Alcohol Withdrawal Treatment in Vineland, NJ
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a set of unpleasant and potentially dangerous symptoms that may occur when you stop drinking alcohol. Alcohol withdrawal treatment in Vineland can help you withdraw safety and comfortably under medical supervision.
Why Does Withdrawal Occur?
Alcohol dependence is different from addiction. Addiction is the result of changes in the brain's memory, learning, and reward centers that affect your thought and behavior patterns. It's characterized by the inability to stop using alcohol despite the negative consequences it's causing in your life.
Dependence is characterized by withdrawal symptoms that set in when you stop using alcohol. When you use alcohol chronically, your brain compensates for its presence by suppressing GABA, the brain chemical responsible for relaxation, while increasing the activity of glutamate, the chemical responsible for excitability. This is the brain's attempt to function normally despite the presence of alcohol, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
These changes in neurotransmitter activity lead to tolerance, which means that it takes increasingly larger amounts of alcohol to get the same effects. As you use more alcohol, your brain function keeps changing to compensate. At some point, a shift may occur wherein the brain will begin to function more "normally" when the alcohol is present than when it's not.
Then, when you withhold alcohol from your body, brain function rebounds: GABA, the relaxation chemical that was suppressed, becomes more active again, and glutamate, the excitability chemical that was increased, becomes less active. It's these changes in neurotransmitter activity that cause withdrawal symptoms, which should be monitored through alcohol withdrawal treatment in Vineland.
Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal
Alcohol withdrawal begins as early as two hours and as long as 12 hours after the last drink. Symptoms can range in intensity from mild to severe, depending on the amount and length of time you've been drinking. Symptoms of early withdrawal include:
- Shakiness
- Anxiety
- Sweating
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headache
- Insomnia
Between 12 and 24 hours after quitting, some people may experience hallucinations, but they know these aren't real, and the hallucinations generally stop within 48 hours.
Between 24 and 48 hours after the last drink--but much earlier in severe cases--withdrawal seizures may occur. People who have undergone detox several times are at a high risk of developing seizures.
Between 48 and 72 hours after quitting, a condition called delirium tremens, or DTs, may set in. DTs peak around five days and produce symptoms including:
- Disorientation
- Severe anxiety
- Confusion
- Hallucinations that can't be distinguished from reality
- Seizures
- High blood pressure
- Racing or irregular heartbeat
- Low-grade fever
- Severe tremors
Risk factors for DTs include a history of seizures during withdrawal, liver problems, older age, and some medical illnesses.
Why You Should Choose Alcohol Withdrawal Treatment in Vineland
Some of the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal are dangerous, and they're potentially fatal. According to a study published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism, 6.6 percent of people hospitalized for alcohol withdrawal syndrome died, compared with 37 percent at the beginning of the 20th century, before medical treatments were developed for withdrawal.
Alcohol withdrawal treatment centers are essential for drug detox in Vineland. Known as medical detox, this type of program offers a high level of emotional support during withdrawal. Medical personnel are on hand to administer medication to reduce symptoms like cravings, nausea, fever, and insomnia, and essential medical intervention is moments away if seizures or other more dangerous symptoms occur.
High quality alcohol withdrawal treatment in Vineland gives you comfort and peace of mind during withdrawal, and many programs offer alternative therapies like yoga, meditation, massage, or acupuncture to reduce stress, relive symptoms, and improve your sense of well-being during the detox process.
Alcohol Withdrawal Treatment is Not the Same as Rehab
While alcohol withdrawal treatment programs are essential for safe and comfortable detox, these aren't the same as addiction treatment. Alcohol withdrawal treatment in Vineland only addresses the physical dependence on alcohol so that chemical brain function can begin to return to normal. Treating the addiction itself is far more complex and generally requires intensive therapy, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Addiction rehab should follow detox. During addiction treatment, you'll delve into the complex issues that underlie the addiction, which may include a history of trauma, stress, or mental illness. Through a variety of traditional and complementary treatment therapies, you'll identify destructive patterns of thought and behavior and develop new strategies for relapse prevention in Vineland. You'll learn coping skills and strategies to address triggers like cravings and stress. You'll work to restore your relationships, restore function to the household, and find purpose and meaning in life.
Alcohol withdrawal treatment centers provide the first essential step of addiction treatment. They dramatically improve your chances of successful detox, and they ensure your safety during withdrawal. If you or a loved one experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking, alcohol withdrawal treatment programs in Vineland can help. Call us now (877) 804-1531.