Alcohol detoxification is set to help those people who have indulged in excessive drinking of alcohol for quite a long bit of time and have become addicted to it. Getting rid of addiction is not an easy thing especially if the addiction had been long-term. Therefore, many a time people fail to stop drinking by sheer willpower because they get very sick and end up breaking down and drinking alcohol again.
An average of 14.8 million Americans are affected by alcohol addiction and one of the major reasons for this phenomenon is that alcohol is legal and freely available in markets where almost anyone can get their hands on it even if he is underage. Furthermore, alcohol poisoning takes the lives of almost 88 thousand people in a year which is why it is one of the most common causes of death in America.
What are the harmful effects of excessive alcohol consumption?
Alcohol is extremely harmful especially if it is taken in excessive amounts and its long-term use causes severe health issues, both physical and mental. It deteriorates the vital organs inside the body and causes serious health concerns which could become potentially fatal if they are left untreated and if alcohol consumption is not stopped altogether or at least reduced to some extent.
Some of the most common negative effects of prolonged alcohol consumption include kidney failure, high blood pressure, dementia, nerve damage, seizures, gout, cardiovascular diseases, and liver damage, among several others.
What factors contribute when people refuse to get treatment for addiction?
People do not like it when they are told that they are doing something wrong, this is the reason why people deny that they have become addicted to alcohol and need to get professional help. They believe that they have their drinking habit under control and they can stop any time they want, however, that is not the case.
Furthermore, when people are guilty and ashamed of something, they try to hide it, which is also why it becomes difficult for them to seek proper treatment because they are worried that other people will find out about their addiction and they will be embarrassed. This is how guilt and shame prevent them from becoming healthy again. People are also scared of withdrawal symptoms quite often because they may have heard from other people, who are in recovery or have completed their treatment, about how difficult it is to go through a detox.
How to treat alcohol addiction disorder?
Naturally, treatment and recovery for any illness are difficult for the patient but it can be made bearable provided that it is a good hospital or a rehab facility and the doctors or workers and helpful and sympathetic who make sure that the patient has all the comfort and help that he needs.
Suffices to say, medically supervised treatment plans of detoxification are very safe for addiction disorder patients and they should rest assured that they will be taken care of completely. On the contrary, attempting to perform detox at home may cause serious health concerns because there will be no trained professionals to take care of if an emergency arises and the patient needs to be stabilized.
What are the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal?
The patient may start to experience withdrawal symptoms as early as a few hours after consuming alcohol the last time. He may also experience delirium tremens (DTs) which causes disorientation, hallucinations, and confusion in the patient. It will become potentially fatal if left untreated for a long time. The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal include the following:
• Increased heart rate
• Tremors
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Nausea and vomiting
• Nightmares
• Trouble while sleeping
• Severe headaches
• Seizures
• Hallucinations
• Frustration
• Irritability
• Tremors
• Excessive sweating
How can rehab facilities have a high success rate of recovery?
Rehab facilities that try to treat their clients through an outdated method often have a very low success rate of recovery, therefore, like the medical field advances with various discoveries, these centers should also try to keep up-to-date. The patient should not feel dehumanized when he is in recovery because it is better to have sound mental health to have a better and faster recovery.
There are several things that can help rehab facilities have a high success rate and increase the comfort level of their patients. Since each individual has a different medical history, family history, and genetic makeup, etc. it becomes necessary for the doctors to carry out a thorough checkup and then recommend a suitable treatment program that is best suited to the patient’s needs. He will also have to go through psychological, social, and physical assessments. More info here. IV therapy programs and cardiac telemetry and video technology are very helpful. It is also to be kept in mind by the doctors that it is compulsory to keep the patient under constant medical supervision.
As alcohol is not the only thing that people become addicted to, it is better if rehab facilities have addiction disorder specialists because they are trained and experienced to tackle any situation that is thrown at them. They know what to do in every condition that the patient is in, especially during detox. The detox process of each drug is not the same which is why a trained addiction specialist is the best person for the job. Often the patient may beg him to give him some drugs but being a professional, the specialist will know how to help the patient and calm him down so that he can rest well.
The recovery from drug addiction is not an easy path, rather it is painful and troublesome but it can definitely be made better if rehab facilities take these important things into account and make sure that their patient is always the top priority. In addition, the family members and loved ones of the patient will prove to be a huge help during his recovery because their support and love will help him get through the toughest of times.
