What is the alcohol detoxification process like?

Let's see what the alcohol detoxification process consists of from the hand of professionals.

Alcohol detoxification services are among the most demanded by patients in addiction therapy centers, and no wonder. The use of this type of addictive substances is widespread in practically all Western countries, and professional help is needed to stop consuming them.

But... What does this type of therapeutic intervention consist of? In this article you will find a summary of how the alcohol detoxification process is carried out, and the basic information you need to know about it.and the basic information to be taken into account on this subject.

The addiction to alcohol: a problem to treat urgently

There are many reasons why alcoholism is a problem to be treated urgently. a serious problem that must be taken seriously from the outset..

One of them is, for example, that it is one of the drugs that produces the most damage in third parties, not only in those who consume it and develop dependence. It has a very high impact in causing accidents (not all of them related to driving) and also in intimate partner violence.

On the other hand, alcohol is one of the most addictive substances, which means that it greatly limitsThis means that it greatly limits the decision making of those who begin to develop a disorder of this type; at the same time, it greatly increases the risk of developing pathologies beyond the addiction itself: cancer, neurological diseases, etc. It also greatly increases the risk of developing addictions to other substances.

Finally, receiving alcohol detoxification treatment as soon as possible is also very important because without professional help it is very difficult to "unhook" from drinking, among other things because its use and abuse is very normalized in our society: in everyday life, addicted people are exposed to many situations that lend themselves to drink a single drink, which in a matter of minutes is usually transformed into a succession of them. Relapse is very common, and it is necessary to prepare oneself in the best possible way with the help of addiction experts..

Alcohol detoxification: elements involved

These are the most relevant aspects of alcohol detoxification by professionals.

1. The first hours are key

As with many drugs, the hardest part of overcoming addiction comes in the first hours after stopping the substance.

Alcohol withdrawal, commonly referred to as "mono", has its peak of discomfort two to three days after the last drink, and continues in a milder version for a few weeks.and continues in a milder and more bearable version for a few weeks. During this first stage it is very easy to relapse if professional support is not available. This is, in many ways, the purely detoxification part, as it is the time when most of the alcohol leaves the body.

However, it should be noted that detoxification is not the only part of a process of overcoming an addiction, for two reasons. Firstly, because even after these days, the body still shows changes produced by the habit of consuming alcohol, and these predispose the person to continue drinking.

Secondly, because beyond the neurological aspects of alcohol dependence, there are a whole series of consumption habits and routines from which it is also necessary to "unhook" oneself.. This is the purely psychological element that contributes to the maintenance of addictions and should not be underestimated, because it can be the one that leads to relapse months after the last sip of alcohol, as we shall see.

2. Training in stress management techniques

Continued exposure to stressful experiences increases the risk of consuming alcohol and deepening the development of addictions. That is why, in the process of treatment against alcohol dependence, health professionals address this issue, health professionals address this area by helping people to use stress and anxiety management resources..

3. It is important not to exchange addictions

In the alcohol detoxification phase, people often try to alleviate their discomfort by taking other drugs. This should be avoided at all costs, because in these moments of vulnerability, one is more vulnerable to the development of new addictions, one is more vulnerable to the development of new addictions.In other words, you are not starting from zero, as someone who has never taken any psychoactive drug with addictive potential would do.

4. A certain level of discomfort and discomfort must be accepted.

In order to successfully overcome the detoxification part, it is important not to try to totally block the sensations of physical and psychological discomfort produced by abstinence. Doing so only leads to frustrationThe simple fact of staying alert to eliminate from consciousness possible negative thoughts and sensations causes us to attract those experiences to our mind.

It is much better to develop habits of acceptance of discomfort and management of the attentional focus, so as not to give them more importance than necessary and to be able to focus on other things.

5. Habits are the key

As we have seen, the fight against addiction is not something that should be carried out only through introspection; it is also reflected in behavioral aspects, the way in which the patient relates to the environment and to others. Moreover, this is also true in the first few days of quitting, i.e. during alcohol detoxification.

This is why, in a therapeutic process against alcoholism, elements of medical assistance and elements of psychotherapeutic assistance coexist.The aim is to adopt new habits and routines in order to stay away from situations in which it would be too easy to relapse.

Are you looking for alcohol addiction treatment?

If you have developed an addiction to alcohol, it is very important that you take steps quickly to overcome it and stop using with the help of health professionals. At CITA Clinics we are specialized in the treatment of addictive disorders, and we have both outpatient services and the possibility of admittance to our residential module in the middle of nature. You can find us in Barcelona and in Dosrius (Mataró); to see more information about how we work or to access our contact details, you can enter this page.

Bibliographical references:

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• Moonat, S; Pandey, SC (2012). "Stress, epigenetics, and alcoholism". Alcohol Research : Current Reviews. 34 (4): pp. 495 - 505.
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