What Is Alcohol Detox Like?

You have decided to make the change you want and remove alcohol from your life. While you feel confident in your decision, there may be questions or concerns about what’s next to make this vision of sobriety a reality. Before you begin any alcohol rehab or addiction counseling, the first step is to remove the toxins of alcohol from your body and allow yourself the time to return to a normal, healthy way of functioning slowly. This process is done through an alcohol detox program where you will have access to fully licensed and trained individuals who will be alongside you every step of the way as you embark on this life-changing journey. 

When you first enter into our alcohol detox program, you will meet with one of our addiction specialist counselors who will take the time to get to know you as you complete admission paperwork and assessments. These tools are used to assist us in learning more about you and your addiction. Your detox time will look different from others as each person has their individual story and circumstances with alcohol. If you drink every day in large quantities, your alcohol detox will look different than someone who is a binge drinker on the weekends. Your medical history and pre-existing medical concerns may significantly impact your detox process and need to be considered to formulate an individualized detox plan for you. Your safety throughout your alcohol detox is paramount to us. That is why we must gather all the facts and information from you upon admission to fully prepare to give you an effective and safe program. Once your admission intake and assessments are completed, you will move into our alcohol detox program, where you will reside within our facility to be under the medical supervision of nurses and physicians. On top of the excellent medical care provided in your program, you will be able to connect with our compassionate counselors. They will support you in working through the emotions that arise as you move through your alcohol detox. 

How Long Does Detox Last?

The length of your personalized alcohol detox program will be dependent on your history of alcohol use. Typically, most patients will experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms anywhere from 7-10 days. Patients often begin to notice the first onset of alcohol withdrawal symptoms within 8 hours of their last drink. These symptoms are usually mild and will increase in severity by day three. At this time, you will reach the peak of your withdrawal symptoms and often experience unpleasant or uncomfortable side effects. While these days may be challenging, it is good to remember that your days feeling this way are limited. You will begin to feel better often by day seven, where your symptoms’ severity will significantly become reduced. Once you’re feeling healthy again and your symptoms have subsided, you will be invited to participate in an alcohol rehab program to work through the emotions, behaviors, and thoughts linked to your alcohol addiction. 

What to Expect During Alcohol Detox

When you enter into alcohol detox, you will be given space within your facility to reside and get the rest you need to help repair your body’s functioning. Our medical team will be checking in with you each day, throughout the day, to see how you are progressing through your alcohol detox and make any adjustments to your individualized schedule and detox program. The critical thing to remember is that you are not alone in this fight for sobriety when you come to The Healing Place. Our staff is dedicated to helping you achieve your goals for sobriety and get through this first challenging part of your recovery journey. 

Possible Alcohol Withdrawal Side Effects

Alcohol addiction creates a physical dependency within its users that makes it hard to function and complete daily tasks without alcohol being in your system. As you remove alcohol, your body is trying to readjust to functioning without it, producing unpleasant side effects known as withdrawal symptoms. Common alcohol withdrawal side effects are:

• Anxiety 
• Vomiting 
• Tremors 
• Depression 
• Headaches 
• Sweating 
• Shaky hands 
• Disorientation 

For those patients with a more severe history of alcohol abuse, there is a chance that you may experience delirium tremens (DT’s) during your alcohol detox program. Common side effects from DT’s can be pretty serious, and some have the potential of becoming life-threatening if not treated by a medical professional. If you are experiencing signs of DT’s, it is strongly recommended that you be seen by a doctor and continue your alcohol detox within a medically supervised detox program. DT side effects include:

• Severe seizures 
• Auditory or visual hallucinations 
• Stroke 
• Heart attack 
• Elevated heart rate 
• Impaired respiratory functioning 
• High blood pressure

Medically Supervised Alcohol Detox

You can envision the life you want for yourself away from the power of alcohol and are ready to remove the influence of alcohol from your life. We often get asked if patients should begin their alcohol detox from home as they are eager to move into their new way of life. Choosing to detox at home may put yourself and your safety at risk as you will not predict if you will experience severe, life-threatening symptoms. Without easy access to a doctor, your well-being and security are in jeopardy. That is why we encourage all of our patients to complete their alcohol detox within our program to ensure they receive the proper medical care that will keep them safe and comfortable. 

As your withdrawal symptoms may progress, our medical team can offer you holistic measures to detox that will ease the severity of your symptoms through natural outlets. Depending on the severity of your detox symptoms, you may be invited to take medications that will not only help to keep you comfortable and relaxed but, most importantly, will hold your safety in the highest regard. 

Holistic Alcohol Detox In West Palm Beach 

Healing from alcohol addiction requires a genuinely holistic approach to treatment. It requires more than just putting down the bottle but also needs to include ways to help you ease your physical dependency and emotional connection to your addiction. Holistic methods offered to West Palm Beach residents in our facility will provide healthy alternatives to withdrawal management that will focus on healing your mind, body, and soul from the devastating effects of addiction. 

Why Choose The Healing Place

The Healing Place offers West Palm Beach residents a unique approach to alcohol detox that will maintain your safety and well-being while helping you to rediscover your passion for life again. Through the evidence-based treatment methods and faith-based healing offered within our program, you will be able to honestly look and find healing mentally, physically, and spiritually. Our caring team of men and women wants to support you in finding your way again by removing the substance that had brought you down and helping you redefine your life’s purpose. Call us today to find out when you can put down your drink for good and move into the life of recovery you have always wanted.