According to data provided by the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, as many as 86% of Americans over the age of 18 have tried alcohol at some point in their lifetime. Of those, 26% report binge drinking in the last month. The same survey indicates nearly 15 million people over the age of twelve meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder. Still, only seven percent of those people actually sought or received any form of addiction treatment. Detoxing from alcohol addiction is not often easy. Depending on the duration and severity of your addiction, you may experience various intense and potentially dangerous side effects. For this reason, it is highly recommended that one goes through the withdrawal and detox process under medical supervision.
What Is Alcohol Withdrawal?
The first step on your journey to sobriety from alcohol addiction is withdrawing and detoxing from alcohol. Alcohol withdrawal is an array of symptoms that you experience when you suddenly stop drinking alcohol or begin to reduce your intake. Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can range from mild to life-threatening. Because addiction is unique, the severity of the symptoms you will experience during withdrawal will vary depending on how much you drink, how often you drink and how long you have struggled with alcohol addiction. It is vital for those who have struggled with long-term, heavy drinking to undergo detox under medical supervision.
Negative Side Effects of Alcohol Withdrawal
When you undergo detox, you will experience alcohol withdrawal. The process of detoxing can be painful, scary, and dangerous because it requires an individual to experience the full range of withdrawal symptoms that occur as you stop drinking and your body feels “deprived” of alcohol. In some cases, withdrawal symptoms can be intense enough to cause a person to relapse if they try to detox “cold turkey.” Although the withdrawal symptoms you will experience will be different from someone else going through withdrawal, there are some symptoms that are commonly seen in most recovering addicts. These can include appetite changes, changes in mood or behavior, fatigue, restlessness and irritability, aches and pains, changes in sleeping patterns, and new or worsening mental health issues. Other common symptoms include sweating, shakiness, nausea, and vomiting. In some cases, more severe symptoms, including hallucinations, seizures, and delirium tremens (DTs), may also occur.
Why You Shouldn’t Detox from Alcohol at Home
When detoxing from alcohol, the withdrawal process can lead to dangerous and potentially deadly complications. Although the most severe symptoms occur in a small percentage of cases, emergency assistance is vital to ensure safety in these situations. When someone chooses to detox alone, emergency assistance may not be provided in time or called in a timely manner. Some of the more severe withdrawal symptoms related to alcohol withdrawal can include seizures, delirium tremens (DTs), and psychological disturbances, leading to dangerous and erratic behaviors. Acute alcohol withdrawal can also cause heart attack, stroke, and respiratory arrest.
The range and severity of symptoms will vary from person to person. However, when detoxing at home outside of the support and guidance at an addiction treatment facility, symptoms can often become overwhelming. In these cases, a relapse often occurs as the addict reaches for alcohol to relieve intense cravings and unpleasant symptoms related to withdrawal. Medically supervised detox programs at Rise in Malibu assist with medical, emotional, and holistic support through the earliest and most challenging days of addiction treatment.
Detox Safely at Rise in Malibu
Medically supervised detox programs provide the best and most successful path to sobriety for someone choosing to recover from alcohol addiction. In a medically supervised detox program at Rise, addicts seeking sobriety can access luxury treatment options, therapy models, and highly trained staff to provide ongoing support. In our luxury Malibu setting, the detox process can be more comfortable and successful than would be feasible when trying to “cold turkey” the detox process. If you or a loved one are ready to begin your sobriety journey, don’t wait another day. Reach out to the admissions team at Rise in Malibu today.
