Alcohol Detox: What to Expect and Why Medical Detox Matters

At Moving Mountains Recovery, we provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) under professional guidance to ensure the safest path through detox. Healthcare providers may recommend therapies alone or in combination with medications. Participating in self-help programs, like Narcotics Anonymous, can also play a significant role in Alcohol Withdrawal SUD treatment. These programs support behavioral modification through self-help and peer support. Group therapy supports people with SUD in maintaining abstinence and restraint. However, research shows that the changes to your brain’s reward system due to a substance’s addictive potential may cause the condition.

Typical Timeline of Withdrawal Symptoms

When alcohol is abruptly removed, the brain, now accustomed to its presence, struggles to regain balance, triggering a cascade of neurotransmitter imbalances. For instance, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which alcohol enhances, plummets, while glutamate, which alcohol suppresses, surges, resulting in heightened anxiety and agitation. This biochemical turmoil underscores why psychological symptoms are both common and intense during early detox. Seizures can occur as early as six hours after the last drink, though they most commonly happen within the first 24 to 48 hours of withdrawal. In some cases, seizures may occur up to a week after stopping alcohol, which is why continued medical monitoring is important.

Tremors and Shakes

• As alcohol leaves the system, nausea and vomiting emerge as prominent symptoms within 6-8 hours after the last drink.
• It includes any drinking behavior that increases the risk of physical, mental or social problems.
• Healthcare professionals will evaluate your alcohol use history, overall health, and the severity of your withdrawal symptoms.

Substances send massive surges of dopamine through your brain, too, as well as certain activities, like having sex or spending money. The alcohol-specific death rate for males (19 deaths per 100,000 males) is around twice the rate for females (9.2 deaths per 100,000 females). This makes sense since 30% of British men drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week, with women drinking half as much (15 units per week). However, there hasn’t been much progress toward finding a solution, and the rate of people suffering from alcoholism continues to increase. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alcohol should be consumed in moderation, which means one drink a day for women and two for men — unless your doctor says otherwise. If you’re keeping up with this average (or less), the damage from alcohol is most likely minimal.

Role of Supervised Support During Detox

• It helps to have a strong support system to rely on if you may be at risk of relapse.
• Solutions Healthcare provides structured alcohol detox services with supervised support and professional oversight.
• Alcohol withdrawal typically lasts from a few days to several weeks, depending on severity and individual factors.

Over time, the brain adapts by reducing its own calming signals and increasing excitatory activity to maintain balance. Alcohol withdrawal is a potentially serious complication of alcohol use disorder. It’s important to get medical help even if you have mild symptoms of withdrawal, as it’s difficult to predict in the beginning how much worse the symptoms could get. Some people experience prolonged withdrawal symptoms, like insomnia and mood changes, that can last for weeks or months.

Medical intervention can dramatically impact both symptom severity and duration. Detoxification under professional care often involves medications such as benzodiazepines that reduce nerve excitability safely. Conversely, someone with a shorter drinking history or lighter consumption might have milder withdrawal lasting only a few days. PAWS can last anywhere from several weeks up to six months or more depending on individual circumstances. This phase requires ongoing support and sometimes medical treatment to prevent relapse. During this time, emotional challenges like anxiety and depression may become more noticeable as the body adjusts without alcohol’s calming effects.

After detox, you’ll have access to our comprehensive outpatient and aftercare programs, which include therapy, skill-building, and holistic support. We focus on treating the underlying causes of your addiction, addressing your mental health, and preparing you for a fulfilling, sober life. Seeking medical care as soon as you have signs of substance use disorder is essential. It’s common to have more than one SUD at a time, like alcohol use disorder and tobacco use disorder. Yes, anxiety, depression, mood swings, and irritability are common psychological symptoms during the weaning-off process.

Week 2 of giving up alcohol

• Each subsequent withdrawal also tends to be more severe than previous episodes.
• Once you stop drinking and all the alcohol is out of your system, your diarrhea should start to get better.
• Alcohol withdrawal is a challenging process that affects both physical and mental health.
• Seizures can occur within 24 to 48 hours after the last drink, while delirium tremens, a severe and potentially life-threatening condition, can occur within 48 to 72 hours.
• These mood swings stem from disrupted brain chemistry as your body adjusts to functioning without alcohol.
• The latest information and resources on mental disorders shared on X, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
• This is because, for a lot of people who experience some kind of liver dysfunction, it makes them at risk of not getting enough proteins, calories or vitamins.

If you don’t drink or seldom drink, your risk of developing fatty liver disease is lower than someone who drinks regularly or heavily. Although NAFLD occurs in people who do not drink a lot of alcohol, completely cutting out alcohol is strongly advised. Alcohol can worsen the symptoms of NAFLD, leading to further liver damage. Yes, avoiding alcohol can help prevent damage from fatty liver disease.