Alcohol Withdrawals Archives - Nadcell Mindcare

What is Alcohol Detox?

Alcohol addiction is a serious issue that can have detrimental effects on a person’s physical and mental health. When individuals decide to overcome their addiction, one essential step in the recovery process is alcohol detoxification, commonly known as detox.

Alcohol detox is the initial stage of addiction treatment during which the body eliminates all traces of alcohol. Its primary goal is to address the physical aspects of addiction, allowing individuals to focus on the psychological aspects of their recovery journey. By removing alcohol from the system, individuals can begin therapy and other forms of addiction treatment with a clear mind and a healthier body.

Medically Assisted Alcohol Detox plays a vital role in helping individuals safely and comfortably withdraw from alcohol, preparing them for further addiction treatment and in seeking professional help during this critical phase of recovery.

The Role of Withdrawal Symptoms

Alcohol addiction disrupts the body’s natural balance leading to physical dependence on the substance. When alcohol consumption is abruptly stopped, individuals may experience a range of withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms can vary in severity depending on factors such as the duration of addiction, the amount of alcohol consumed and an individual’s overall health.

Withdrawal symptoms can include nausea, shaking, sweating, insomnia, anxiety and intense cravings for alcohol. In some cases, severe withdrawal symptoms such as hallucinations, delirium tremens (DT’s) and seizures can occur. Medically assisted alcohol detox aims to minimise the discomfort and risks associated with withdrawal symptoms through a carefully managed process.

Initial Medical Assessment

Before beginning the detoxification process, individuals undergo a comprehensive medical assessment. This assessment helps healthcare professionals understand the individual’s medical history, addiction patterns and any specific needs they may have. Based on this information a personalised detox plan is developed to ensure the individual’s safety and well-being throughout the process.

Management of Withdrawal Symptoms

During alcohol detox, individuals may experience a range of physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms can be challenging to manage without medical support. Therefore, medically assisted detox provides individuals with necessary medications to alleviate the discomfort associated with withdrawal symptoms. Medications may be used to reduce anxiety, depression, insomnia and other withdrawal-related issues ensuring a safer and more comfortable detox experience.

Medications Used in Detox

Several medications are commonly used during alcohol detox to assist individuals in managing withdrawal symptoms. Benzodiazepines such as Librium (Chlordiazepoxide) and Valium (diazepam) are frequently prescribed to reduce alcohol withdrawal symptoms and prevent seizures. Additionally, anticonvulsant medications like Levetiracetam may be used to further minimise the risk of seizures during detox.

It is important to note that while these medications can be effective in managing withdrawal symptoms, they should only be used under medical supervision to prevent misuse and addiction to the medication itself.

Support and Monitoring

Support and monitoring are crucial components of medically assisted alcohol detox. Healthcare professionals provide round-the-clock care and supervision to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals throughout the detoxification process. This includes regular check-ups, monitoring vital signs and addressing any concerns or complications that may arise.

Duration of Detox

The duration of alcohol detox can vary depending on individual factors such as the severity of addiction and overall health. On average the detoxification process typically lasts between 7 and 10 days. However, for individuals with more severe addiction or complex medical conditions detox may take longer. The duration of detox is determined by healthcare professionals who continuously assess the individual’s progress and adjust the treatment plan accordingly.

Risks of Detoxing Alone

Detoxing from alcohol without medical supervision can be dangerous and potentially life-threatening. Alongside nausea, shaking, sweating, insomnia, anxiety and intense cravings for alcohol, severe withdrawal symptoms such as seizures and delirium tremens can pose serious risks to an individual’s health and well-being. Additionally, attempting to detox alone often leads to unsuccessful attempts and relapse due to the intense discomfort experienced during withdrawal.

Seeking professional help for a Medically Assisted Alcohol Detox significantly reduces the risks associated with detoxing alone. Healthcare professionals provide the necessary support, medications and monitoring to ensure a safe and successful detoxification process.

Life After Alcohol Detox

Detox is just the first step in the recovery process from alcohol addiction. Once individuals have completed detox, it is crucial to continue with comprehensive addiction treatment to address the psychological and behavioural aspects of their addiction.

Transition to Addiction Treatment

After completing alcohol detox, individuals are ready to transition to an addiction treatment program. This could include residential rehab, outpatient therapy, support groups or a combination of these approaches. Addiction treatment programs provide individuals with the tools, support and therapies necessary for long-term recovery.

Importance of Therapy and Support

Alcohol therapy and counselling plays a critical role in addressing the underlying causes of alcohol addiction and developing healthy coping strategies. Individual counselling, group therapy and family therapy are common components of addiction treatment. These therapeutic interventions help individuals understand their addiction, identify triggers and develop effective strategies to maintain sobriety.

Ongoing support through support groups, aftercare programs and relapse prevention resources are also essential in sustaining recovery beyond detox and initial treatment. Building a strong support network and accessing resources that promote continued sobriety greatly increases the chances of long-term success in recovery.

The Importance of Medically Assisted Alcohol Detox

Medically assisted alcohol detox is a crucial step in the recovery process for individuals struggling with alcohol addiction. By safely and comfortably removing alcohol from the body, individuals can begin their journey towards long-term sobriety. Detox, when combined with comprehensive addiction treatment and ongoing support provides individuals with the foundation and tools necessary for a successful recovery.

For anyone struggling with alcohol addiction, seeking professional help for medically assisted detox and comprehensive addiction treatment is strongly encouraged. There is support available, and recovery is possible with the right resources and guidance.

What Is The Best Way To Stop Drinking?

When finding the best ways to stop drinking, the first thing to consider is your relationship with alcohol. Everyone has what works for them, so it is worth looking into what that may be.

At Nadcell, our team specialises in effective treatments designed to make your transition away from alcohol as comfortable and as safe as possible.

Do You Feel It’s Time To Stop Drinking?

If your relationship with alcohol is ruining your other relationships and lifestyle, including career prospects, finance, general health and well-being. These are the tell-tale signs that you are suffering from alcoholism.

What Is Alcoholism?

Alcoholism is when you cannot get past a day without alcohol. If you are dependent on alcohol, and you are ready to make those changes in your life to become sober, then it is worth looking at your options.

What Other Tell-Tale Signs Are There?

There are many signs to look out for. Some symptoms can be more noticeable in you than others, so it is essential to realise how alcohol can affect your health differently.

Even drinking in moderation can make you feel unwell; this is an insight into how much the body struggles to process alcohol.

The more you drink, the more likely you notice other health effects, too, like:

Poor sleeping habits
Struggling to digest food
Having problems with memory loss
High levels of anxiety, irritability and depression
Having arguments with loved ones over your alcohol consumption

Naturally, over time, these effects will pile up and manifest other problems to go along with them.

Whether you are here for yourself or a loved one, it is essential, to be honest about how you feel about your relationship with alcohol and how you can guide yourself, or someone close, away from their addiction and towards a new lease of a sober life.

What Are My Treatment Options?

At Nadcell, an experienced team has worked with various approaches and treatments to tackle alcohol addiction. In addition, we have safe and controlled alcohol detox programs available at our clinic or from the comfort of your home and effective aftercare treatment to help you maintain a sober lifestyle.

Before any treatments take place, it is vital that you, or the loved one in question, is ready to live a sober life. It is not in the interest of anyone involved if there isn’t any genuine intent to stop drinking.

The first stage is the medical detox stage.

We offer you the safest and most effective way of stripping the body of every substance through a medical detox, whether in our NAD+ clinic or from the comfort of your own home.

What Is Involved in Medical Detox?

Medical detox is when you are given medication that alleviates any alcohol withdrawal symptoms you would have otherwise, encouraging you to engage and complete the process. During the medical detox process, whether in the NAD+ clinic or your own home, you will be observed by a medical professional throughout to ensure your comfort and safety. You will be alcohol-free at the end of the detox, and it is common to feel vulnerable at this stage. We will then arrange for you to attend aftercare.

What Is Involved In The Aftercare Process?

There are so many approaches to aftercare that work from individual to individual. At Nadcell, we feel we have all the aftercare services you need, like:

Person-Centred Therapy Sessions

Your relationship with alcohol manifests from your journey, so building the therapy sessions around what you need is crucial. Our counsellors have many years of experience helping those addicted to alcohol and even have their own experience with alcohol addiction. The counselling team believe that trying to fit you into a specific mould of approach does not work; instead, we are open to a combination of methods to find what is most effective for you.

Vitamin And Nutrient Injections And Infusion Boosts

It can be overwhelming when you have completed detox. Medical detox can ease the symptoms and help you to reduce cravings, but your body still has to do a lot of hard work.

Essential vitamins and nutrients are consumed by this process. In particular, vitamin B is used by your liver to metabolise alcohol and turn it from ethanol into acetaldehyde before removing it from your body. In doing this, it reduces the amount of vitamins in your body. This might seem like a small issue compared with the challenge of detoxing from alcohol, but vitamin deficiencies can be dangerous. Lack of vitamin B can lead to many of the side effects commonly experienced in the latter half of detox, such as chronic insomnia, headaches, hallucinations, anxiety and depression.

Nadcell recognises that the body needs to be revitalised. That is why we offer a wide range of vitamin and nutrient boosts to get your body back healthy and ready for that journey towards sobriety.

What Kind Of Vitamins Will I Need?

The fact is alcoholism depletes the body of vitamins needed for overall functioning. There are many IV options for different stages of recovery. One of the most potent IV treatments is through Pabrinex.

What Is Pabrinex?

Pabrinex is blend of targeted vitamins and essential antioxidants used intravenously to rapidly correct severe depletion or malabsorption of vitamins B and C. Those dependent on alcohol will have severe deficiencies in these vitamins.

Why Do We Need These Vitamins?

Vitamins B and C are obtained solely from the diet. So, vitamin B and C deficiencies can only arise from poor diet, particularly in those suffering from alcoholism. The B group of vitamins are involved in developing and maintaining the nervous system (brain and nerves) and forming blood cells. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and is responsible for maintaining healthy cell structure.

A Pabrinex IV is one of the many boosts we have here, that can go towards making a full recovery from alcoholism.

I’m Ready To Get Sober. What Now?

We are happy to answer any questions regarding alcohol detox and recovery. So please call us for a free initial consultation, and start your journey today.

Sources

Thinking of ditching alcohol? How to make a plan that works for you – Medically reviewed by Alyssa Peckham, PharmD, BCPP — By Crystal Raypole – How to Stop Drinking: 14 Tips for Success (healthline.com)

Guidelines for medically assisted community alcohol withdrawal -Pabrinex Prescribing Protocol PHA55: Mar 2020 – GUIDELINES FOR MEDICALLY ASSISTED COMMUNITY ALCOHOL WITHDRAWAL (candi.nhs.uk)

Alcohol Withdrawals & Medically-Assisted Alcohol Detox