The Role of Alcohol Detox in Starting Addiction Treatment
Feel like you or your loved one are drinking too much? You’re not alone. Not only have almost 86% of American adults had a drink at least once in their lives, but more than 6%—or roughly 15 million Americans ages 12 and over—have an alcohol use disorder (AUD), according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The good news is that while addiction is a chronic disease of the brain, it’s also highly treatable, and a wide range of treatments are proven effective for helping even the most severely addicted people recover in the long-term. Alcohol detox near Norwalk is your first step toward recovery.
Over time, heavy alcohol use causes changes in how your brain makes certain chemicals. For example, alcohol initially increases your brain’s neurotransmitter GABA, leaving you calm and relaxed. It also decreases the production of glutamate, which is responsible for feelings of excitability. As you drink more over time, your brain compensates for the presence of alcohol in an attempt to maintain “normal” chemical function.
This is known as tolerance—the more or longer you drink, the more alcohol it takes to get the same effects. Then, when you stop drinking suddenly, the lack of alcohol causes the chemical function of your brain to rebound—it slows down the excess production of GABA and increases the reduced production of glutamate. This swift rebound of “normal” chemical function causes symptoms similar to a hangover, such as nausea, anxiety, headache, and dizziness. Sometimes, quitting alcohol suddenly can be dangerous or even fatal, and detoxing under medical supervision is crucial for your safety and wellbeing. Once all traces of alcohol have left your system and your brain function returns to normal, you can begin treating your addiction’s underlying causes.
Who Needs Alcohol Detox
If you experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking alcohol, detox is imperative for your safety once you decide to quit once and for all. Common withdrawal symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Mood changes
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal cramps and diarrhea
- Insomnia
- Anxiety
- Headaches or body aches
- Tremors
- Hallucinations
- Increased blood pressure or heart rate
- Hyperthermia
- Difficulty breathing
- Seizures
In severe cases, withdrawal can produce dangerous, sometimes fatal, heart rate or blood pressure increases. This is especially true for those who have severe AUD or have been through withdrawal. During detox, medical and mental health professionals will provide you with medications and/or emotional support to help manage symptoms and reduce the time it takes to detox.
4 Dangers of Detoxing from Alcohol Without Professional Help
Detoxing from alcohol near Norwalk without professional help can be dangerous or fatal. It can also be just plain uncomfortable. Since it’s impossible to predict whether you will experience severe withdrawal or need medical intervention for any reason, supervised detox is crucial for your safety. Here are four major dangers and downsides of detoxing alone, without medical supervision.
Your withdrawal symptoms become life-threatening. The most severe form of alcohol withdrawal is known as delirium tremens or DTs. While this condition is rare, with symptoms including seizures, intense hallucinations, and dangerous heart rate and blood pressure increases, it can be fatal without medical intervention.
You’re unable to complete the alcohol detoxification process. For many people, withdrawal symptoms lead back to drinking simply to stop the discomfort. During detox, medications and other interventions will help keep you comfortable and improve your sense of wellbeing during the withdrawal process. You’ll have plenty of support from peers and staff and various complementary therapies like restorative yoga or meditation. Good nutrition and adequate sleep hydration
You may not get the help you need to address the addiction. Detox is only the first step to recovery from an alcohol use disorder. The relapse rate for those not seeking treatment after detox is very high. Detox is part of the continuum of care for treating an AUD, and once it’s complete, Muse will create a personalized treatment plan for you, which can take place through an inpatient, partial hospitalization, or outpatient treatment program.
If you have a co-occurring mental illness or mood disorder, you may experience an escalation of symptoms after detox. A professional detox center provides wraparound care to help prevent or alleviate these symptoms.
How to Choose a Norwalk Alcohol Detox Center
A high-quality detox center will have accreditation from a neutral third-party certification organization, such as CARF or the Joint Commission. Accreditation ensures the staff is qualified and licensed, the facility follows scientific best practices, and the program has measurable outcomes.
Is Alcohol Detox Covered by Insurance?
Most insurance companies are required to cover mental health conditions, and AUD is classified as a mental health disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, version 5 (DSM-5). Your insurance may cover a portion or all of your detox needs. Muse alcohol detox in Norwalk accepts most insurance policies. Call us today, and talk to one of our staff members, who will be happy to check on your insurance coverage and answer any other questions you might have about detox.
Next Steps After Alcohol Detox Norwalk
Alcohol detox Norwalk is the first step in your sobriety journey. Following detox, a comprehensive treatment program will help you address the addiction. We will create a personalized plan based on your unique needs and treatment goals to help you resolve underlying issues contributing to your alcohol addiction. Through various traditional and complementary therapies, you’ll identify destructive patterns of thought and behavior and replace them with healthier ways of thinking. Complementary therapies like yoga, meditation, music or art therapy, and nutritional therapy greatly improve your mental and spiritual wellbeing.
Treatment programs include inpatient, partial hospitalization, and outpatient modalities. Your care team will place you in the appropriate program—the least restrictive program for your needs—and you’ll move along the continuum until you’re ready to fly solo.
- Inpatient treatment involves living at the care facility, which provides space and privacy to work on your recovery without outside distractions.
- Partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) take place during the day and typically involve up to 8 hours of programming. Participants return home each night to sleep.
- Intensive outpatient programs and outpatient programs involve fewer hours of programming than PHP. Your time in the program will decrease as you become more equipped to manage high-risk situations and develop the skills you need to stay sober.
- Aftercare is the last phase of treatment and provides ongoing support as you navigate sobriety outside of treatment.
Muse Is a Top Alcohol Detox Center for Norwalk Residents
If you’re looking for competent yet caring staff supporting your recovery, Muse Treatment is ready to help you start sobriety. We offer medical detox as appropriate and customize our programs to suit your individual needs. We treat co-occurring mental health disorders in addition to your AUD and will keep you comfortable through the withdrawal process.
Why wait any longer to stop drinking to enjoy the fulfilling life you want and deserve? Call us at (800) 426-1818 to start collaborating on a sobriety plan today.
