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Alcohol Detoxification

By Eddie Tobey

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Alcohol is a drink that is often taken socially, recreationally and at mealtimes. It is consumed for the pleasant feelings that it generates in the body.

In fact, alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. It acts as a biochemical inhibitor of activity in the central nervous system, and thus induces sedation and lessening of anxiety.

image: doctor reviewing records of alcoholic detox patient However, alcohol dependence or alcoholism is a chronic pattern of alcohol abuse resulting in physiological, physical, behavioral and cognitive effects. Consuming alcohol for a long period of time results in alcohol dependence.

If you become alcohol dependent you have a strong craving for alcohol all the time. The body becomes used to plenty of alcohol and starts showing withdrawal symptoms 3 to 4 hours after the last drink. Hence, a person who wants to stop drinking finds it difficult because of the withdrawal symptoms.

The signs and symptoms of withdrawal are the opposite of that of alcohol. In the central nervous system, excitory processes are increased and inhibitory processes are slowed. The withdrawal symptoms are the main barriers in treatment for alcoholism. Normally, withdrawal symptoms appear within hours of the patient’s drink and generally peak 24 to 36 hours after stopping.

Regardless of how someone is diagnosed as alcohol dependent or how they came to realize they have a serious drinking problem, the first step to treatment is a sincere desire to get help. Alcoholics who are pressured into treatment by social pressure or forced to quit by circumstances rarely succeed in the long run.

Some withdrawal symptoms are anxiety, headache, auditory disturbances, trembling, sweating, and craving for alcohol. Delirium and tremors are a more severe reaction to withdrawal, occurring in five percent of people who have withdrawal symptoms 2 to 3 days after their last drink. Alcohol dependency also causes inflammation of the pancreas, coronary heart disease, neuropathy, brain degeneration, cirrhosis of the liver, high blood pressure and other health problems in the long run.

According to a 1997 federal report, alcohol is a leading cause of death among youth, particularly teenagers. It contributes substantially to adolescent motor vehicle crashes, other traumatic injuries, suicide, date rape, and family and school problems.

In the de-addiction programs for alcoholics, the first step is detoxification. Detoxification in alcohol treatment refers to a short course of medication to free the body of withdrawal symptoms while trying to quit drinking. The most commonly used medication in detoxification is chlordiazepoxide, which is a benzodiazepine medicine.

Surveys of drinking patterns show that college students are more likely than their age-mates who are not in college to consume any alcohol, to drink heavily, and to engage in heavy episodic drinking. However, young people who are not in college are more likely to consume alcohol every day.

image: female college student drinking wine Alcohol detoxification has basically four goals:

1) to provide the patient a safe withdrawal from alcohol dependence

2) to provide a treatment that is humane and protects the patient’s dignity

3) to provide for recovery of affective and cognitive faculties, and

4) to prepare patient for continued treatment in his new life.

Clinicians under strict time constraints may have time to ask a patient only one screening question about his or her alcohol consumption. One study has shown that a positive response to the question “On any single occasion during the past 3 months, have you had more than 5 drinks containing alcohol?” accurately identifies patients who meet NIAAA’s criteria for at-risk drinking.

image: alcoholic at bar drinking Alcohol detoxification is a long, drawn-out and difficult process involving rehabilitatory medicine, in-patient treatment in a de-addiction facility, and support from doctors, nurses, family, and the community. Ultimately, it also depends on the determination of the patient.

Detoxification provides detailed information on Detoxification, Alcohol Detoxification, Drug Detoxification, Colon Detoxification and more. Detoxification is affiliated with Drug Detox.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eddie_Tobey

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In one alcoholism study, researchers looked at the influence of major life events—such as graduating from college, gaining employment, getting married, and becoming parents—on recovery from alcohol problems. The researchers concluded that some of these transitional life events have a strong effect on recovery, whereas for others, failure to make the transition is associated with continued dependence.

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