Alcohol use disorder is both a physical addiction and a psychological addiction.
The first step for treating this difficult disease in a professional rehab setting is called “detox,” short for detoxification.
Here take a closer look at what happens during a typical alcohol detox process.
What is Detox?
When a person has been abusing alcohol for a long time, they have spent months or even years in a constant state of having alcohol in their bodies. Whether the patient knows it or not, the presence of alcohol in the system alters a normal state of consciousness — or, let’s just call it, clear-headed thinking.
Thus, before psychological counseling and therapy can start, the body must be completely “detoxified” of all traces of alcohol. The patient must be free of mood-altering and cognitively debilitating substances to beat addiction.
Medical Assessment
The first step of a detox program is for the patient to undergo a thorough medical assessment. This includes reading all the vital signs, such as heart condition, breathing, blood pressure, body temperature and more.
A medical assessment also accounts for any additional conditions the patient may possess. For example, it’s important to know if a person is a diabetic, has a heart condition, an autoimmune disease or a host of other conditions that could affect the rigors of a detox process.
A medical assessment includes gathering the medical history of the patient.
The Detox Begins
The second step in detox is to place a person in a specific facility where they can be monitored 24/7 to ensure they have no access to alcohol.
Typical detox periods last from 3 to 10 days. Every person is different. Many variables come into play, such as how long the addiction has lasted, the individual’s overall health, resulting physical effects and more.
Withdrawal Symptoms
When an addictive substance inside a person’s body for a long time is removed “cold turkey” or gradually, the result can be several difficult symptoms.
The most common physical symptoms are:
• Nausea and vomiting
• Agitation and confusion
• Changes in alertness or even coma
• Abdominal pain
• Heavy fatigue, slowed body movements
• Loss of appetite
• Labored breathing
• Symptoms of dehydration, such as dizziness, thirst, lightheadedness
The most common psychological symptoms are:
• Vivid dreams and/or nightmares
• Acute anxiety
• Paranoia
• Confusion
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Lack of concentration
• Intense cravings for alcohol
• Extreme mood swings
Severe psychological & physical symptoms may be:
• Delirium
• Hallucination
• Seizures
Trained addiction rehab specialists will determine if a patient can detox by going cold turkey or if a gradual withdrawal process is warranted. Prescription drugs may sometimes be administered to relieve symptoms and help with the detox transition.
Specialists with an alcohol detox Mississippi provider say that trained doctors, nurses and other specialists can greatly increase the chances of a successful detox. Medically trained professionals can also prevent physical harm resulting from a difficult detox situation.
Compassionate Care
Some believe detox involves “just being locked in a room” for three to 10 days at a treatment center while they “dry out.”
However, professional rehab specialists understand that emotional support and therapists’ compassionate attention are essential aspects of the detox process.
People detoxing are not “on their own” or left alone. They always have someone to talk to and express their fear, pain and symptoms. To successfully detox, patients need the caring support of people dedicated to helping them –- and that’s what they get.
Getting Clean
Getting detoxified is a significant accomplishment. It must be frankly stated, however, that it’s just the first step in a journey that never truly ends.
After detox, the length of an average treatment program is 28 days. As many recovering alcoholics can attest, the “real work” begins upon successful completion of treatment.
Alcoholism is not a ” cured ” disease but a “managed” for a lifetime. Every day can be a challenge. But as time goes on and sobriety is maintained, more of those “every days” can be hopeful, productive and joyful – and perhaps most importantly -– “normal.”