Alcohol Detoxification

First 24 Hours of Detox

The most dangerous period for a patient going through the detoxification process is the first 24 hours. After that period, the patient still needs to be monitored and tested for the presence of alcohol in their system. While the initial danger may pass within a 24 hour period, patients are still very susceptible to returning to their previous drinking habits if other issues aren’t addressed during the initial recovery process. Inpatient programs provide continued monitoring while dealing with the physical and psychological causes of the addiction in a safe, supportive environment.

Continued Supervision

Without medical intervention, initial withdrawal symptoms can go from mild to life-threatening very quickly. During inpatient alcohol detox, the patient is carefully supervised. Medical supervision is especially important for patients with other conditions such as diabetes, kidney infections or other potentially serious medical issues. During the detox process at an inpatient facility, doctor’s will perform an examination and get as much of the patient’s medical history as possible. Medications are often administered to help with the initial withdrawal symptoms. The patient is carefully monitored throughout the process, with convenient access to medical assistance as necessary.

Medical Evaluation

Somebody addicted to alcohol is consuming much more alcohol than the body can naturally process, often resulting in damage to the body’s internal organs, especially the liver and kidneys. While in an inpatient program, a patient will undergo a thorough medical evaluation to determine how much damage was done within the body. Patients may require additional medications and treatments for any medical conditions that are discovered during an examination and subsequent testing.

Why Detox Should Be an Inpatient Process

Inpatient programs treat more than the initial withdrawal symptoms. For this reason, such programs tend to be more successful. Patients are under constant supervision for more than just the detox period. Most inpatient programs treat both the physical and psychological causes of alcohol dependency, with the goal of identifying and treating the underlying causes of the addiction. Additional benefits of inpatient treatments for alcohol detox include:

Structure and Support

Inpatient programs tend to be highly structured. Patients are given one-on-one support to address individual issues that caused the addiction to develop and group support. Patients are also introduced to other activities that can provide a new focus. After the initial detox process, support continues with inpatient programs. Patients benefit from knowing that doctors, psychologists and counselors are on hand to deal with often complex issues associated with alcohol addiction.

No Negative Influences

Another benefit of inpatient treatment is cutting off access to negative influences, such as friends and certain family members who may have supported the addiction or looked the other way and ignored signs of a problem. This isn’t to say that there is no contact with the outside world. If possible, patients are encouraged to have the support of their family members and loved ones throughout the recovery process.

No treatment program, inpatient or otherwise, is going to be successful unless the patient is willing to admit that they need help. Take comfort in knowing that the recovery process is not a solitary experience. Inpatient treatment programs typically provide additional support through counseling and access to additional resources once the initial treatment has been completed.

Alcohol Detoxification Withdrawal Syndrome

Withdrawal from alcohol is potentially life-threatening. Persons need to be medically monitored during this process. Within 3-4 hours of the last dose, a person who is dependent on alcohol will begin to experience:

 First Phase of Alcohol Detoxification Withdrawal

• Vital signs elevated–increased blood pressure, pulse, and temperature.
• Diaphoresis.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Diuretic effects.
• Slurred speech.
• Tremors, hands shake, poor coordination (drop cigarettes, spill water).
• Unsteady gait.
• Anxiousness.
• Insomnia.
• Short attention span.

 Second Phase of Alcohol Detoxification Withdrawal

• Hallucinations–will show this by being distracted, frightened, and disoriented.
• Grand Mai Seizure is always a possibility.
• DTs (delirium tremens)–develop anytime. Severe psychomotor activity, extremely agitated state (may act like brushing away crawling insects), incontinence, uncooperative, confused, talking and having a conversation when no one is there, diaphoretic, won’t know where they are. Once in DTs it takes 3-5 days to get out of it (21% die if they go into DTs and are not medically treated).