Alcohol Detox

Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol addiction is a powerful and debilitating disease that can be just as powerful as a heroin or cocaine addiction. For many individuals, alcohol addiction is both a physical and mental disease that not only destroys the lives of its users, but can also ruin the lives of the people they care about most.

An alcohol addiction can become so severe that the user will develop alcohol withdrawal symptoms hours after their last drink. Chronic alcohol withdrawal symptoms can lead to a more serious illness known as alcohol withdrawal syndrome. If left untreated, alcohol withdrawal syndrome can cause serious physical side effects, and in some cases, can even be life threatening.

Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

While not everyone who is addicted to alcohol experiences withdrawal symptoms, they can often be tell-tale signs that a person has a severe drinking problem. Mild to moderate alcohol withdrawal symptoms include:

• Headache
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Constant Shaking
• Insomnia
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Rapid Heart Beat
• Loss of appetite
• Excessive Sweating

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can even be so severe that an individual may enter a state of confusion and start having physical hallucinations. They can also break into a high fever and start having convulsions and difficulty breathing. If you, or someone you love, is experiencing any of these severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms seek medical attention right away.

Alcohol Detox

For individuals suffering from moderate to severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms, one of the only things you can do is to seek out some type of alcohol detox program. There are dozens of different alcohol detox programs available including alcohol detox at home, professional alcohol detox centers, holistic alcohol detox, just to name a few. Before deciding on any alcohol detox program please consult with a doctor or licensed medical physician.

If your doctor determines that your addiction isn’t severe enough to require immediate medical attention, you can always try to alcohol detox at home. To detox at home you will need to start by drinking moderate to large amounts of water, but make sure never consume more than 2 quarts per hour. Staying hydrated will help flush out the alcohol more quickly, while helping to lessen the withdrawal symptoms due to the added hydration. It is also a good idea to take long baths during this time period, or visit a sauna if you have the opportunity, to help flush the toxins out of your skin. Make sure to get a lot of exercise and eat a diet full of potassium, such as bananas, leafy vegetables and oranges, which will help hydrate the body and nourish the immune system.

Alcohol Detox Centers

If your alcohol withdrawal symptoms are too severe to be treated naturally you should check into an alcohol detox center as soon as possible. Alcohol detox centers provide medically assisted alcohol detox programs that comes with 24/7 monitoring to make sure a patient’s medical condition remains stable. There are also certain medications they can administer that will help speed up the detoxification process and relieve withdrawal pain almost instantly. These procedures can last anywhere from 3-7 days and is usually followed by alcohol addiction counseling and therapy.