It is no secret that alcohol consumption can have a detrimental effect on your health. But what happens when you decide to stop drinking? Alcohol detoxification is the first step in treating alcoholism and can be a difficult process. In this article, we will explore what alcohol detox does to your body and how it can help you recover from alcohol addiction. When you make the decision to stop drinking, you are likely to experience withdrawal symptoms.
How long it takes to detox depends on a few factors, including how much you drink, how long you've been drinking, and whether you've had a detox before. Heavy drinkers who suddenly decline or stop drinking altogether may experience potentially dangerous symptoms that should be treated as a serious warning sign that you are drinking too much. Due to the severity of some withdrawal symptoms, alcohol detoxification should be monitored by a medical professional. Detoxification in a vocational rehabilitation center is often the most recommended method to address alcohol addiction and dependence.
Benzodiazepines (benzos) are most commonly used to treat withdrawal symptoms during the alcohol detoxification phase. People who are dependent on alcohol may experience a strong, often uncontrollable desire to drink and feel that they cannot function without alcohol. When treating alcohol detoxification in an inpatient rehabilitation center, different medications may be used to help reduce uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. Those who experience mild symptoms of alcohol withdrawal or who are concerned about experiencing withdrawal symptoms will benefit from the advice of a physician or clinician trained to evaluate and treat patients with alcohol withdrawal.
Some people fear stopping drinking because they are nervous about the withdrawal symptoms experienced during alcohol detox. Alcohol withdrawal arises based on various changes in brain activity caused by prolonged and excessive consumption of alcohol. With chronic exposure to alcohol, GABA receptors respond less to the neurotransmitter and higher alcohol concentrations are required to achieve the same level of suppression. Alcoholic patients present with many metabolic and nutritional disorders, but it is believed that the constellation of signs and symptoms known as Alcohol Withdrawal (AW) is due to the discontinuation of constant CNS exposure to alcohol.
If you are considering stopping drinking, it is important to understand what alcohol detox does to your body and how it can help you recover from alcohol addiction. Although it can be a difficult process, with the right support and guidance, it is possible to overcome alcoholism and lead a healthier life.
