When a person decides it is time to seek help for an alcohol use disorder, one of the most helpful steps will be creating an Alcohol Abuse Treatment Plan with either a medical provider or a mental health professional. These treatment plans are made specifically for the individual and can include expectations, goals, possible triggers and coping skills and allows for you to track your own progress throughout recovery. Following are the key benefits of an Alcohol Abuse Treatment Plan:
- Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms are treated under the supervision of rehab experts
- All kinds of physical and medical needs of the patients are taken care of in the best way possible
- 24/7 care is provided to the patients
- Social and family needs of the patients are taken care of in an alcohol abuse treatment plan
We all know seeking help for an addiction can be a scary and vulnerable thing to do, but with the help and support of intervention programs and with an Alcohol Abuse Treatment Plan, recovery can be on the horizon. Lions Recovery is a Drug and Alcohol Intervention Treatment Center and provides the best care to those brave enough to seek help.
Understanding Alcohol Detox
Alcohol withdrawal is certainly not a fun experience, and it is no surprise that the symptoms that come with it are often the reason many people chose to continue to drink. But you must detox the alcohol from your system before the symptoms go away. People often ask, “how do you help someone detox from alcohol at home?” The truth is, depending on the severity of the addiction, successful at home detox is not very common. The symptoms can be painful and extremely uncomfortable, which oftentimes leads a person to drink just to feel normal again.
Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal that occur during the detox phase can range from mild to severe, to sometimes even fatal.
Some of the mild symptoms may include:
- Increased anxiety
- Sweating
- Insomnia
- Nausea
- Headaches
- Mood swings
- Irritability
More severe and dangerous symptoms include:
- Tremors
- Seizures
- Disorientation
- Hallucinations
Delirium tremens is the most serious and life threatening symptoms of Alcohol Detox withdrawal syndrome and can include compulsions, confusion, high blood pressure and fever and can be fatal. If a person experiences any types of severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, call 911 immediately to seek medical attention.
Goals of These Drug and Alcohol Intervention Programs
With any addiction (Drug Addiction, Alcohol Addiction), the goal is to maintain sobriety and learn how to live a healthy life without drugs or alcohol in the mix. The first step to providing help to a loved one in need, is holding an intervention. Lion’s Recovery ensures that only the most appropriate members are involved in the intervention. The purpose of the intervention is to express your concern for the addiction while showing you want the individual to seek the help they deserve and need. After this, and the person with the addiction agrees to get help, the road to recovery has officially begun.
Within these drug and alcohol intervention programs, the person seeking help will learn the skills needed to prevent possible relapse and build resilience to break free from their addiction. Then, with a medical or mental health professional, you will create an alcohol abuse treatment plan and be able to monitor and track any progress made.
Phase 2 Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms Occur in 3 stages. Stage 1 includes the more common symptoms of withdrawal, the ones you have probably experienced several times before. This includes increased anxiety, trouble sleeping, loss of appetite, stomach pain or nausea.
Phase 2 alcohol withdrawal symptoms are far more serious and uncomfortable. These symptoms include increased heart rate, confusion, mood swings, sweating, increased body temperature and blood pressure. These symptoms usually occur within the first several days of detox and can feel miserable. Therefore, seeking help from a medical professional or alcohol abuse facility can increase your chances of successful detox.
Nobody likes to feel irritable or shaky and alcohol is typically used to avoid the feelings of depression and anxiety. It is so important to remember though, that alcohol is a depressant, and although it can temporarily make you feel better mentally and act as an escape from reality, you will eventually have to face your problems.
How Can Alcohol Withdrawal be Fatal?
Most chronic alcoholics can tell you that it is easier to slam a beer than it is to experience the symptoms that happen with alcohol withdrawal. Therefore, many alcoholics never seek help. If you are a long term, heavy drinker, then having a successful alcohol detox is nearly impossible without the help and support of a medical provider or an alcohol treatment program. Or what is worse, it can even be fatal to do on your own.
When enough alcohol is being consumed on a daily basis, our bodies naturally become dependent on the drug for survival. Then, when the heavy drinker suddenly stops pouring alcohol into their body, the body begins to think it cannot survive without the booze, which results in some of the more serious and severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
If a person experiences symptoms of delirium tremens, they are at high risk of dying from alcohol detox. Delirium tremens can cause heart attacks, strokes, or withdrawal seizures, all of which can be deadly. If you or a loved one is at risk of experiencing any of the severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, seek medical help immediately as it can save a person’s life.
How Long Does It Take for Alcohol Dependency to Develop?
If only there were a simple answer for how long it takes for alcohol dependency to develop. If there were, many people would probably try to actively stop before reaching dependency. However, there are many different factors that can contribute to how quickly a person becomes dependent and sometimes, a person can be very unaware of the dependency.
For instance, having a family history of alcoholism can play a massive role in how quickly a person becomes dependent. Also, how often and how much a person drinks will determine how fast the body starts to believe it needs the alcohol to survive. The age someone started drinking and if they are frequent binge drinkers also plays a role in this. A person might never have struggled with alcohol dependency, but after a tragic life event (losing a job, divorce, family loss, etc.), they may quickly develop a dependency.
Every person is different, and with there being so many different factors, there is no simple answer to how long it takes to become alcohol dependent. The important thing to remember is that it can happen to anyone. Any person of any size, ethnicity, race, social class, etc. can develop alcohol dependence simply by choosing to drink heavily on a regular basis. If you feel you have become alcohol dependent, contact Lions Recovery to start your journey to a sober life.
What To Do After Detox
Once you have made it through the detox phase, the hardest and most painful part is done. Now, it is time to focus on maintaining sobriety and building resilience. Programs such as AA or alcohol addiction treatment centers can help support you throughout your recovery journey. Group or individual therapy is highly advised to learn new coping strategies, learn to heal from past traumas or experiences, and find new hobbies and activities that you enjoy doing.
Today’s society does not make it easy for those in recovery to live a sober life, considering most Americans drink in some way or another. So having a community of support is crucial for maintaining sobriety. Connection is, in fact, the opposite of addiction. Once you have formed strong connections with other like-minded people, (through AA or group therapy, workout groups, school, work, etc.) living a sober life will not be as hard as it seems.
Lions Recovery (888-616-3179) is here for you to start your journey to recovery. Call Us Today to change your life and break free from your addiction.
