People may experience dangerous withdrawal symptoms when they stop drinking. Some of these symptoms can be life-threatening for individuals with severe alcohol addiction. Those wishing to become sober permanently should contact a doctor or substance abuse counselor to learn the safest and most effective way to go through alcohol detoxification to begin their recovery from alcohol addiction.
Setting
Many patients with mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms can participate in an outpatient detoxification program, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. These patients need a strong support network of family or friends who can assist them throughout the detoxification process. They also should be assessed daily by a trained professional. Patients with a history of severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms, multiple previous detoxifications or a co-occuring mental illness, and those with a lack of a reliable support network, should consider an inpatient detoxification treatment program instead. Those who have recently consumed very high levels of alcohol or are pregnant should also use an inpatient facility to detox from alcohol.
Goals
There are three immediate goals for alcohol detoxification, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine. These goals include providing a safe withdrawal from alcohol that will enable the person to become alcohol-free, to provide a withdrawal that is humane and dignified, and to prepare the patient for ongoing treatment for his addiction.
Time Frame
The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome do not all appear at the same time, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Many people experience minor withdrawal symptoms approximately six to 12 hours after they took their last alcoholic drink. Insomnia, mild anxiety, gastrointestinal upset, headaches, heart palpitations and loss of appetite are considered minor withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol hallucinations usually do not occur until approximately 12 to 24 hours after the last drink, and they usually resolve themselves within 48 hours. Withdrawal seizures usually do not occur until 24 to 48 hours after the last drink, but some have been reported in as few as two hours after drinking cessation. The symptoms of delirum tremens typically do not begin to appear until 48 to 72 hours after the last drink, and typically peak at five days.
Medications
Many doctors use medications to assist in alcohol detoxification, but may use different approaches in administering the medication. Some doctors monitor the patient and only administer the medication when the patient appears to need it. Others use a fixed-schedule regimen to administer the medications at specific intervals to prevent dangerous withdrawal symptoms. Although the medication used during detoxification depends upon the circumstances, examples of medications used include diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, lorazepam, oxazepam, carbamazepine, haloperidol, clonidine, atenolol or phenytoin.
Considerations
Going through alcohol detoxification is only the first step in battling an addiction to alcohol. The treatment of withdrawal symptoms does not address the underlying cause of the disease, so individuals who do not seek further treatment will most likely return to drinking. Residential treatment centers, outpatient treatment programs, individual counseling, family counseling and support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous are examples of treatments that may be beneficial. Medications, including disulfiram, naltrexone and acamprosate, may be useful in combating alcoholism, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
