Alcohol Addiction

  • Alcohol Addiction | Getting Sober

    Pros And Cons Of Going To An Alcohol Detox Facility Close To Home

    Have you decided to get sober? If so, that is one step in the right direction and you should be extremely proud of yourself. Now, you will need to decide whether you should go to an alcohol detox facility that is close to home or one that is farther away. There are many pros and cons of going to an alcohol detox program that is closer to your home. Learning about these pros and cons can help you to decide what detox facility you should go to when beginning your sobriety and recovery journey.

    Pros of Going to an Alcohol Detox Facility Close to Home

    If you are thinking about going to an alcohol detox facility that is closer to your home, there are some benefits of doing this that you should know about.

    Loved Ones Are Closer to Support You Through This Journey

    One of the benefits of attending an alcohol detox program closer to your home is that your loved ones will be closer, so they can support you better through the journey of sobriety and recovery. Knowing that your loved ones are closer can motivate you to get sober and stay sober. Just knowing that they are close-by if you need them to come and see you is a plus. While you might not be able to see your loved ones during the beginning of inpatient alcohol misuse treatment, after some time, they should be able to see you during visiting or family hours.

  • Alcohol Addiction | Alcohol Detox | drug withdrawal symptoms

    Alcohol Withdrawal Timeline

    When a person comes to a doctor’s office, two things will point toward a diagnosis of alcohol withdrawal: the first is long-term alcohol use with sudden cessation, and the second being symptoms typical of withdrawal (these will be explained in the following paragraphs). For the symptoms, physicians use a largely accepted algorithm known as the CIWA-Ar (Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment) protocol. This survey takes a snapshot of a patient to determine how severe their withdrawal is at a point in time during their visit.

    What doctors look for when determining severity of alcohol withdrawal: The categories assessed by the patient include nausea and vomiting, tremor (often in the hands), auditory, tactile or visual hallucinations, sweats, anxiety, headache, agitation, and disorientation. Additionally, the doctor will measure heart rate, blood pressure, and do a physical exam. Each category is measured out of 7 points, with 7 being the worst (the exception to this is disorientation, which is measured out of 4 points). The maximum score in the assessment is a 67, with patients under 10 usually being safe without medication, and with any number over 20 being considered severe withdrawal. However, this scale is meant to determine the severity of withdrawal, and is not as helpful in laying out a timeline of when these symptoms will present. For that, it is more helpful to understand the body’s reaction to the cessation of alcohol use.

  • Addiction Recovery | Alcohol Addiction | Alcohol Detox

    How to Help Someone Detoxing from Alcohol

    Supporting a friend or family member through detox from alcohol can be a very difficult process. While you want to help your friend through their struggle, alcohol detox requires a lot of patience and preparation for all involved. Alcohol withdrawal can be very dangerous and even life-threatening, so it is crucial to learn as much as you can from a qualified medical professional.

    Helping your friend or loved one recognize that they have an alcohol use disorder or dependence on alcohol is an important first step. However, alcohol detox is not something to enter lightly. Understanding the effects of alcohol detox and the symptoms of withdrawal can help you support your loved one through their journey of recovery.

  • Alcohol Addiction | Alcohol Detox | Recovery

    Nutritional and Vitamin Therapy is Essential in Alcohol Detox and Alcoholism Recovery

    Imagine this: you have a few drinks with some friends and you have a great night. You do this again every weekend. Every weekend turns into weekdays, sometimes with your friends and sometimes in your living room alone. Some days, you start drinking in the morning to get your day started and suddenly, you can’t live without a drink in your hand.

    More than 75,000 deaths annually are attributed to the excessive consumption of alcohol, according to Ralph W. Hingson, a Professor at the Boston University School of Public Health. Excessive Alcohol Consumption is also the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States.

    Alcoholism (AUD) is a chronic disease characterized by the inability to control drinking due to both a physical and emotional dependence on alcohol. Those who struggle with alcoholism feel as though they cannot function normally without alcohol. In turn, this affects their professional goals, personal matters, and the family and friends in their lives.

  • Addiction Recovery | Alcohol Addiction | Alcohol Detox

    Finding Personalized Alcohol Addiction Treatment

    As we go through life, our experiences shape not only our perception of the world but the resilience in which we face life’s everyday challenges. When I look back at the last year of my life in comparison to all the ones before it, I can finally smile. See, there was a time when I felt irrevocably stuck- trapped, even. All I wanted day in and day out was a chance to hit the reset button- a chance I was finally awarded in recovery.

  • Alcohol Addiction | Alcohol Detox | Alcohol Detox Program | Family

    Support Groups for Families Affected by Addiction

    Being a pillar of strength, hope, and guidance for someone else is a very exhausting task, even for the most capable person. Support groups for families of people with addiction & people with alcohol use disorder provide a much needed safe space to cope with the on-going strain they endure with this problem, so they don’t lose themselves in the process.

    An addicted person is not just changing and negatively affecting their own life, but their attitudes and actions greatly affect those around them. Because of the ripple effect addiction has on loved ones, it is often called a ‘family disease’. Having an environment in which the loved ones can go and express concerns is needed for the overall long-term recovery of everyone involved.

  • Alcohol Addiction | Alcoholism (AUD) | Drug & Alcohol Detox | Recovery Support

    Detoxing from Alcohol at Home

    As of 2018, the National Institute on Alcohol Misuse and Alcoholism reported that 15 million people in the United States have alcohol use disorder. As a chronic and relapsing brain disease, alcohol use disorder, or AUD, involves the compulsive use of alcohol, a loss of control over the amount of alcohol taken in, and an emotional state that is negative when not using alcohol.

    Whether a person faces binge drinking, heavy drinking, or dependency on alcohol, it is very difficult to overcome an AUD. However, it is also extremely important for that person’s health and wellbeing. Unfortunately, quitting is not an easy process, and people who drink a considerable amount of alcohol are at risk of experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

    Some people looking to overcome an alcohol use disorder choose to detox from alcohol at home. While this may be the only option for some, it is not the recommended method according to Alcohol.org, a resource from the American Addiction Centers. Keep reading to learn more about alcohol detox at home.

  • Alcohol Addiction | Alcoholism (AUD)

    Medically Assisted Alcohol Detox

    Understanding Medically Assisted Alcohol Detox

    Have you ever drank too much one night and woke up the next morning with a pounding headache, sweating, and throwing up? Yes, I’m referring to a hangover.

    Essentially, the way that alcohol interacts with your brain and the rest of your body throwing your biological systems out of balance. If you continue to drink heavily over an extended period of time, then your body beings to change the way it works to adapt to alcohol consumption. You will notice that over time you can drink more and more alcohol without experiencing a hangover. We refer to this as an alcohol tolerance. However, when you stop drinking alcohol, your body does not automatically go back to its regular balance. It takes time for your brain and body to re-adjust to a non-alcohol consumed state, resulting in a number of unpleasant and potentially dangerous symptoms.

  • Alcohol Addiction | Drug & Alcohol Detox

    Alcohol Detox in Florida

    For a person who has been living with moderate to severe alcohol addiction, detox is a daunting reality. Withdrawal symptoms can be more than uncomfortable, they can be dangerous too. However, continuing to drink can cause more long-term damage to your mind, body, and relationships. If you have to detox from alcohol, you might at well do it at an alcohol detox center in Florida. Florida alcohol detox centers have a combination of benefits that no other detox centers can offer.

    Alcohol Detox Centers in Florida are More Inviting

    Detox and recovery are scary enough on its own, but it’s small things like the location that can help a person with addiction get comfortable with the idea of entering an alcohol detox program (like the program being in Florida). As opposed to a gray, rainy or snowy location, when someone thinks of recovery in Florida they can think of palm trees and warm, sunny weather. There is a reason Florida is known as a state people retire to: it is comfortable and downright inviting.