Alcohol Detox Information for Alcoholics and “Problem Drinkers”

When a heavy drinker abruptly stops drinking alcohol, he or she typically experiences alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol detox is an alcoholism treatment approach that focuses on managing the alcohol withdrawal symptoms in a safe environment so that the body can eliminate the alcohol that has been ingested.

Some Alcohol Detox Facts

Alcohol detox, a widely available, traditional form of alcoholism treatment, is typically done under the supervision of a medical practitioner, and it is frequently employed as the first step in an alcoholic treatment program. Due mainly to the relatively long time-frame needed for alcohol detox programs, these programs are typically part of an inpatient alcohol rehabilitation program.

Alcohol Detox and Withdrawal Symptoms

According to the research literature, it is important to treat every individual who is suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Having said this, however, it should be noted that approximately 95 per cent of the individuals who quit drinking alcohol experience mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms and can frequently be treated on an out-patient basis by a healthcare professional.

The remaining 5 per cent of the people who suffer from withdrawal symptoms, however, experience symptoms so severe that they must be treated in a hospital or in an alcohol rehabilitation facility that specializes in alcohol detoxification intervention. More than a few researchers openly claim that chronic alcoholics who cannot maintain sobriety or those who suffer from severe alcohol withdrawals should receive drug therapy to control their withdrawal symptoms. It is important to note, furthermore, that by using medications, alcohol-dependent individuals are less likely to experience possible brain damage and/or seizures.

Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Benzodiazepines

Recent research suggests that the drugs most likely to produce effective results when treating alcohol withdrawal symptoms are the benzodiazepines. Examples include the shorter-acting benzodiazepines such as Ativan and Serax and the longer-acting benzodiazepines such as Librium and Valium.

Traditionally, when doctors have used benzodiazepines they have employed a progressive decrease in dosage over the time-span of the withdrawal process. Moreover, since the shorter-acting benzodiazepines do not remain in the person’s system for an excessive period of time and since they allow for measurable dose reductions, many alcoholism researchers and practitioners have recommended that short to intermediate half-life benzodiazepines should be used for treating excessive alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Doctor-Prescribed Drugs To Prevent A Relapse

Once the individual has overcome his or her withdrawal symptoms, moreover, other doctor-prescribed medications such as naltrexone (ReViaT) or disulfiram (Antabuse) may be used in an attempt to help prevent the person from returning to drinking after he or she has experienced a relapse and consumed alcohol.

For example, antabuse is a drug given to alcoholics that elicits negative effects such as dizziness, nausea, flushing, and vomiting if alcohol is ingested. For the most part, Antabuse is effective because it is such a strong deterrent. Naltrexone (ReViaT), conversely, is used in an entirely different manner in that it effectively targets the brain’s reward circuits and reduces the craving the person has for alcohol.

Non-Drug Alcohol Detox

A variety of non-drug techniques exist for treating alcohol withdrawal. Indeed, according to the current research literature, it seems that the safest way to treat mild withdrawal symptoms is without meds. Such non-drug alcohol detox programs use extensive social support and screening during the entire withdrawal process. Other non-drug alcohol detox programs, furthermore, use vitamin therapy (especially thiamin) and proper nutrition when treating mild withdrawal symptoms.

Alcohol Detox: Inpatient versus Outpatient Status

Not surprisingly, recent research findings have shown that inpatient alcohol withdrawal treatment is more effective and longer-lasting than outpatient treatment. As a general rule, therefore, the more severe the alcohol-related withdrawal symptoms, the more likely that inpatient treatment programs should be considered.

Rapid Detox

Rapid detox is an addiction detoxification approach that uses anesthesia and the administering of medications in a closely monitored hospital setting.Depending on the drug that the addict is “hooked on,” rapid detox usually takes place in a hospital or detox facility where the patient is anesthetized for 4 to 6 or even up to 48 hours—enough time to eliminate most of the drugs from the patient’s system. While under anesthesia, the addict is also given doctor-prescribed medications that speed up the physical reactions to the withdrawal process.

Rapid detox is essentially intended for detoxification efforts associated with addiction to opiates such as heroin, methadone, and morphine as well as addiction to prescription drugs such as darvocet, oxycontin, codeine, percocet, and vicodin.

In the final analysis, if rapid detox has been shown to “work,” it must be seen as one aspect of the addiction recovery process. Stated more precisely, rapid detox is a treatment approach that targets “withdrawal symptoms” and little, if anything else. If rapid detox is used as a part of a comprehensive addiction treatment and recovery procedure, maybe it can play a significant and necessary role in the treatment process. If rapid detox, conversely, is seen as the “magic bullet” of addiction detox and treatment, then its fascination as an “instant cure” will not only be misleading but perhaps more importantly, will possibly result in a fatality.

Alcohol Detox: Conclusion

Although 95% of the people who quit drinking alcohol experience mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms, every person who suffers from alcohol withdrawal needs professional alcoholism detox treatment.

The critically important message regarding alcohol withdrawal symptoms, therefore is this: when experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms, always see your doctor or healthcare provider immediately so that he or she can assess the severity of your withdrawal symptoms and recommend the alcohol detox treatment that will be the most effective and the most appropriate for your particular circumstance.