An overview of alcohol detox

The most important stage of the entire alcohol addiction treatment and recovery process is the detox and withdrawal stage. The importance of this stage is based on the premise that if an individual is still having the cravings for alcohol, they cannot proceed to the recovery stage of the rehab process. Therefore, it is critical that the detox stage is successfully completed before moving on through the recovery process. This is the most difficult and unpleasant stage of the rehab process, but it is the most critical.

Cravings for alcohol, physical illness, and withdrawal symptoms are all characteristics of this stage of alcohol addiction treatment and recovery. They are simply referred to as alcohol detox symptoms and depending on certain factors regarding the severity of a person’s addiction to or dependency on alcohol, they can be extremely unpleasant to deal with. For many individuals, medical detox from alcohol is recommended in order to make the person as comfortable as possible.

Recognizing the symptoms of alcohol detox

When an individual initially decides to enter an alcohol addiction treatment and recovery program, they will oftentimes question their decision to do so. Is this going to be painful? Am I going to have to be hospitalized? Am I strong enough to get through this? These are the most common questions that alcoholics will commonly ask the addiction specialist that is assigned to them when they enter alcoholism rehab program.

What you want to be aware of is that the following alcohol detox symptoms are what you are likely to experience when you are undergoing addiction treatment and recovery:

• agitation and irritability
• anxiety disorders and panic attacks
• chills and sweating
• depression
• erratic, unpredictable mood swings
• grand mal seizures
• headaches
• lost appetite
• nausea and vomiting
• nervousness
• paranoia
• rapid heartbeat and pulse rate
• shakes or tremors (delirium tremens)
• stomach cramps

Although there may be other alcohol detox symptoms that health officials and organizations may list, the ones listed above were published by the American Academy of Family Physicians.

The benefits of alcohol detox

Regardless of the severity of the alcohol detox symptoms, the benefits of undergoing detox are far-reaching. However, the following are the three primary benefits of enduring these symptoms and successfully completing the process:

A strong foundation in recovery – during the first weeks and months of alcohol addiction treatment and recovery, it’s all about establishing a strong foundation for successfully recovering from their dependency on alcohol.
The individual’s mental health – during the detox and withdrawal process, medical professionals and therapists will be addressing any of the psychological issues that may be the underlying cause of the addiction.

The individual’s physical health – most importantly, the individual’s physical health will improve and return to a better state, possibly extending the person’s lifespan.

If you would like more information regarding our alcohol addiction treatment and recovery programs, please call the Freedom Center at the toll-free phone number listed above.