If you are thinking about under taking an alcohol detox, you probably have many questions. Here are some of the questions answered for you, to help you decide if our private residential treatment is the right thing for you.
Symptoms and withdrawal
In most cases, the individual will know if they need a alcohol detox by all of the unpleasant side effects they will be experiencing when they haven’t had a drink for a while. These side effects occur because the body is starting to withdraw from alcohol. Common alcohol withdrawal symptoms, which occur without a clinical treatment, include shaking, sweating, fitting, hallucinations, vomiting and in some extreme cases death or coma. In many cases where the individual is attempting to detox at home by themselves, these distressing symptoms will often result in them drinking again, to ease the alcohol withdrawal symptoms. In extreme detoxification cases, seizures and even death can occur, when people attempt an detox at home without a medical inpatient treatment programme, so this is therefore not recommended. In all such cases, we recommend a medical inpatient alcohol detox clinic.
What's involved in alcohol detoxification?
Our Alcohol Detoxification Programme helps people who are having problems with detoxing from alcohol on their own. Medical treatment is strongly advised because of the withdrawal symptoms that are often experienced by people when they try to stop drinking alcohol on their own. This is where we come in – Our clinics provide highly effective programmes, which are always tailored to precise individual needs. In designing the right inpatient detox programme for all our clients, we assess the amount of alcohol consumed, over what length of time. Another very important consideration for us in planning the right regime is how the individual has used alcohol from day to day – whether there are any significant fluctuations in alcohol consumption over time. We also take into account social, mental and lifestyle issues – all these factors assist us in creating and delivering the optimum treatment for each individual we help.
Librium detox and other alcohol detox medications
Our doctor closely monitors our clients throughout the treatment, overseeing the entire process from a clinical perspective. The detox will involve the client being prescribed detox medication such as Librium (chlordiazepoxide) or in some cases diazepam or a similar alternative. We always use the most suitable medication for each client based upon their particular clinical history and individual requirements. The length of the detox depends very much on each client’s case history, but typically lasts between 7 and 15 days.
Another very important factor is the use of thiamine and vitamin tablets. These are used because typically the client will have some degree of malnourishment due to the effects of alcohol usage on the body. There is a danger of severe central nervous system side effects (also known as Delirium tremens or the DT's) without a controlled alcohol detox. We also use sleeping tablets where appropriate.
Will I feel any withdrawal symptoms during my detox?
By following medical inpatient treatment, such as the ones we offer at our uk clinics, the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal are minimised. Our clients typically feel mentally stable and physically comfortable throughout the duration of the course. In most cases, clients do not feel the physical withdrawal symptoms; in the minority of cases where they do, we are able to adjust the combination of medication in their prescription accordingly, within a safe medical environment. We ensure that the correct dose of medication is received at the right intervals throughout the day, with counselling and medical support available to support the individual through the experience. Our trained counsellors provide ongoing psychological care, through group work and where required individual sessions, to ensure clients are supported at all stages. This is crucial to the success of the alcohol detox, as the issues that cause people to drink must be addressed.
