Entering an alcohol detox can be a truly life-changing experience. This is your opportunity to break the physical addiction to alcohol so that you can begin to rebuild your life. It is important to understand that this type of program is not going to cure you of alcoholism, but it is going to put you in a position where you can begin to create a great life in recovery.
Do You Really Need Alcohol Detox?
If you have managed to stop drinking before without the help of detox, you may be wondering if you really need it this time. This is a very good question and it is important that you have a satisfactory answer before you can decide if this option is right for you.
You now have a precious opportunity to completely turn your life around. If you lose this chance to change, there is no guarantee that you are ever going to be motivated again in the future. Many people die from alcoholism, and most of them believed they were going to have more chances to stop in the future. We urge you to treat this as if it is your very last chance at recovery because for all you know, it really could be.
If you try to go through detox alone, you may be able to do it but you may not. Most attempts to go through withdrawals alone do not last more than a couple of days. By entering an alcohol detox you are going to be greatly increasing your chances of succeeding; if you are serious about quitting the alcohol abuse, is this not the best chance you might have? Why take the risk of going it alone and wasting this precious chance to change?
There is another very important reason why you might need a medically supervised alcohol detox. If you have been drinking heavily for many years, you may be at risk of developing severe symptoms. These symptoms could potentially become life threatening, including things like elevated blood pressure and convulsions. You need to stay in an alcohol detox so these symptoms can be managed and you can be kept safe.
The Difference between Alcohol Rehab and Alcohol Detox
If you have never spent time in this type of program before, you may be wondering about the difference between alcohol detox and alcohol rehab. There is a significant difference between these two programs, but they may be offered as part of the same rehabilitation package. In simple terms, the focus on alcohol detox is to help you safely give up alcohol – the period when you are likely to experience withdrawal symptoms. The goal of alcohol rehab is to help you begin rebuilding your life once you have passed through the detox stage.
It is common for many to combine alcohol detox with alcohol rehab. It only takes about 10 days to get through the worst of the acute withdrawal symptoms and most rehab programs last at least a month. If you enter a rehabilitation centre where both of these services are provided together, it is usually possible to move through the program at a faster pace. This is because you can begin on the rehab program almost from day one.
If you are serious about breaking away from alcoholism, it is highly recommended that you consider an alcohol detox program. The initial withdrawal stage can be the hardest part of recovery but things are going to be much easier when you have support and encouragement. There are also going to be treatments available in the facilities that ease the discomfort associated with withdrawal.
