How Treatment Helps with Alcohol Detox Symptoms

Every day people suffering from an addiction to alcohol decide to get help. Many have suffered for a very long time with their addictions. For some, drinking starts out as recreation. A way to unwind and let go, but sometimes the over-indulgence can lead to a destructive habit. Alcoholism is a destructive disease that tears families apart and leaves rifts in relationships that can last a lifetime if not mended. People who drink because they are dependent on alcohol can’t stop themselves, even when they know their behavior is causing mistrust with family and loved ones and even negatively effecting their employment. When drinking cannot be controlled and you experience alcohol detox symptoms it is time to get help.

The first step in alcohol treatment is detox. This usually occurs in an outpatient setting after a three or four day initial stay at the facility. Many treatment centers offer not only an outpatient detox program but also longer term outpatient drug rehabilitation treatment. During the initial three or four day stabilization period spent in the facility, medication is given that help to eliminate the withdrawal symptoms that occur when someone with a dependence to alcohol stops using it after a long time.

When alcohol is absent from the system in someone with a dependence it makes them very ill. It can make them confused and out of it. It causes shaking and trembling and a lack of coordination. It even causes irritability and depression that often leads to dark thoughts or suicidal behavior. The treatment centers have a medical staff on-hand that are ready to provide medical treatment as well as counseling services to help get the patient past through the initial detox withdrawal symptoms that can be difficult to overcome on their own.

How Treatment Helps

Detox treatment can help you begin your recovery journey.

When a patient goes into a drug treatment center for alcohol detox they are given several medications that help to eliminate nearly all of the withdrawal symptoms that would normally have if they were quitting on their own. Drugs like Librium are given during the initial three day stay that stops feelings of anxiety and agitation. After that other drugs in the benzodiazepine class can be prescribed and maintained while the remainder of treatment takes place while the patient resides in their own home. The detox phase of recovery generally lasts for about a week and half but varies from person to person depending on the severity and length of the dependence.

Detox Alone Isn’t Enough

Studies also show that detox alone isn’t going to be enough for sustained recovery and that a combination of medical treatment and behavioral therapy is the most effective way to help drinkers with a dependence to alcohol quit drinking for good. In fact, treatment is recommended for at least six months to a year in an outpatient drug treatment center. Alcoholism is a treatable condition, however according to NIDA, alcohol dependence is a disease and that most can’t stop drinking without help. Follow up care through local church support groups or other community organizations like AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) are also recommended.

Find alcohol detox and addiction treatment centers near you by calling 800-996-6135(Who Answers?) today!