How long to detox from alcohol if you feel you have a drinking problem. Alcohol addiction is one of the most alarming conditions that affect an individual who consumes alcohol daily. It takes a toll on their physical health as well as their emotional health. It not only destroys a person, but it also affects everyone associated with that person, especially their close ones. It doesn’t matter if one is a heavy drinker or a light drinker because alcohol gradually eats up everything in their life one way or the other.
Once alcohol dependency starts to develop, it becomes tough to give up on it. Alcohol triggers a happy reaction in the brain and produces certain exciting chemicals that act as a reward. But the downfall of how long to detox from alcohol is that those reactions were supposed to happen naturally and not by the force of alcohol. Hence, the brain becomes dependent on alcohol to produce those happy, rewarding effects, and eventually, an individual becomes dependent on alcohol without even knowing it.
With every passing day, an alcoholic develops a higher threshold
They have to increase the quantity of alcohol consumed or increase the frequency to produce the same effect. When it comes to quitting drinking, even if the person wants to, he will not do it without medical assistance. Withdrawal from alcohol isn’t impossible. But it requires a lot of patience and dedication on the part of the individual and one-on-one support to dig the individual out of the vicious cycle of addiction.
Alcohol detoxification is the first step one has to take to get rid of being dependent on alcohol. It is a process where one has to completely give up on alcohol so that the body can get rid of the toxic by-products accumulated in the body due to the long years of alcohol consumption. Also, it allows the body’s organs to get back to their normal states since alcohol puts massive stress on them.
How Long to Detox from Alcohol?
Though it seems like a road to success in itself, how long to detox from alcohol has its obstacles. If the person has been alcohol dependent for years, it will be the hardest thing to get rid of quickly.
The individual will probably give up and not complete the detoxification process. Therefore, detoxification should only be started under the supervision of a medical supervisor or within a rehab facility. One shouldn’t quit drinking cold turkey because it might end in fatal consequences.
Detoxification is a step-by-step process. An alcoholic’s biggest fear is the withdrawal symptoms that accompany the journey of quitting alcohol. The withdrawal symptoms generally seem to start from the first day itself, even as quickly as after 2 to 6 hours of the last drink.
Symptoms of anxiety include shaky hands, nausea, headaches, restlessness, unexplained anger, etc. Also, the craving for alcohol will be very intense throughout the whole process.
How long to detox from alcohol is different for every person. During the second and third days, the symptoms are seen to be at their peak with vomiting, hallucinations, nausea, fever, etc. Heavy drinkers may suffer seizures, strokes, or heart attacks in rare cases.
How Long to Detox from Alcohol?
After a week, the worst wave of withdrawal symptoms seems to subside for many patients. Though it doesn’t end here, and for some, it might even take months or even a year to get rid of the side effects altogether. Even then, there is always a risk of returning to the old habit. Doctors assist in detoxification with the help of drugs to reduce the side effects and monitor the condition closely to keep everything in check. Ultimately, counseling and family support give the recovering alcoholic moral confidence.
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