Alcohol detox: What it includes and why you may need it

The first step in overcoming an alcohol addiction is alcohol detoxification which is overcoming the physical dependence of the body on alcohol.  If you have been drinking for some time, you most likely will recognize that when you do not drink your body starts to show symptoms of withdrawal that likely may leave you desperate to drink.  Withdrawal symptoms can be hard to overcome because they can leave the body physically unstable for quite some time, but in order for a person to become completely rehabilitated you will need to conquer the symptoms.

Alcohol detoxification is best accomplished with the aid of a doctor which is why many people choose to head to an inpatient medical facility for treatment.  This is due to the fact that after a few years of dependence on alcohol the side effects of detox can be dangerous.  There are generally two levels of withdrawal.  The first is considered minor which occurs when a patient has not been drinking for a sustained period of time and the symptoms will be less severe.  The other level is then of course major and may possibly include symptoms that need to be closely monitored by medical personal.

Withdrawal symptoms affect three different areas of the body: the central nervous system, cognitive system causing temporary dysfunction, and the autonomic nervous system which kicks into overdrive during detox.  As a result of the inability for these systems to function, full withdrawal will include symptoms such as vomiting, tremors, sweating, headaches, loss of appetite, restlessness, Delirium Tremens, convulsions, sleeplessness, and hyperactivity.

If you choose to go through alcohol detox with the aid of a medical doctor, there are certain alcohol detox medications that can be used to control the presence of such symptoms which include benzodiaxepines, Buprenophex, and anticonvulsant medications.  Depending on the amount of time that you have been drinking steadily, full alcohol detox and the cessation of withdrawal symptoms can last from three to 14 days which can make a detox center the best choice for full recovery without relapse out of desperation for the drug.