Alcohol Detox Near Me

Drinking a legal substance, like alcohol, may not seem like it could cause problems, but the number of people in alcohol detox centers suggests differently. Alcohol is legal. It is easily attainable. It is consumed at most social events. So, what’s the problem? Alcohol can be viewed as fun and exciting by some, but it’s repercussions can be devastating. It lowers anxiety and inhibition, while causing slurred speech and loss of coordination. This can be appealing when someone is stressed out and trying to have a good time and find an escape from life. the problem is when it is used as a crutch and leads to negative consequences. It can cause legal issues if someone drives impaired and wrecks or even kills someone. It can cause loss of employment and finances when people are not sober at work. Alcoholics don’t always care their actions, which can also lead to watching a loved one walk out the door. When someone finds that they are alone in life or left to sit in a jail cell, they may finally realize that they are an alcoholic and need help.

What is considered alcoholism?

Alcohol depresses the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord, and nerves), slowing mental capacity and bodily functions. With it being so widely accepted in society, it can be hard to distinguish between socializing and abuse.

Alcoholism doesn’t differentiate between age, gender, race, or socioeconomic status. According to the CDC, six people die every day from alcohol poisoning and 100,000 each year from drinking accidents. Those numbers don’t even count liver disease related to drinking or other physiological damage that has been caused over the years. Alcoholism has run rampant for decades and is the third leading cause of lifestyle death in the United States, right behind tobacco usage and lack of healthy diet and exercise related deaths. Another way to put the damage caused by alcohol into perspective is that up to 40% of hospital beds are filled with people who have developed health issues due to their alcohol use.

Some people feel that people are labeled alcoholics only when they can’t hold down a job, keep a family, or uphold financial responsibilities. Functional alcoholics who can maintain all of these accountabilities don’t think that they need help, and families tend to overlook the necessity of intervention, even if they are abusive.

Five types of alcoholics have been identified in modern society, and they include:

• Young adult alcoholic
  • 32% of people with AUD (alcohol use disorder)
  • Compulsive alcohol consumption around 20 years of age
  • Tend to binge drink even if it’s fewer occasions during the week
• Young antisocial alcoholic
  • 21% of people with AUD.
  • Begins around 15 years of age in those who usually have antisocial personality disorder.
• Functional alcoholic
  • 19% of people with AUD
  • Consists of those with higher incomes and education and stable relationships compared to others with AUD
  • Tend to binge drink every other day on average
• Intermediate familial alcoholic
  • 19% of people with AUD
  • Product of an alcoholic home environment and begin at about age 17 as a response to family stress
  • Almost half have struggled with depression
• Chronic severe alcoholic
  • 9% of people with AUD
  • Mostly males with a high divorce rate and multiple drug abuses.
  • The stereotypical alcoholic

When is an alcohol detox center necessary?

When someone decides to analyze their drinking habits to see if they are, indeed, an alcoholic, there are indicators that help them determine the answer. There are 11 signs of addiction as determined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which are:

1. Difficulty controlling the frequency of drinking, as well as being unable to stop once started.
2. Inability to permanently stop drinking even after multiple attempts
3. Unable to accomplish typical life responsibilities because of alcohol
4. Spending much of the time drinking and recovering from alcohol
5. Having cravings for alcohol
6. Building a tolerance to alcohol, so they acquire the need for more to feel the “high”
7. Continuing to drink even after it has caused relationship and social issues
8. Giving up recreational and other activities to drink alcohol
9. Drinking when it’s physically dangerous and risky
10. Drinking even when you know it will cause social, emotional, and physical issues
11. Withdrawal symptoms when alcohol’s effects wear off

Having even two of these symptoms within one year indicates that there may be an issue, and obtaining help may very well be what they need before it’s too late and they cause themselves and others irreparable harm.

What are the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal?

Withdrawal from alcohol is not mentally or physically easy, and the longer someone has been consuming it, the worse it can be. It may even be fatal; however, medical supervision by an alcohol detox center can decrease discomfort and increase the likelihood of total recovery. Understanding the symptoms can help someone be more aware of their dangers. Detox looks different in everyone but consists of one or more of the following:

• Sweating
• Nausea and vomiting
• Insomnia
• Unstable heart rate and blood pressure
• Depression
• Hallucinations
• Shaking hands
• DTs – life-threatening, causes restlessness, confusion, fever, and seizures
• anxiety

What is an alcohol detox center?

Anyone who feels like they need alcohol to feel normal or to be able to cope with life, then they most likely need assistance. Stopping suddenly isn’t recommended without medical help because of the nature of the body’s reaction. An alcohol detox center not only helps rid the body of the damaging chemicals (which can take up to one week) with prescriptions that make it a more comfortable process, but they also help the previous user maintain their sobriety. Each center may be slightly different but there are basic steps that occur, which include:

• Intake exams
  • Determines what type of support will be necessary
  • Blood tests along with mental and physical health assessments
  • Health and drinking history
• Detox support
  • Medication-assisted withdrawal
  • Medical care for health issues that arise during detox
  • Regular checks on temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing
• Help finding a rehabilitation center after detox is complete

Detox is only the first step to staying sober. Finding an alcohol treatment program after the detox center that is designed to help them learn how to cope with the issues that possibly got them into their current position. It can also be stressful dealing with relationship and financial issues that may have been incurred during the addiction, which could have accumulated over a period of years. Aftercare is also an important part of the process, since returning to the life in which you drank can cause you to easily slip back into the habit. There are many options today in 12-step programs, private therapy, and group counseling. Making the decision to take care of oneself may not be easy, but it is worth it. Regaining control of the circumstances that surround someone may be all that is necessary to get back on track and obtain the happiness for which everyone longs.