Alcohol Use Disorder Recovery: The Benefits of Detox

Taking the first step toward addiction recovery is an action that looks different from one person to the next. Some will opt for medical detox, others will not; checking into a treatment center can significantly help, but it is not a requirement. However, choosing medical detox isn’t always a choice, or shouldn’t be for that matter. The fact is, the use of certain substances can carry extreme risks to one’s health when attempting abstinence.

Most people who follow the news about the American opioid addiction epidemic read about the benefits of medical detox as it pertains to successful outcomes. The symptoms of heroin or painkiller withdrawal are so severe that many people will relapse if they do not receive outside assistance. However, and contrary to popular belief among many persons (some addicts as well), opioid withdrawal is rarely fatal. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same for other mind-altering substances, most notably alcohol.

Some 16 million Americans meet the criteria for an alcohol use disorder of varying degrees of severity. The substance is pervasive in our culture, and people use it more than any other drug — individuals who use alcohol frequently and in a harmful manner, place their health in jeopardy. What’s more, few men and women realize just how quickly they can experience adverse side-effects from alcohol use. Perhaps, an even smaller number understand that, after years of hazardous consumption, achieving the goal of sobriety can be risky without assistance.

Dangers Accompany Alcohol Withdrawal

Those living with opioid use disorders, attempting to quit on their own, may think they are going to perish; but, people with alcohol use disorders must understand that stopping without assistance can be fatal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC attributes 831 deaths in 2016 to the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

Delirium tremens or the DTs is a symptom of acute alcohol withdrawal that can result in several complications. The markers of delirium tremens include confusion, increased heartbeat, high blood pressure, fever, heavy sweating, delusion, hallucinations, and seizures. Without medical supervision, individuals face tremendous health risks that are deadly. American actor Nelsan Ellis (True Blood), died last year from health complications stemming from alcohol withdrawal, USA Today reports. Anyone who experiences such symptoms when they attempt to sober up, particularly heavy drinkers, should seek medical detoxification immediately.

Dr. Anthony Marchetti, medical director of the emergency department at Upson Regional Medical Center in Thomaston, Georgia, tells the news publication that how much a person drinks isn’t the only concern. Dr. Marchetti says that the number of times someone has gone through withdrawal previously is critical. He points out that, over time, daily heavy alcohol use causes changes to the brain; as a result, safe detox requires a gradual step down, not “cold turkey.”

“Almost everyone who tries to do it (alone) breaks through and has a seizure or some other complication from too-rapid withdrawal," said Dr. Marchetti.

 

Alcohol Detox In Pismo Beach

The definition of alcohol use disorder is compulsive alcohol use, loss of control over alcohol intake, and a negative emotional state when not using," writes the National Institutes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Highly problematic drinking often leads to experiencing symptoms of withdrawal.

If you are struggling with alcohol use disorder and are ready to begin the healing process, please contact The Haven at Pismo. Our credentialed therapists and medical practitioners can administer supervised detox to manage withdrawal symptoms and safeguard your health.