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How to Detox From Alcohol

Millions of people struggle with alcohol use disorder. Alcohol addiction can start in many different ways. You may have felt pressured to drink by friends or family, or drinking became a coping mechanism for the stress of everyday life. Whatever the cause, alcohol addiction is a dangerous condition that can damage your health and your relationships.

What does alcohol addiction look like? It can be difficult for you and the people who care about you to recognize the symptoms. Once you understand that you are struggling with an addiction, your next step can be exploring options for detoxification. Detox is the safest, most effective method of ridding your system of alcohol. If you are curious about how the detox process works, you are taking a significant step forward in your recovery process.

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The Symptoms of Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol use disorder, or alcohol addiction, involves an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. The symptoms of this condition, which can be both behavioral and physical, include:

  • Increased tolerance for alcohol: Regular drinking will build your tolerance to alcohol. You may find over time that you need to drink more and more to capture the same feeling. A higher tolerance will perpetuate the cycle of addiction.
  • Prioritizing drinking: People who suffer from alcohol addiction will often find that their drinking impacts other areas of their lives. They might find themselves skipping activities that do not include alcohol or even struggling to keep up with family and work responsibilities because of their drinking. Arranging your schedule to prioritize or accommodate your drinking is a sign of addiction.
  • Inability to stop drinking: When you are battling alcohol addiction, you may want to stop drinking. You might tell yourself you will take a break from alcohol only to find yourself checking the fridge, pouring another glass or heading out for a drink. If you want to quit but can’t, you are likely struggling with alcohol dependence.
  • Experiencing withdrawal: If you do manage to quit drinking, you could experience the physical symptoms of withdrawal, such as upset stomach, sweating and shaking. You might decide to take a drink to put a stop to these symptoms.

Is Detoxing From Alcohol at Home Safe?

Detoxification is the process of removing alcohol from your system and encompasses the initial period of recovery from the absence of alcohol. While many people may consider going “cold turkey” and detoxing at home, this process can be dangerous when done without medical supervision.

When you have reached the point of alcohol dependence, a sudden cessation of drinking will lead to severe withdrawal symptoms. In some cases, detox can cause hallucinations, rapid heart rate and seizures. If withdrawal this serious does not receive immediate treatment, it has the potential to be fatal.

If you are detoxing at home, you are likely alone or with someone who lacks the proper knowledge of how to provide professional medical care. Detoxing with the supervision of a medical professional means you will have support to get through problematic symptoms from withdrawal and receive necessary medical attention.

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How Long Does It Take to Detox From Alcohol?

When you stop drinking, your body’s nervous system becomes overactive and can cause symptoms of withdrawal. A person who has developed a dependence upon alcohol can experience a shock to their body, brain, neurotransmitters and blood levels.
The exact length of detox and the period during which you will experience these symptoms can differ depending on the individual. The time it takes to complete detox depends on several factors such as one’s age, weight, other health complications, drinking habits and whether they’ve experienced the detox process before.
These symptoms usually persist for several days during the detox process before the symptoms will begin to taper off.
 

The Timeline of Alcohol Withdrawal

Some of the most common questions people have when entering recovery focus on the matter of alcohol withdrawal duration. Let’s take a look at what the withdrawal and quitting alcohol timeline looks like.

You can expect the symptoms of withdrawal to begin within a few hours of your last drink, depending on your level of dependence. This first stage of withdrawal typically begins within six hours after your last drink. Early on, around six hours after your last drink, the symptoms of withdrawal tend to be minor although unpleasant. You might experience nausea, anxiety, headaches, insomnia, sweating and tremors.

Within 12-24 hours, 3-5% of people may experience more severe and potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms, such as fever, hallucinations, paranoia and seizures. These symptoms, which require medical treatment, could also take two to three days to appear.

The alcohol withdrawal peak will typically occur about three days, or 72 hours, after your last drink. But, depending on how heavy your drinking is, the peak of symptoms may last for longer. These final symptoms of withdrawal can occur between 48-72 hours.

How to Detox From Alcohol. During alcohol detox, you can expect a few key steps involved in the recovery process:

Undergoing several evaluations is the first step of undergoing medically assisted detox. When you enter a treatment center, various experts will evaluate you to determine the presence of alcohol or other substances in your body. Next, you will undergo a psychiatric evaluation to understand your mental health and discuss any other health issues that could contribute to your alcohol addiction. Our professionals will use this information to determine the severity of your symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and develop an individualized treatment plan to meet your needs.

After determining a treatment plan that we feel to be the most comfortable and beneficial for you, we will implement a customized detox program.Detox will be a different experience depending on the individual, so treatment centers take an individual approach. This part of detox focuses on stabilization, where our compassionate staff will monitor and support you throughout your alcohol withdrawal peak.
At Diamond House Detox, we provide private rooms for our guests to ensure they can retreat to a solitary place if needed. We also offer opportunities for socialization with other guests or therapy sessions with psychiatric specialists to help identify areas of growth during the recovery process.

While essential, detox is just the first step to recovery from alcohol addiction. After you have safely managed the detox process, your treatment will focus on understanding the root of your addiction and how to move forward. During this part of your treatment, you may go through different types of therapy, including individual therapy and group counseling sessions. You will learn how to build yourself a support network and cope with your addiction triggers. Addiction treatment will help you build a lifelong foundation for sobriety and wellbeing.

Professional Detox Available at Diamond House Detox

The alcoholism recovery timeline can be different for everyone, but it is important to remember that recovery is possible. Diamond House Detox offers 24-hours-a-day medically supervised detox in our safe, luxurious andprivate facility in the Sacramento area. Our team works with you every step of the way to manage your withdrawal symptoms and ensure you go through the detox process as safely as possible. We believe no two individuals are the same, which is why we tailor each program to fit the specific needs of our clients.

When you need to detox from alcohol use, we are here to help you find sobriety and rebuild your life. Our team works with you directly to address any underlying mental health issues you may have and equip you with lasting tools to live your life free of alcohol. Reach out to us today to learn more about how we can help you address alcohol addiction.

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