Author: John Carter

Your Guide to the Stages of Alcohol Recovery

The amount of time it takes to detox from alcohol depends on several factors, including whether you’re detoxing at home or with medical supervision. Detoxing at home usually takes longer because you should be cautious to avoid serious complications. Expect to feel some discomfort, including anxiety, sweating or irritability. If you feel severe symptoms, such as hallucinations, rapid heartbeat or disorientation, call 911 immediately. Your body has acclimated to quitting drinking over the past couple of years. To avoid a relapse at this stage, your mental health is vital.

If you’re addicted to alcohol, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to recover without some form of addiction treatment. You may be able to detox at home and recover from alcoholism with the help of support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. However, medically supervised detox and professional rehab are more likely to help you maintain long-term sobriety.

How To Detox from Alcohol Safely

Many individuals who struggle with alcohol addiction are also battling other medical conditions such as depression, anxiety, or personality disorders. People frequently use alcohol to self-medicate themselves, but when they stop drinking, these disorders can worsen. In fact, some people don’t even realize they’re dealing with mental health disorders until they stop drinking.

Once it begins to leave your body, early symptoms of withdrawal begin. The abstinence stage typically begins right after you stop drinking. If you’re ready to make a positive change, here’s what you may want to know about the recovery process. Behavioral therapies can help those struggling with alcohol abuse focus on avoiding old patterns and identify the root causes of addiction. We’ll be able to tell you if your insurance provider is in network with an American Addiction Centers treatment facility. When you consider how to go about giving up alcohol, account for factors like how much you drink and your reasons for drinking.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), recovery is a process that involves remission from AUD and quitting heavy drinking for good. A sober life doesn’t have to mean more time at home as you try to block out triggers. It can mean more time for your other interests, and even new interests. More time to meet new people, catch up with old friends and try new things. However, certain food groups also have benefits when it comes to helping with the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms and detoxification. Daily drinking can have serious consequences for a person’s health, both in the short- and long-term.

Some of these include B vitamins, multivitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, and calcium. They may consider at-home detox because it makes the challenging situation seem easier to address. There’s usually no place more comfortable, safe-feeling and controllable than a person’s home.

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Therapy combined with an AUD program tends to lead to a high recovery success rate. During this period, you can expect to develop new skills you may have never learned that made you more susceptible to AUD in the first place. Emotionally, you may feel some anxiety or sadness about ending a chapter of your life and nervousness about the future. A community of understanding and empathetic people can help you recover. These support groups require no commitment from attendees, and you can attend meetings online. You may also consider joining an online support group to help you feel less alone.

1. The withdrawal process can be dangerous, and its symptoms vary depending on the severity of alcohol use.
2. From monthlong sobriety challenges to the Sober Curious movement, more and more people are taking a closer look at the role alcohol plays in their lives.
3. Treatment may involve a brief intervention, individual or group counseling, an outpatient program, or a residential inpatient stay.
4. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be painful and potentially life-threatening, so it’s important to have people you can rely on.
5. For serious alcohol use disorder, you may need a stay at a residential treatment facility.

If you are concerned about potential alcohol withdrawal symptoms, talk to your doctor. A doctor can evaluate your overall health and alcohol abuse history to help you determine how likely it is that you’ll experience symptoms. The key point to remember is that’s never safe to self-detox from alcohol at home. People with the highest risk of complications from alcohol withdrawal are those who drink heavily in excess and those who have attempted to self-detox in the past.

to 48 hours

A small percentage of people going through alcohol withdrawal have hallucinations at this point. Doctors may prescribe other medications to treat withdrawal-related symptoms. One example is a beta-blocker (such as propranolol) to reduce high blood pressure.

Ask your doctor whether any medications may help in the process. Identify a family member or friend who you can call on to provide emotional support. Before beginning a tapering schedule, speak with your doctor about the risks of detoxing at home. Tapering off alcohol may complicate other medical conditions or co-occurring mental health disorders. For serious alcohol use disorder, you may need a stay at a residential treatment facility. Most residential treatment programs include individual and group therapy, support groups, educational lectures, family involvement, and activity therapy.

If you turn to alcohol to manage emotional distress, the added overwhelm can prompt the urge to drink, making success seem even more out of reach. Turner notes the importance of bringing along a trusted support person when attending events that involve alcohol. It’s often easier to turn down a drink when you don’t have to do it alone.

Is it Safe to Detox from Alcohol at Home?

It’s very important to seek help if you struggle with alcohol use disorder. It is possible to get treatment and live a healthier life with a better relationship with alcohol. If you make the decision to stop drinking daily and heavily, you will likely experience withdrawal symptoms. The time it takes to detox depends on a few factors, including how much you drink, how long you’ve been drinking, and whether you’ve experienced alcohol withdrawal before. For some people, the pain is so bad that they decide to start drinking again. It ends up being a cycle of trying to quit but not being able to because of the withdrawal symptoms.

There are serious, potentially life-threatening risks involved with detoxing from alcohol—especially when you’re doing it on your own. You may not need to completely reinvent your life to quit drinking, but making a few changes in your surroundings to help avoid alcohol triggers can make a big difference. Or maybe it’s a pregnancy that made you realize it’s time to stop drinking. Or maybe you’re just looking to improve your health, wake up hangover-free and give your liver (and your heart and brain) a break.

How to Taper Off Alcohol at Home

However, detoxing at home can have risks when people do not understand the alcohol withdrawal timeline and the risks that accompany alcohol withdrawal. You may be able to detox at home and still attend outpatient therapy or support group meetings. The brain compensates for the depressive effects of alcohol by increasing its activity. When people who are dependent on alcohol drink, they feel normal. Whether you’re sober curious, know for sure you’re ready to quit, or fall somewhere in between, Dr. Streem shares advice for how to stop drinking. If you’re living with alcohol use disorder (also known as alcoholism), you’ll likely benefit from additional medical interventions.