Alcohol addiction detox is the abrupt stopping of any consumption of alcohol and ridding the body of any alcohol that it may contain. Alcohol detox can take place in an inpatient or outpatient setting, but it is always recommended to proceed under the supervision of a physician. Depending on the setting, alcohol addiction detox can be the initial step to treatment for alcoholism or treatment can begin upon completion of detoxification. However the detoxification is classified, it is necessary for further treatment to occur, otherwise alcohol addiction relapse is highly likely.
The Detox Process
Alcohol detoxification usually takes three to seven days. If the alcohol abuse is severe, the patient could experience delirium tremens, which can include hallucinations and seizures. This side effect is most common with abusers who have had previous withdrawal episodes. Vitamin B1 is administered during detox for patients with delirium tremens. Other medication that can be administered during alcohol detoxification can include: disulfiram, naltrexone and acamprosate. All of these medications work to reduce the pleasure of consuming alcohol or decrease the desire in the patient to consume alcohol.
Physical Effects
Alcohol addiction takes its toll on your body. The liver and kidneys are the organs that carry out the detoxification process to rid the body of all alcohol. If you have a long history of alcohol abuse, the stress of detoxification will be greater on your body. The physical withdrawal symptoms of alcohol from the body can include: nausea, vomiting, sweating, hand tremors, seizures in severe cases, heart palpitations, fever and insomnia.
Psychological or Emotional Effects
Depending on the length and amount of alcohol consumed, psychological and emotional effects from alcohol detox can vary from mild to moderate. Some of these effects can include: anxiety, fatigue, depression, nervousness, nightmares and a wide range of emotional highs and lows.
Social Effects
An individual who is abusing alcohol generally experiences some type of social fallout from his actions. Usually, friends and family members have been alienated or forced into accommodating roles to cope with the alcoholism in their lives. Job performance may suffer, and other mental or health-related issues can occur as a result of the alcoholism. After the detoxification occurs, the consequences of alcoholism is addressed in therapy.
Dietary Needs
Continued periods of heavy drinking tends to inhibit an appetite, so alcohol abusers generally eat poorly and can be malnourished. Based upon the history of alcohol use, some detoxification programs include nutritional supplementation. After withdrawal from alcohol, liquids in the form of herbal teas, water and warm broths are administered to aid in dehydration. Supplementing B vitamins, iron and folic acid are common in most treatment programs.
Therapy
Once detoxification is complete, therapy, whether group, marital, family or individual becomes the focus of treatment.
Group therapy relies on the individuals learning from each other and supporting each other while being facilitated by a professional. A widely known group therapy treatment program is Alcoholics Anonymous.
Marital and family therapy involves the individual's significant other and possibly family members. Alcohol abuse within a family unit forces members of the family and the spouse to take on certain roles to accommodate, cope or reject the alcoholism. Identifying and modifying family members' roles is the focus of marital and family therapy.
Individual therapy can focus on addressing issues from that past or present that contribute or trigger the abuse of alcohol. Individual therapy can also help the abuser to recognize the changes that need to be made to keep him or her on the road of sobriety.
