Detoxification Treatment for Alcohol
Before you can address the strong psychological underpinnings of your addiction to alcohol, you must first go through detoxification treatment for alcoholism. Detoxification is the process of allowing the harmful toxins associated with alcohol to leave the system.
Understanding the process of detox and how long it will take will help you prepare for your treatment.
How Long Does Alcohol Detox Take to Complete?
The length of the alcohol detox process varies, but for most individuals it takes between a single week and 21 days to complete. The length of detox will depend on factors such as:
- How long you have been an alcoholic
- Whether you are also using other drugs
- Your past history with drug or alcohol abuse
- Whether you have received treatment in the past
Detox is known to be the hardest part of alcohol treatment and you may suffer from some withdrawal symptoms during this process.
What Are the Withdrawal Symptoms Associated with Alcoholism Detox?
When you stop drinking alcohol, your body will react with some withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms and effects can include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Strong alcohol cravings
- Sweats and chills
- Sleeplessness
- Restlessness
- Hallucinations
While these symptoms are usually non-life threatening, they can lead to relapse. For that reason, alcohol detox should always take place while you are under the care of a treatment professional.
Following the detox stage, you will move on to other stages of alcohol treatment.
What Happens After Detoxification for Alcohol Addiction?
After detox, you will enter into counseling and the remainder of the alcoholism treatment process. Most rehabilitation centers for alcoholism will not let you move forward with your treatment until you have completed detox.
Immediately following detox, you should begin counseling. Alcoholism counseling offers a chance to explore the root causes of addiction and learn how to make better decisions regarding substance abuse. You will also learn how to respond to the “triggers” that bring about the behavior. Once counseling is complete, and the program has ended, you should take part in aftercare. A means of maintaining sobriety, aftercare programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up therapy will help you stay sober as you face daily challenges and temptations.
If you live in Tennessee and need help finding an alcohol detox or rehabilitation program, please call us at the number listed. A qualified representative will be available to provide you with important information about detox facilities located all over the country.
