drink. The most painful of these symptoms typically subside within the first week, while a few milder ones linger on for a bit more. While no exact alcohol detox timeline describes the process for all clients, the schedule mentioned below provides a general idea of what to expect from the process.

Six to Twelve Hours after Last Drink

The initial detox symptoms are usually mild but may quickly worsen with time. Some of these initial withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, headaches, shakiness, nausea and irritability.

Day One

By the end of the first 24 hours of alcohol detoxification, symptoms usually become more severe in intensity. In addition to the effects felt during the first 12 hours of abstinence, additional symptoms may occur, involving seizures, hand tremors, and disorientation.

Day Two

The most painful symptoms of detox that began on day one continue into the second day. As the body actively works on getting rid of alcohol from its system, panic attacks and hallucinations may set in.

Days Three To Seven

For the rest of the week in detox, different types of withdrawal symptoms may come and go, varying from one person to another. This duration also accounts for the time when you are at the highest risk of developing the most life-threatening alcohol detox symptoms, such as delirium tremens.

After One Week

Once you have completed the first week, most of the withdrawal symptoms soon begin to taper off. Some of them do linger on for a few weeks, but these symptoms are usually minor and can be easily treated with alcohol detox medication.

Even after the most life-threatening symptoms have subsided, many people continue to experience post-acute withdrawal syndrome characterised by prolonged symptoms of alcohol detox. These symptoms typically include trouble sleeping, low energy, delayed reflexes, and anxiety and may persist for several months to a year.

Are you tired of your progressively worsening drinking habit? Join a high-end treatment centre dealing with addictions as the best way to detox from alcohol in a safe and effective manner. These luxurious facilities not only promise a high comfort level and a private, discreet experience but also ensure the following:

Highly personalised programmes delivered by highly-qualified and medically trained experts
High-class treatment and support in a secure and safe clinical environment
A chance to begin group therapy while still in detox
Involvement of families through family interventional therapies and programmes
A broad range of therapeutic and holistic activities, such as relaxation, equine therapy, swimming, yoga, and exercise programmes

Once you have finished the detox process and the broader addiction programme that follows it, these facilities encourage all clients to attend weekly or fortnightly aftercare meetings to maintain sobriety and attend fellowship meetings like Alcoholics Anonymous.

So if you or a loved one are exhibiting signs of heavy drinking that directly affect life, pick up the phone and give us a call today to book a detox today.

FAQs

What is alcohol detoxification?

People who suffer from alcohol addiction often need detoxification as the first step in their journey toward recovery. Detoxification or detox refers to eliminating all traces of alcohol from the body once it has adjusted to having this substance on a regular basis. It can be performed on an inpatient or an outpatient basis depending on the severity of the addiction and can help the addicts get through the painful withdrawal symptoms with ease. While detox alone does not guarantee an addiction-free life, it provides the first step to living sober with the help of rehabilitation.

Why is detoxification of alcohol important?

Alcohol detox treatment is the first and the most important programme offered at any rehabilitation centre. During this process, attempts are made to flush the alcohol out of the body completely. Withdrawal symptoms usually subside within one to two weeks after detoxification begins; however, the exact timeline may vary depending on the severity of symptoms. From there, clients can easily focus on other aspects of recovery, such as counselling, support sessions, and therapies, in a smoother way.

Alcohol is a depressant upon which the body starts relying after months or years of drinking. It alters the brain chemistry, compelling it to stop producing certain chemicals and relying on getting it from alcohol. As a result, the body becomes dependent on alcohol, and the user is unable to quit no matter how hard they try. To get away from this addiction, the brain needs to start synthesising the chemicals on its own, which can only be made possible once every trace of alcohol is removed from all body parts. A medically supervised detox is the best way to accomplish it.

Is alcohol detox at home safe to go for?

If you have been heavily drinking for a long time and attempt to quit cold turkey, withdrawal symptoms may start to set in within 24 hours. This occurs as the result of declining levels of alcohol in the body which has become used to its presence. Most of these symptoms are extremely painful and may include:

Anxiety
Irritability
Headaches
Mood swings
Fevers
Nausea and vomiting
Insomnia
Excessive sweating
Weakness
Poor coordination
Changes in blood pressure
Low energy
Weakness
Gastrointestinal issues
Seizures
Poor appetite
Physical Tremors
Heart Palpitations
Dysfunction of the liver or kidneys
Delirium tremens
Death

These alcohol detox symptoms can be challenging to manage at home on your own. Therefore, it is highly recommended to people thinking of quitting their drinking habit to join an alcohol detox centre where medical professionals supervise the process and certain medications are available to ease these symptoms.

How Long Does Alcohol Detox Take?

The amount of time needed to flush the alcohol out of the system depends on different factors such as:
Age, body weight, and gender of the users
Family history of alcoholism
Whether you are using additional drugs with alcohol
The quantity and frequency of alcohol
On average, it takes at least one week; depending on circumstances, the process may get longer in severe cases. Once the detox is over, it may still take months for the body to get rid of the addictive behaviours and heal the mind. The health of the liver is also an important determinator of the length of the alcohol withdrawal process. The body may take much longer to heal if the organ has been severely damaged by overdrinking.

HOW THE BALANCE CAN HELP WITH Alcohol

The Balance RehabClinic is a leading provider of luxury addiction and mental health treatment for affluent individuals and their families, offering a blend of innovative science and holistic methods with unparalleled individualised care.