If you or a loved one is suffering from alcohol addiction, the most effective way to achieve long-term recovery is to complete a comprehensive treatment programme, normally at an addiction rehabilitation centre.
For most of us, drinking alcohol is a social activity to enjoy every now and then. However, when this turns into excessive drinking over long periods of time, you could be at the start of developing an addiction to alcohol.
This substance abuse causes you to feel physically dependent on alcohol as well as triggering imbalanced changes in your brain. Once you start to feel the effects of this addiction, it’s important to seek professional help immediately.
An addiction to alcohol can have a detrimental effect on your quality of life, can lead to life-changing health problems and destroy your relationships with family and friends.
It’s essential you contact a rehabilitation centre where you’ll likely participate in a detoxification programme to remove the harmful toxins from your body, allowing you to begin your long-term recovery.
Can you Detox from alcohol at home?
Many people who are seeking to recover from alcohol addiction are drawn to the thought of reducing your alcohol consumption in the comfort of your own home. Although your determination to recover is there, attempting to undergo detox from drugs and alcohol at home is something we strongly advise against.
Any form of addiction is an extremely complex condition that requires professional support to help you recover both physically and psychologically. An individual addicted to alcohol will have underlying issues and influences which need addressing by a skilled therapist.
It’s impossible to recover from alcohol addiction with medication or detoxification alone, you must also go through addiction treatments that focus on your psychological connections to alcohol.
Personalised treatment programmes at residential rehab centres are highly regarded as the most effective method of recovery from addiction. Although your treatments will be unique to you, in most cases, it’s likely you’ll begin your treatment programme with supervised detox.
It’s crucial that you undergo detox in a controlled and safe environment like one of our rehab centres where our medical team can offer their support 24/7. If you attempt detoxing from alcohol at home naturally, it can be ineffective, pointless, and ultimately dangerous.
A failed detox attempt can result in you feeling disheartened and reluctant to try again. We highly recommend visiting a professional detox centre where your health can be monitored during the entire process, ensuring your safety throughout.
The Dangers of Detoxification
The main reason we stress the importance of avoiding how to help someone detox from alcohol at home or attempting it yourself, is down to the dangers which come with reducing your alcohol consumption.
For most people addicted to alcohol, the signs of withdrawal symptoms will start to appear between 6-12 hours after your last drink.
Withdrawal symptoms associated with detoxification can range from mild nausea to life-threatening illnesses and can even be fatal. The most common alcohol withdrawal symptoms are shakiness, sweating, headache, sleepiness, dilated pupils, vomiting or nausea, decreased appetite, clammy skin, depression, and insomnia.
These are all fairly manageable symptoms, to a certain degree, however the real danger is if you’re unaware of the true severity of your addiction leading to alcohol withdrawal complications.
The further into your detoxification you get, the more intense the symptoms can be. Hallucinations can occur, along with seizures, these symptoms are indicative of a very intense withdrawal.
The most severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms are often referred to as delirium tremens or DTs. If you’re experiencing the intense effects of seizures or hallucinations, you’re more likely to be at risk of DT’s.
This is when a sudden and severe change in your mental status and nervous system occurs as a result of your detox. Delirium tremens can cause agitation and irritability, body tremors, exhaustion, sudden severe confusion, intense shifts of mood, stupor, and sensitivity to outside stimuli.
These dangerous effects could begin as late as a week after your last drink. DT’s is considered a medical emergency, emphasising the need to have professional support with you at all times.
Are you still wondering “how can I detox from alcohol at home”? There’s no way to detox at home whilst ensuring your safety. You’re at much higher risk as the results from detoxification are so unpredictable.
When participating in a detox programme at a professional facility, the medically trained team are able to prescribe a number of appropriate medications to lessen the damage that alcohol withdrawal can cause.
Detoxing at home restricts your access to medications that could be of great help to you. It’s highly dangerous and not recommended to anyone.
What are the benefits of Detoxing at a professional Rehab facility?
Quite simply, supervised detox is much safer than attempting it at home. You’ll benefit from a structured environment that helps to create a routine as you undergo your treatment.
Medical professionals are there for you around the clock to offer any form of support, they continuously monitor any changes that might need addressing, subsequently lessening the risk of severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
Detoxing is an integral step in most people’s recovery. Removing all of the harmful toxins caused by alcohol will give your body and mind the opportunity to cleanse.
Going into the remainder of your treatment programme after detoxification will increase the effectiveness of your therapies, giving you the best chance of long-term recovery.
Start your journey to recovery today. Get in touch with our friendly team on 0800 012 6088 or text HELP to 83222.
