You can detox safely from alcohol at an accredited facility with a licensed staff that understands the complexity of the medical detox process. This article will further review what’s involved.
Table of Contents
- Why Alcohol Addiction Treatment Requires an Extra Level of Care
- Where Can I Detox From Alcohol Safely?
- What To Look For in a Medical Detox Facility
- What To Expect During Medical Alcohol Detox
- BlueCrest Health Supports Your Recovery Journey
- FAQs
Key Takeaways
- Alcohol detox can be extremely dangerous as it produces life-threatening withdrawal symptoms like seizures and delirium tremens.
- A medically supervised approach can prevent symptoms from escalating and should be administered by a licensed and accredited facility with a range of physical and mental health specialists.
- After the initial stages are complete, the best facilities will follow up with therapy, addressing the underlying causes of addiction, and aftercare to support long-term well-being.
Introduction
Alcoholism is a common substance use issue, impacting 9.7% of people 12 and over with an SUD. However, it can be extremely difficult to overcome. Alcohol detox requires next-level care due to severe withdrawal symptoms, making it vital to find the best rehabilitation center.
Individuals reviewing treatment options should conduct thorough research and ensure that the chosen facility offers high-quality care. It should provide licensed clinicians, accredited services, medication management, the capacity to address co-occurring disorders, and holistic care.
This article takes a deep dive into what to look for when you require complex substance abuse care.
Why Alcohol Addiction Treatment Requires An Extra Level of Care
Alcohol is a nervous system depressant that enhances GABA in the brain. Over time, the brain becomes used to operating with higher levels of GABA.
When alcohol is removed, the central nervous system goes into an excitable state, causing severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms that can escalate into life-threatening seizures and delirium tremens, with a 1% – 4% mortality rate with proper treatment. Without treatment, mortality rates escalate to 20%.
Therefore, cold turkey alcohol detox is extremely dangerous. It requires a step-down approach. Benzodiazepines are often used because they also enhance GABA and can substitute alcohol’s suppressive effect, allowing the brain to recalibrate safely.
However, like alcohol, benzos can also be addictive. Therefore, the dosage is gradually reduced over time to ensure safe, lasting sobriety.
Where Can I Detox From Alcohol Safely?
Although there are options for safe detox, your best bet is an accredited detox facility. The right facility will provide a medicated detox approach to prevent serious complications. They will also offer evidence-based care to address the underlying causes of addiction, ensuring long-term recovery.
But not all facilities are equal. The following section will explain what to look for in an alcohol detoxification center.
What To Look For In a Medical Detox Facility
A medical detox facility should offer licensed specialists, CIWA-Ar approaches, accreditation, a continuum of care addressing co-occurring disorders, and holistic support. Here’s a breakdown of what each entails.
- Licensed Specialists: Medical detox units should be staffed by a wide range of healthcare professionals who can tend to clients’ physical and emotional health, including medical doctors, registered nurses, addiction counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, and holistic health specialists.
- CIWA-Ar: Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment, Alcohol Revised is a 10-item scale used to assess the severity of alcohol withdrawal symptoms to guide prescriptions.
- Accreditation: Joint Commission and CARF accreditation are important in any recovery facility, but they are especially vital with alcohol addiction treatment as the stakes are higher. Beyond ensuring high quality, these accreditations indicate that the clinic uses evidence-based care, which means it is more likely to have DEA registration and to prescribe and administer medications effectively.
- Continuum of Care: While detox may be the most sensitive issue in alcohol rehab, relapse prevention also plays a role, ensuring individuals don’t return to unhealthy habits. Clinics can provide this oversight through a continuum of care ranging from withdrawal to therapy and aftercare.
- Co-Occurring Disorder Capacity: Addiction is often tied to mental health issues, as people self-medicate to deal with intense emotions. The treatment plan should include evidence-based therapy that addresses the underlying cause of substance abuse, ensuring long-term recovery.
- Holistic Support: Clients often have more successful outcomes in overcoming substance abuse when it’s coupled with holistic care such as diet, nutrition, exercise, mindfulness activities, and alternative practices.
What to Expect During Medical Alcohol Detox?
A medical alcohol detox treatment program often begins with a thorough assessment, moving on to the withdrawal process, medication planning, therapy, and ongoing care. Here’s a better idea of what you can expect in addiction recovery.
- Intake and Assessment: After your health insurance is checked and intake is completed, clients undergo a thorough assessment by the medical staff. They will want to know the individual’s full physical and mental health history to ensure safe, effective approaches.
- Acute Withdrawal: Withdrawal typically sets in 6-12 hours after the last drink and often lasts about a week, although symptoms will start to fade within 3-4 days. However, the timeline varies depending on the severity of addiction. Medications are used to keep symptoms under control.
- Therapy: After clients stabilize, they move on to therapy, addressing the underlying cause of substance abuse. A dual-diagnosis approach can be implemented in a partial care setting, allowing clients to split their time among treatment, work, and life responsibilities.
- Aftercare Planning: Clinics offer ongoing care to support long-term recovery, with transition planning, skills training, and group therapy.
BlueCrest Health Supports Your Recovery Journey
Overcoming alcoholism is complex, but BlueCrest Health will help you achieve lasting recovery. We support clients after the detox process through evidence-based care and holistic interventions. Our dual diagnosis approach addresses the underlying cause of addiction, ensuring ongoing sobriety.
Contact us to learn more about our substance use recovery program and how we can help you or a loved one achieve a higher quality of life.
FAQs
Is it dangerous to detox from alcohol at home?
Yes, it can be dangerous to detox from alcohol at home, especially for individuals with substance abuse issues. Without professional oversight, withdrawal symptoms like seizures and delirium tremens can be fatal. You are at even higher risk if you have health conditions or have had multiple recovery attempts.
What is delirium tremens, and how serious is it?
Delirium tremens is the most severe alcohol withdrawal symptom, characterized by cardiovascular instability, confusion, hallucinations, and fever. Mortality rates can be as high as 20%, but that number reduces to 1-4% with proper treatment.
How long does alcohol detox take?
Withdrawal symptoms usually begin 6-12 hours after the last drink, peak between 24 and 72 hours, and resolve in 5-10 days. However, this timeline can be impacted by the severity of the addiction.
Sources
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- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). “Alcohol Use Disorder: From Risk to Diagnosis to Recovery.” https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/health-professionals-communities/core-resource-on-alcohol/alcohol-use-disorder-risk-diagnosis-recovery
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