Quitting alcohol addiction requires extra support that most people cannot get at home. An alcohol detox program provides medical monitoring in case rare, but severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms occur. How severe could these symptoms become? Some people may experience life-threatening withdrawal symptoms. If you are dealing with alcohol addiction, Baltimore Detox Center can help. Our alcohol detox program has medical staff on hand so that you can get through the withdrawal process as safely and comfortably as possible.
What Are Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms?
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms may have mild, moderate, and severe impacts. The severity is tied to the length of addiction and the amount consumed. People who have a tolerance, when the body needs higher amounts of alcohol to feel “buzzed,” increases the chances of more serious side effects. The common side effects that some experience during alcohol detox, from mild to severe, include:
- Anxiety or depression
- Irritability or sudden mood swings
- Fatigue or insomnia
- Shaking and sweating
- Inability to think clearly or confusion
- Delirium tremens (DTs): A severe reaction with rapid heart rate, fever, hallucinations, seizures, and high blood pressure
While only a small percentage of people who quit drinking experience DTs, this is an emergency situation. If someone is already in a medical alcohol detox center, they will have the help they need at hand. Baltimore Detox Center has the expertise to guide people through alcohol withdrawal.
Why Do Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms Happen?
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms increase in severity when a patient quits long-term or heavy drinking. DTs have a higher likelihood of developing in people who have a history of heavy drinking for years. The process happens because the person’s body develops a physical reliance or dependency on alcohol. When the body is in this dependent state, suddenly stopping drinking can trigger withdrawal.
Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms Require Professional Help
As noted, severe symptoms, such as DTs, require medical supervision. In fact, without getting emergency treatment, DTs can cause fatal heart attacks. Therefore, to recover from alcohol addiction, the first step should be entering an alcohol detox center.
The severity of the detox symptoms is not the only reason to get help for the process. Another issue is returning to drinking during the process. After stopping alcohol, cravings quickly appear. Those who try to quit drinking at home may go back to alcohol as soon as the intense desire for a drink begins. These cravings are not simple thoughts of drinking. They are intense and difficult to combat. Those in go through detox at a facility such as Baltimore Detox Center have a supervised environment with mental health support to help them fight these physical and psychological yearnings for a drink.
Another benefit to a detox center is the ease of transitioning into a long-term rehab program. A residential addiction recovery program offers full-time therapy to ensure that the quitting process continues to sobriety. Detoxing is only one step. However, to stop the thoughts of drinking and to avoid using it as a coping method, patients need the thoroughness of a residential care program.
Alcohol addiction recovery programs give patients the tools they need for dealing with a life that does not include problem drinking. Because the transition from drinking to sobriety is difficult, recovery programs offer ample support from staff and other patients in individual and group therapy sessions. Family therapy sessions in the program also help the patient to improve relationships and their lives.
Overcome Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms at Baltimore Detox Center
There are not many freestanding detox centers in Maryland. At Baltimore Detox Center, we’re proud to say that we were only the second one to open. Therefore, we can provide assistance outside a hospital for those who want to quit drinking but need monitoring for alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Call us at [Direct] or use the form on our website to contact us for questions or to find out how to get into our alcohol addiction recovery program. We are here to provide the support for mental and physical health needed throughout the addiction treatment process.
