Alcohol Detox Centers
Every year, alcohol is responsible for thousands of deaths in the United States and around the world. Although drinking alcohol is often a rite of passage, social activity, and a way to relax, it is also deadly and dangerous when you drink to excess.
Drinking alcohol sometimes can have serious consequences but alcohol addiction is often worse. If you are addicted to alcohol, it can easily begin to impact your life in ways that might not be readily apparent.
Fortunately, there are things that you can do to avoid the deadly costs of alcohol. One of these ways is to recognize the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and understand how to find treatment for them. It is extremely important to remember that alcohol detox is dangerous and can turn deadly very quickly. To find an alcohol detox to help you, call 800-315-1376 (Who Answers?). We can help.
What is an Alcohol Detox Center?
An alcohol detox center is a place where you can go to find treatment for alcohol withdrawal. It is a safe place to go through the worst of the withdrawal symptoms while seeking treatment for your alcohol dependence.
Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal
The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal vary from person to person but most people have several symptoms in common. According to the National Library of Medicine, these symptoms are:
- Anxiety resulting in elevated heart rate
- Fatigue coupled with insomnia
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Confusion or not thinking clearly
- Nightmares or night terrors
- Jumpiness or paranoia
- Dilated pupils
- Sweating
- Rapid Heart Rate
- Clammy Skin
- Pallor
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Loss of Appetite
- Insomnia
- Extreme headache
- Tremors
- Shivering
To find out if you need help with alcohol detoxification, you need to know the criteria for alcohol withdrawal. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the diagnostic criteria for alcohol withdrawal are:
- Stopping heavy or prolonged alcohol use, usually suddenly
- Having two or more of the severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal
- These symptoms are causing significant distress
- Nothing else is causing these symptoms
These are the criteria used to diagnosis a severe reaction to alcohol withdrawal. To find help before you alcohol addiction reaches this point, call 800-315-1376 (Who Answers?).
Alcohol Detox Dangers
Detox centers provide the coping skills and tools needed to develop a sober lifestyle.
Detoxing from any drug alone is dangerous due to cravings and the chance of relapse but alcohol withdrawal presents a significant health risk.
The biggest danger of alcohol detox comes from a problem called alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is an sometimes deadly condition that happens when:
- You drink everyday for a long time
- You drink a large amount
- You binge drink regularly
- You go on several day drinking benders
If you do any of these things and suddenly stop, the chances of developing alcohol withdrawal syndrome are high. These chances get higher every time you start using alcohol and stop again.
The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome are:
- Disorientation
- Anxiety
- Grand mal seizures
- Psychomotor agitation
- Delirium Tremens
- Autonomic issues such as sweating and elevated pulse
- Hand tremors
- Hallucinations
- Severe insomnia
- Nausea or vomiting
- Coma
- Death
This is reason why an alcohol detox center is so important. To find an alcohol detox center, call 800-315-1376 (Who Answers?).
Reasons to Detox from Alcohol Using a Treatment Center
There are many reasons to use an alcohol detox or treatment center. A few of the most common reasons are:
- Detox in comfort
- Reduces medical risks of alcohol detox
- Alcohol detox may be deadly if not treated properly
- You can receive medications to help with detox
- You have a better chance of remaining off alcohol
- You are not alone while you are detoxing
- Detox from alcohol is both physically and emotionally taxing
- Isolation leads to cravings and eventual relapse back into alcoholism
Everyone has his or her own reasons for wanting to detox off alcohol. It is important to come up with your own reasons for detoxing from alcohol.
Alcohol Withdrawal Treatment
There are many ways to treat alcohol dependence, detoxification, and withdrawal. Two of these ways are medication assisted treatment and tapering.
Medication assisted treatment
Treatment of alcohol dependence and withdrawal are very similar to other drugs. These treatments usually begin with a medication program to help with or halt the withdrawal symptoms. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, a few of these medications are:
- Acamprosate
- Naltrexone
- Disulfram
- Clonodine
- Supportive medications
It is important to note that some of these medications cause you to be sick when you drink alcohol or stop you from getting drunk at all. These are preventative medications rather than treatments for the symptoms. Doctors combine these with medications that treat the individual withdrawal symptoms for a more complete medical solution.
The second phase of alcohol dependence and withdrawal treatment uses counseling to help you overcome the different aspects of your addiction. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the forms of counseling doctors use are:
- Contingency management
- Motivational enhancement
- 12 step facilitation therapy
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
Each of these types of therapy are designed to:
- Discern the cause of the alcoholism
- Deal with the after effects of the disease
- Help improve the chances of success.
The two aspects of alcohol dependence and withdrawal treatment combine to form a comprehensive program that prompts success without relapse.
Tapering and harm reduction
Recently, a less drastic approach to alcohol withdrawal was adopted. Although cold turkey withdrawal is often a wise course of treatment it does not work for everyone. To avoid the dangerous symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, doctors may recommend tapering and harm reduction.
Tapering and harm reduction involve reducing the amount of alcohol you are using and correcting the causes of your alcoholism. Although difficult, some users find that they are more successful with this method than they are stopping alcohol consumption completely.
How to Find a Medical Alcohol Detox Center
You can find the alcohol detox and treatment center that is right for you simply by calling 800-315-1376 (Who Answers?). We can help you with all of your addiction and detoxification needs.
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