Consumer Guide to Detoxification.

Alcohol and Drug Detox

Alcoholism is a common enough problem; we probably all know someone that seems to have a problem with alcohol, or even someone that is a recovering alcoholic. Detoxification is the first step in getting treatment for the alcohol problem. Detox is a scary concept for most alcoholics because they are afraid of how their body will react to the lack of alcohol. Withdrawal happens when you remove something from the body that it has become dependent upon. Because the person is addicted to alcohol, there is a withdrawal period in which the body will be craving more of what it has become so dependent upon. This is an important part of the process of treatment for an alcohol addiction because when a person is still drinking or under the influence of any substance, they are not able to take part in the educational and therapeutic process that is involved in the rehabilitation and treatment of the alcoholic individual. Experts all agree that until a detox is complete, the alcoholic is just not ready for recovery.

Why An Alcoholic Needs Treatment

Enough people have asked the question, if detoxification is so difficult, why do it? The alcoholic needs to do it because living a life where alcohol guides your every move isn't any way to live. Not only does alcohol impair your judgment and make you do things that you might not otherwise do, it's simply not good for you. All of your organs will eventually begin to fail when you continually drink large amounts of alcohol, most notably the liver and kidneys. Not only will your organs fail, your teeth will suffer from the high sugar content, your hair and skin will not appear as healthy, and your body will simply not run as efficiently as it once did. An alcoholic may not be able to hold down a job, or may not be as good at their job as they once were.

The relationships of an alcoholic usually suffer because whether intentional or not, the alcohol will always come first. There is a physical need for the alcohol, while there is not a physical need for most people. Unfortunately, this dependency will usually drive people away from the alcoholic or seriously strain what were once beautiful relationships. Even a functioning alcoholic changes because they have a serious dependency on alcohol and it's hard for other people to support that type of lifestyle for any length of time.

Getting someone to admit they need treatment can be difficult, but it's usually something that needs to happen before detox and recovery can take place. A person really needs to want to get help, otherwise the detoxification and recovery period will be short lived. While it needs to be the decision of the alcoholic to get help, family or friends that offer support can make the difference between someone that thinks about getting help and the person that goes through the detoxification period and makes an honest attempt toward recovery. An intervention is often necessary; to hold a mirror up to the alcoholic and make them realize how their addiction is hurting them as well as the people around them.

Detoxification and Treatment

Alcohol detox is a period of medically monitored treatment. The addict is helped to overcome their physical alcohol dependency. The point of the detoxification period is to help the addict achieve an alcohol free period so that they can take a clear look at their life and consider how they can attack their issues with alcohol so that they can life a more productive, and healthy lifestyle. The detoxification period is done in a medical setting so that the patient can have help dealing with what can be painful symptoms of withdrawal. This detoxification period really helps the patient to clear his or her mind so that they can enter into a rehabilitation program. This means that detox is simply the first step to long-term recovery from alcoholism.

The symptoms of withdrawal can vary from person to person and that is why it's a good idea for it to be done in a medical setting. There is no doubt; detox from alcohol can be a very traumatic experience involving physical and psychological symptoms. Some patients experience severe headaches, tremors, vomiting, profuse sweating, irritation, loss of appetite, weight loss, delirium tremors, and seizures. Statistics say that one in four patients will experience seizure if they are not in a controlled medical setting for their detox. Because the detoxification period varies for everyone, the whole process will typically take from three to 14 days. Doctors have had a lot of success using medications to help patients through the detox period. Medications such as Buprenophex, some benzodiazepines, and anticonvulsant medications are often used to help ease the pain and limit the risk of seizure associated with the withdrawal period.

After this inpatient treatment, the recently detoxed individual is urged to get right into treatment. The likelihood of relapse at this period of time is very high, so family and friendly are asked to be highly supportive and be sure that the alcoholic gets into recovery. A recovery program can be an inpatient or outpatient program; whatever the doctors and the patient feel would be best for their specific situation. Some patients find the idea of an inpatient program really revolting since they just spent some time in an inpatient program, and they would prefer an outpatient program. Other patients don't feel as though it would be a good idea for them to take part in an outpatient program, as the temptation to drink again would just be too great. The treatment is something that the recovering alcoholic needs to take responsibility for, with the support of friends and family. Most individuals benefit from something like Alcoholics Anonymous as well, because it will allow them to seek support whenever they need it.

Detoxification and recovery is not easy, but it is well worth it. Learning to live life without the dependency on alcohol will help those that are addicted to live healthier lives as well as the ability to have healthier relationships.