Addiction to alcohol consumes a person’s life. Furthermore, it affects their physical and mental health. Because of this, choosing the right place to get treatment is vital. Our alcohol detox in Los Angeles, CA gives people a safe place to overcome the withdrawal symptoms and begin their journey of recovery.
What is Alcohol Detox?
Alcohol detox is usually the first step needed to overcome alcoholism. Detoxification involves the process of ridding the body of toxins built up during addiction. Alcohol detox should take place in a facility designed to provide the service. The process should include medical supervision. People who try to detox on their own often fail due to the immense withdrawal symptoms and lack of medical supervision. For this reason, it’s best to seek professional help from an alcohol detox center such as LA Detox in Los Angeles, California.
Withdrawal symptoms usually occur during alcohol detox. As a result, most people want help dealing with them. Medications can help ease withdrawal symptoms. An alcohol detox program can provide the medications. In addition, they offer support for difficult emotional reactions that can occur.
The Need for Alcohol Detox in Los Angeles, CA
A study done in 2019 showed some startling results. It reported that 14.5 million people ages 12 and over suffered from alcohol use disorder (AUD). Sadly, only about 7.2% of them sought treatment. As well, the majority of them did not seek treatment specifically for AUD. Instead, they went to their doctors for alcohol-related medical issues. The true cause of their sickness wasn’t always detected.
Alcohol detox can help millions. A person is unlikely to get sober without it, much less stay sober for life. Our Los Angeles based detox centers allow each person to understand they have a medical illness, but one that is treatable with the proper care. Most insurance plans cover alcohol detox and other treatments for addiction. Anyone with questions should contact their provider and see what options they have.
How Alcohol Detox in Los Angeles, CA Works
When a person arrives at our alcohol detox in Los Angeles, their recovery begins. First, we perform an intake. Our medical team does an assessment of the person’s needs, which includes the details of their addiction. Next, we determine their physical and mental health needs. This allows us to create a plan based on the person’s unique needs.
Then, we determine if any medications are needed during detox. Detox can be uncomfortable, but medication can help. They can reduce and even eliminate many withdrawal symptoms. This includes both physical and psychological ones.
Last, we make sure the person is stabilized and provide medical and psychological therapies. These help keep the person balanced in both mind and body. Once they complete our alcohol detox, they are ready for the next step in treatment.
Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms depend on several factors. They include the length and severity of the person’s addiction. Our alcohol detox in Los Angeles can identify symptoms that occur and help treat them.
Physical withdrawal symptoms of alcohol withdrawal may include:
- Shaky hands
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Insomnia
- Convulsions
- Whole-body tremors
- Hypertension
- Heart failure
In addition to these, psychological withdrawal symptoms of withdrawal from alcohol may occur. These include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Moodiness
- Visual and audio hallucinations
Alcohol Detox and Withdrawal Timeline
How long withdrawal lasts varies from person to person. Similar to withdrawal symptoms, it can depend on how long the person was addicted. How much they typically drank also factors in. A general withdrawal guideline is as follows:
Day 1 to 2: Symptoms can start within hours of the last drink. They include headaches, nausea, and mild tremors. Some people experience irritability and mild tremors.
Day 3 to 5: Initial symptoms become worse. The individual may also develop a fever, sweating, and difficulty sleeping. Nightmares and hallucinations may occur.
Day 6 to 10: Most symptoms peak during this time and then subside. Emotional symptoms like depression and moodiness may increase.
After detox ends, some withdrawal symptoms may continue. They may include physical symptoms, but emotional ones like depression and anxiety tend to occur more commonly. Alcohol detox in Los Angeles experts can help prepare a person for dealing with them.
Effects of Alcohol on the Brain
Alcohol abuse can cause harm to the brain. Actual brain damage proves to be a real risk. What is more, many people mistake drinking as a way to brighten their moods. However, alcohol is actually a depressant. When a person drinks, they may feel relaxed and happy, yet this effect is temporary.
The brain naturally produces chemicals that make people feel good. These include ones like dopamine. When a person becomes addicted to alcohol, they interfere with this process. The brain loses its natural ability to produce these chemicals.
Conversely, the person relies on drinking heavily. Doing so causes a false creation of these chemicals. This is part of why detoxing can be difficult. The brain needs time to heal after addiction. Then it can begin producing feelings of happiness on its own again.
Once a person completes alcohol detox, they have a clear head. Because of this, they feel ready to take on the next step in recovery. We offer several options to keep a person focused on staying sober. They include programs they can attend right after detox. We also provide aftercare programs, including:
Outpatient (OP): OP is a valuable bridge between detox and leaving treatment. It provides therapy and other options that help people understand their addiction.
Intensive Outpatient (IOP): IOP offers a higher level of care than OP. People attend ten to twelve hours of individual and group therapy per week.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP): PHP features treatment 4 to 6 days per week. Sessions last from 4 to 7 hours per day. It works best for those who still need focused care.
Online Treatment: Therapy can be conducted online. For those who qualify, it allows them the best of both worlds. They get the expert treatment they need. However, they also get the convenience of not leaving their homes.
Aftercare: Our aftercare helps people find continued treatment. This is for the purpose of staying sober for life. We help people find support groups, as well as other resources. We also offer follow-up meetings to help us monitor their progress.
Signs You Need Alcohol Detox
It can be hard to know when a person needs treatment for alcohol addiction. Even loved ones may be unsure of what’s going on. With this in mind, there are questions a person can ask themselves.
In the past year, have you:
- Had times when you ended up drinking more or longer than you intended?
- Wanted to cut down or stop drinking but couldn’t do it?
- Spent a lot of time drinking?
- Experienced hangovers?
- Drank to the point of blacking out?
- Had to drink more because of developing a tolerance to alcohol?
- Experienced strong cravings to drink?
- Found that drinking or hangovers interfered with your life? This includes family, home, and job responsibilities.
- Continued to drink even though it was causing trouble with loved ones?
- Given up or cut back on activities that were important to you in order to drink?
- Engaged in risky activities such as driving drunk or having unsafe sex?
- Felt depression or anxiety as a result of drinking?
If someone answered yes to two or more questions, they may have a problem. As well, the more symptoms they have, the more urgent the need for change.
Begin Alcohol Detox in Los Angeles, California Today
Realizing you need help for alcohol addiction is hard. Furthermore, it can be scary to think about finding help. Fortunately, LA Detox provides an expert plan to help you overcome alcohol addiction and become fully sober starting with our detox program.
We offer residential detox to allow you to stop abusing alcohol. Following detox, we offer residential treatment and several outpatient programs that teach individuals how to stay sober. Contact us with any questions you have or to begin treatment. Let your new life begin with our alcohol detox in Los Angeles.