Alcohol has always been an accepted substance that has been constantly abused over time. When consumed inappropriately it leads to a chronic disease called alcoholism. Much like any other chronic illness, when left untreated, it can lead to dangerous and life-threatening conditions.
Alcoholism, though, can be effectively treated with the help of alcohol rehab centers, who can provide you with coping strategies and medically assist you during the withdrawal phase of your recovery. Although the specifics of your program may vary, it is done with the intention of keeping you sober and helping you learn about effective strategies to stay away from your alcohol addiction.
What is an Alcohol Detox?
Alcohol detoxification is more effectively done with the aid of alcohol treatment facilities than being done on a self-help method. It can be an important preparatory step towards getting a sober life. Alcohol detoxification manages your alcoholism and is often medically supervised to mitigate the physical symptoms of withdrawal.
When undergoing alcohol detox, a medical professional can administer medications to help control the physical symptoms. You will also be kept an eye on to ensure your safety and that you do not incur life-threatening withdrawal symptoms. Alongside the medical supervision, you will also receive counseling to correct your behavior and thinking patterns that have led to your alcohol addiction.
These are important elements that need to be overseen because they can be serious and can even cause life-threatening withdrawal conditions. Some of the physical and emotional manifestations of alcohol withdrawal include:
- Anxiety
- Hallucinations
- Seizures
- Tremors
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Paranoia
- Depression
New Ways of Detoxing from Alcohol
Although the conventional methods used by alcohol rehab centers has always worked to maintain sobriety, it is important to know that there are alternative detox methods that can be used during your treatment program. Some of the new ways of detoxing in rehab centers include:
Slow detox – Slow detox is often used for people who opt to break away from their alcohol abuse gradually. Medicated drugs are gently reduced also reducing the levels of the drug in the bloodstream. This method helps the body regulate itself with the adjustments of medication. Depending on the severity of your addiction, slow detox can take from weeks to several months based upon your response to the treatment program.
Rapid detox – Rapid detox induces a medically assisted coma on to lessen the effects of withdrawal. This though can be risky especially if you are suffering from underlying health conditions. Though it can be effective while you are unconscious, being awake from the anesthetic effects means that you have to experience the same severity and discomfort that are associated with other treatment programs.
Cold-turkey detox – This process immediately puts a stop to the cravings you feel towards your addiction. It is can also be medically supervised but only in cases where an emergency happens to occur during the process. Cold-turkey detox is often hard because there are no medications involved during the treatment and you may experience the severity of the withdrawal symptoms. Most often, this is dangerous and least effective because it does not involve pharmacological help which is needed to mitigate the physical symptoms.
Natural detox – Akin to cold-turkey detox where you do not require medications, natural detox also stops addiction through natural processes. This includes dietary supplements and installation of healthier habits. The only downside of natural detox is often the lethal side-effects of withdrawal.
Medically assisted detox – Medically assisted detox uses prescribe medications the entire process of the treatment. While it can be easier for you to go through a medically-assisted detox from alcohol, it can also be much more expensive. Medically-assisted detox can either be short term or long term, depending on the severity of your alcohol addiction.
Short-term medicated detox primarily detoxifies your body from alcohol with the help of medications for a limited period of time. This helps calm the physical hardships that are often associated with the withdrawal process. On the other hand, long-term medicated detox uses prescribed medication through the entire process of the treatment program. Depending on the length and severity of the alcohol addiction, it can be important you want to lessen the symptoms you may experience from withdrawal.
