Detox Bliss

Studies show that about 10 million Americans suffer from alcohol dependency and about 40% of those who undergo treatment for their dependence experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms during detoxification. About 10-20% of patients die when alcohol detox symptoms are not properly managed.

These symptoms range from mild to severe, depending on how long the patient has been dependent on alcohol. Sometimes, a person has only been drinking for a short period – say, several months – but the volume of alcohol intake has been so high that it would seem like that person has been dependent on alcohol for years.

First of all, many people become alcoholics because of the changes they experience after drinking. Alcohol affects the neurotransmitters found in the brain, giving varying degrees of euphoria, reduced self-control, an exaggerated sense of well-being, and often followed by sedation and even anesthesia. This is why after the initial euphoria one gets from being intoxicated, one usually falls into detachment from what is going on around him and, eventually, into deep sleep.

What we couldn’t see are the effects of alcohol inside our bodies. Long-term alcoholism alters our cells’ chemical makeup and causes the body’s receptors to adapt to the substances in alcohol. Thus, when there is an abrupt cessation of alcohol intake in dependents, the cells become irritable and the alcohol detox symptoms start to surface.

Moderate to severe alcohol detox symptoms warrant admission to a critical care unit. Some of these entail: seizures or so-called “rum fits,” hand and body tremors, insomnia, anxiety, an increase in blood pressure, nausea, and vomiting. Hyperthermia is also one of the more common alcohol detox symptoms. This is when the patient experiences an unusually high body temperature, leading him to undergo profuse sweating or diaphoresis.

In severe cases, patients may also experience hallucinations within 12-48 hours after the patient’s last drink. They can be visual – when the patient imagines seeing things; auditory – when voices or loud and repetitive sounds are heard, adding to the patient’s anxiety; or even tactile – when the patient “feels,” for instance, that some people are doing him harm.

It is therefore important to trust medical professionals in the supervision of the detoxification process. They are well-trained in handling patients undergoing these alcohol detox symptoms, and they know the proper protocol in terms of the medications to be administered. It is sometimes necessary to intubate the patient for the administration of benzodiazepines or other agents used in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

The drugs given to patients under detox serve to alleviate the difficulties that the body undergoes during the detoxification process. Most are sedatives which contain the tremors and help put the patient to sleep, as severe anxiety makes this virtually impossible, especially during the first few hours of withdrawal.

With proper management, even a patient who has been under alcohol abuse for years may successfully be treated. When choosing a detox program, make sure you select one that also offers counseling services, as we all know that alcoholism involves deeper causes. When these are ignored, then the patient may easily fall back into alcohol dependence even after detox.