Alcohol can be a subtle foe. It causes both a mental obsession in the mind of an alcoholic, plus an often insatiable physical craving. Alcoholism is a disease that will try to convince us that there’s nothing wrong with us.
This frightful combination of mental and physical effects makes for potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms. Here’s a list of four dangerous symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, plus an explanation of why the benefits of supervised detox make it the smart choice.
Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal
If there were no inherent dangerous withdrawal symptoms associated with alcoholism, then it probably would be safe to detox at home. However, that is not reality. The truth is that there are a number of dangerous things that can happen during alcohol detox.
When we suddenly try to stop drinking after prolonged or heavy periods of drinking, changes are going to happen in our bodies and brains. The adjustment from drinking to complete abstinence creates often painful side effects. Here are some symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
- Insomnia – This is one of the more frequent side effects of alcohol withdrawal. The problem with losing sleep because your mind is craving alcohol isn’t the worst problem. However, lack of good sleep is what triggers dozens of other dangerous mental conditions.
- Anxiety – Another one of the mental side effects of suddenly stopping your drinking is uncontrollable anxiety. Many alcoholics experience anxiety in normal everyday situations. When you abruptly remove alcohol, the level of anxiety can become emotionally dangerous.
- Nausea – This is one of the common physical symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. When you get sick after a night of drinking, it may seem like an innocent and necessary evil of having had too much to drink.
However, it is not normal to vomit excessively without some virus or ailment to cause such. What happens during alcohol withdrawal is that your body is already dehydrated from drinking. Vomiting makes the problem even worse. Falling too far down the scale of dehydration can put you at serious medical risk.
- Shaking – They are known as delirium tremens. When the body suddenly does not have a normal dose of alcohol, it can react violently. Delirium tremens is the uncontrollable shakes that we see happen in cinematic depictions of alcoholism.
The problem is that they happen in real-life as well. Delirium tremens can be so violent that they steal your ability to think rationally. Combined with insomnia and anxiety, hundreds of alcoholics who tried to detox themselves have made attempts to take their own lives.
Recovering alcoholics also tell tales of having horrible hallucinations during the period they were experiencing alcohol withdrawal. The medical bottom line is that when you deprive your body of alcohol after intense use, you are at risk both mentally and physically. Now let’s talk about the benefits of supervised alcohol detox.
Benefits of Supervised Alcohol Detox
The benefits of supervised alcohol detox are simple. They provide you with a medically safe environment surrounded by a professional staff that can help you handle the painful withdrawal phase safely.
- Supervision – This is one key benefit to admitting yourself to a detox facility. The entire process is under the supervision of trained professionals.
- Medical Safety – Every alcohol detox will have medical professionals to watch over you. As you experience withdrawal symptoms, they will be on-hand to provide trained medical assistance.
- Counseling – The road to recovery from alcoholism often begins during the detox period. You will have caring people to talk to about your alcohol problems. There will be a chance for you to chart a course of action after you are out of danger.
- Program Referral – Along with guided counsel, detox centers are frequently associated with treatment facilities. Even if they are not, there will be an opportunity for you to get a referral to a treatment program that could change your life.
There is nothing that can guarantee that alcohol detox is going to be easy. However, with proper supervision, the dangerous risks associated with alcohol withdrawal can be addressed. Basically, you remove the life-threatening risks from a potential life-threatening situation.
Trying to detox at home is a poor choice. First of all, it’s just not safe. There are too many unknown variables, some of which are potentially life-threatening. Why would you put yourself in such peril?
Detox facilities are staffed with medical professionals to make certain you’re safe. If you even think you have a problem with alcohol, get help today. Most importantly, if you’re trying to stop drinking, don’t try to detox yourself. It is not safe. Contact a detox center to help you at 844-903-2111.