Searching for the best alcohol detox centers in Southern California, California? Then you are in the right place. When seeking drug and alcohol addiction treatment centers or alcohol detox facilities, there are several things to learn. This article will provide valuable information to assist you in your decision-making process.
Not All Alcohol Detox Southern California Options Are the Same
BeWell specializes in treating alcoholics in our Southern California Centers. Our experienced doctors and educated staff carefully guide you to the most painless detoxification process possible. This is done through our medication assisted treatment processes, experience, and knowledge of an alcohol detox.
Alcoholism affects the nervous system. When you quickly deprive the body of alcohol it prevents the body from certain chemicals it is now programmed to receive due to alcoholism. This is essential for the body because this process is needed for the central nervous system to calm down after excitement or stress. When deprived, the brain cannot adjust to the rebounding stimulation. It makes it difficult for neuronal activity causing the body to go into seizures.
Alcohol detox is a slippery slope. This is because many individuals have gone through a self, in-home detox with no life-threatening complications. It must be noted that a medically supervised detoxification is always recommended. Consider this, during the drug or alcohol detox there are several life-threatening things that can quickly develop. When these do occur life saving decision may need to be made. Many times, only a doctor will know the correct thing that must be done at that point in time. Here are some major things that could go wrong during an alcohol detox.
- eye and muscle movement
- fever
- vomiting
- disorientation
- major hallucinations
- tremors
- delirium tremens
- mild and major seizures
A medically supervised detox can save your life and it can also drastically reduce painful withdrawal. This is one of the biggest factors preventing individuals from getting help. The thought of the grueling and excruciating pain of withdrawal prevents many from any kind of detox.
What is AWS or Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrom?
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrom is defined as a certain set of symptoms occurring after abruptly stopping the use of alcohol after a long period of excessive drinking. AWS may start after 6 hours of detox and usually can last up to one day. However, AWS can happen at any given time. Some of the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome are;
- elevated fever
- aggravation
- excessively high or racing heartbeat
- anxiety
- body and hand sweating
- pulsating headache
- high blood pressure
- heavy mood swings
- uncontrollable anxiety
- states of high confusion
- seizures
How Long is the process at our Alcohol Detox Centers in Southern California, California?
At our alcohol detox centers in Southern California we have medically supervised many alcohol detox’s. Our clients say having 24-hour supervision, medical attention and medication assisted treatment helped make the detoxification process much more comfortable.
Our professionals speak with individuals interested in the process of an alcohol detox. They are at the point where they do not want alcohol to run their life anymore. Many want to rebuild trust and relationships but cannot until they are in long-term recovery. The two biggest questions we get when someone is interested in attending our alcohol detox centers in Southern California, California include;
- How long is the alcohol detox process?
- What will I be experiencing during the process at your alcohol detox centers in Southern California?
These are all great questions. In this article we will provide a clear picture of the alcohol detox process. We will also provide a rough timeline of the detoxification process.
How long is the Alcohol Detox Process?
Our inpatient drug rehabs Southern California staff have compiled the following timeline on “How long is the alcohol detox process.” This timeline is not set in stone; however, it does provide an excellent timeline that will be close for almost everyone. So, let us get you more comfortable in what to expect.
The First 6 – 12 Hours
This is a very mild stage, however, anxiety will quickly build especially during the last couple hours and extend into the following days. As the hours slow pass withdrawal symptoms will start to show and slowly increase. During this stage you can experience irritability, anxiety, nausea, headaches and shaking.
The First Day Experience
Towards the end of the first 24 hours, you will feel the symptoms and withdrawal pains increase. At this point for many the anxiety is becoming unbearable (with more to come). In addiction to the growing symptoms from the first 6-12 hours, individual may experience extreme disorientation, more sever tremors and possibly seizures. This is why our alcohol detox centers Southern California team always recommends a medically supervised alcohol detox.
The Second Day Experience
The second day of an alcohol detox brings elevated symptoms from the first day. The body is trying to react to the loose of it usually alcohol consumption. Day two may bring hallucinations, seizures, panic attacks and severe anxiety for many. During this stage you are at the highest risk for seizures. This is one of the reasons why our alcohol detox Southern California centers recommend a medically supervised detox.
Day Three to one week (Up to 10 Days) – Beware of Delirium Tremens
This is a critical time in the alcohol detox process. It is here we see one of the more severe problems that can arise. This is one of the many reasons we our qualified medical staff always recommend a medically supervised alcohol detox over an in-home alcohol detox. During this stage delirium tremens are a real-life threatening situation.
Consider this, delirium tremens occur in about 3-5% of alcohol detoxes. Just because only a small number of cases have delirium tremens is one of the reasons why many think alcohol detox is safe to do at home. There are other life threatening complications that can happen (increasing the chances for a life threatening situation) and a medically supervised alcohol detox can drastically reduce painful withdrawal. Many times, when these occur individuals need to be in an intensive care unit under 24-hour medical supervision.
So, who are the most at risk of experiencing delirium tremens? Below are some of the situations that are at high risk of this life-threatening situation,
- Someone that has been a heavy drinker for a long period of time (years)
- A repeated history of alcohol withdrawal
- Individuals with health problems besides alcoholism
Medication Assisted Treatment Options
At our alcohol detox Southern California location, we provide MAT during the detox process. There are several FDA approved medications that are helpful for our clients. Here are some of the MAT medications that are available with a doctor’s recommendation.
Benzodiazepines – Some of the names common names for this drug include Xanax (alprazolam), Valium (diazepam and Ativan (lorazepam). This medication is a useful tool for our doctors to help prevent seizures while our clients are experiencing painful withdrawal.
Neuroleptic medications – Some of the more common names include Seroquel, Abilify, Risperdal, Zyprex, Clozaril and Zeldox. This medication assisted treatment is commonly used to treat psychiatric disorders.
Antibuse or disulfiram – This is one of the most common MAT drugs to treat alcohol abuse. This drug prevents the body from breaking down alcohol. It makes a toxic situation in the body causing individuals to get very sick. This has been effective in preventing individuals from consuming alcohol.
Naltrexone or Vivitrol or Revia – This medication assisted treatment helps reduce alcohol cravings.
Topamax or topiramate – This drug can server several purposes which may include reducing cravings, make drinking alcohol unpleasant, and help with the anxiety and mood instability individuals get when they stop drinking alcohol.
Nutritional Support – Let’s not overlook nutritional support needed during alcohol detox – The body is going trough a traumatic experience and it is at critical levels for many different nutrients for alcoholism. There are some nutrients that are effective in reducing painful withdrawal. They are also needed to correct deficiencies that are caused by alcoholism. Some of these may include magnesium, folic acid and thiamine.
Bewell Recovery’s Alcohol Detox Centers in Southern California California Are Here and Can Help
Our alcohol detox centers in Southern California staff have taken great care in providing this article. In this article we have discussed how long it takes to detox off of alcohol. We have provided information on how our physicians provide medication assisted treatment (MAT) to help drastically reduce painful withdrawal symptoms that occur during an alcohol detox. If you get anything from this article we hope you clearly understand why a supervised medical detox is the safest way to stop using alcohol.
You most likely found us because you or a loved want to stop dependence of alcohol controlling your life. Our qualified doctors and experienced and educated substance abuse treatment staff are passionate about helping you obtain long-term recovery. Now it is up to you to take that first and most important step of reaching out for help. You can get your lifelong dreams and relationships back. Give us a call now at (866) 317-8395 and we will gently guide you to long-term sobriety.
Bruce is a recognized expert in substance abuse treatment marketing and call center management. With his 30 years’ experience in substance abuse recovery, his knowledge regarding how the treatment process works cannot be overstated. Bruce has assisted thousands of people who were seeking treatment for alcohol, substance abuse, and dual diagnosis. He has maintained continuous recovery from various addictions since September 1989. Besides himself, he has placed his own children, employees, family members, friends and other loved ones into various treatment programs.
Bruce was the Assistant Vice President of Admissions for American Addiction Centers “AAC”, a nationwide dual diagnosis treatment center with over 1,000 beds. Since 2014, he has built and operated many call centers in Nevada and Texas. Prior, Bruce built over 20 years of Direct Response Marketing “DRM” experience, marketing products on the internet, radio, TV, and print. Bruce is considered a pioneer of “direct to web only” marketing. He is also an early pioneer of using numbers in web URLs on those mediums.