Alcohol is our most welcomed vice and accepted killer, thoroughly ingrained in society. From weddings to church to happy hours and ball games, you can find it just about everywhere you look.
Consider this, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) points out that “according to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 85.6 percent of people ages 18 and older reported that they drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime”.
85.6%.
The toll alcohol can take is profound when it shifts from you being in control to the drink dictating your actions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that “during 2011–2015, excessive drinking was responsible for an average of 93,296 deaths (255 per day).”
Perhaps more astonishing is this statistic though; “2.7 million years of potential life lost (29 years lost per death, on average) in the United States each year.”
What Are the Signs of an Alcohol Addiction?
Alcoholism doesn’t just happen, it’s a process and often a slow descent with warning signs along the way. The signs to pay attention to are as follows:
- Regularly drinking more than intended and for longer
- Unable to cut back despite trying to
- Drinking alone
- Drinking enough to pass out
- Spending a disconcerting amount of time drunk, getting alcohol, or hungover
- Negative effects on work, school, and home life
- Avoiding activities once enjoyed because of a lack of alcohol
- Choosing alcohol over loved ones
- Continuing to drink despite the clear negative consequences
- Finding yourself in increasingly more dangerous situations, i.e., drunk driving or unprotected sex
- Developing a tolerance that requires larger amounts of alcohol to get the same effect
- Weight changes
- Shift in sleep patterns
- Anxiety and depression
- Mood swings, agitation, and irritability
- Needing alcohol to function
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not drinking
As time goes by without some type of action, these signs and symptoms will generally start to build on each other, slowly taking over the person’s life.
How to Safely Detox From Alcohol
If you or someone you love is to the point of exhaustion with alcoholism and ready to make a change, the next order of business is how to safely detox from alcohol.
While it’s certainly possible to do it on your own, there are pitfalls. For starters, it’s much easier to relapse when withdrawal symptoms kick in since you don’t have any support. More importantly, depending on the severity of your addiction and dependency, quitting can even be fatal. Those with the most severe drinking problems can potentially go through the most severe withdrawal experience, collectively known as delirium tremens.
Safe detox happens under the guidance, supervision, and support of trained professionals.
Coming to a rehab facility like Valley Recovery Center for detox means you’ll be in the safe hands of addiction specialists who understand withdrawal. They can guide towards the light at the end of the tunnel and support when the discomfort reaches its highest level. You’ll also be supervised 24/7 by medical experts to ensure you’re your safety throughout.
What To Do After You Detox From Alcohol
Detox is just the first step of the process.
After you’ve broken the physical addiction and dependency on alcohol, you can start to work on the mental aspects of alcoholism.
At our dedicated alcohol rehab in Southern California that means one-on-one work with counselors and therapists to understand the nature of your addiction. Discovering the why of it all and then unpacking it. It’s also group meetings that are about connection, support, and building community.
We offer 30-, 60- and 90-day programs and help you decide which is right for you according to your needs.
To learn more about the details of what comes after detox, get in touch with us.
