Alcohol Detox Timeline
Completing an alcohol addiction treatment program is the best way to improve your chances of remaining sober long-term. Since alcohol is physically addicting, you can deal with potentially fatal withdrawal symptoms if you suddenly stop drinking. The alcohol detox timeline can begin within hours of your last drink, making it important to reach out to an alcohol detox center in South Florida for help when you decide to get sober.
Even though alcohol is legal, it is highly addictive and deadly. 88,000 Americans are killed each year as a result of excessive alcohol use. Since alcohol can lead to liver damage and other medical problems, drinking can significantly shorten your life expectancy. Among those who have died from causes related to drinking excessively, alcohol abuse cut the average person’s life by 30 years.
Alcoholism can also damage your mental health and create increased interpersonal conflict, which can cause significant instability in your life. Losing control of your drinking can also cause employment problems, especially if you show up to work drunk.
The Stages of Alcoholism
Anyone, regardless of gender, race, age or background, can develop an alcohol misuse disorder. Alcoholism is also a chronic disease. Since there is no known cure, you must learn how to manage your symptoms to recover successfully. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, causing your breathing and heart rate to decrease during intoxication. Mixing alcohol with other central nervous system depressants, such as opiates or benzodiazepines, is extremely dangerous because the combination can cause you to stop breathing.
Another danger of alcohol is that it intensifies the effects of other psychoactive substances, which can increase your risk of overdosing. Alcoholism can also severely damage your physical and mental health. Drinking alcohol can aggravate underlying mental health disorders and cause permanent damage to your liver.
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Both your brain and your body can become dependent on alcohol. When you develop alcoholism, your brain becomes incapable of releasing neurotransmitters without alcohol, while your body needs alcohol to avoid withdrawal symptoms. The best way to undergo withdrawal safely is at a South Florida alcohol detox center.
The Alcohol Detox Timeline
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms vary depending on the severity of your alcoholism. The alcohol detox timeline begins within hours of your last drink. It takes your liver about an hour and a half to process one serving of alcohol. Therefore, once your liver is done filtering the alcohol in your system and you stop drinking, withdrawal symptoms can immediately begin.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can include:
- Shakes and tremors
- Disorientation, insomnia, and confusion
- Seizures and delirium tremors
- Depression, anxiety, and irritability
- Vomiting and nausea
The alcohol detox timeline typically doesn’t last more than one week. Withdrawal symptoms begin to alleviate within a week of your last drink, although everyone’s alcohol detox timeline is unique.
Finding an Alcohol Detox Center Today
Alcoholism can diminish your quality of life, worsen comorbid conditions, and damage your personal relationships. When left untreated, alcoholism can lead to permanent medical problems, including brain damage and liver problems. The alcohol detox timeline can make it difficult to achieve sobriety without help. Contact Summit Detox today at 866.341.0638 for questions about the detox admissions process and how to begin your recovery journey.