woman thinks about the alcohol withdrawal timeline

Alcohol Withdrawal Timeline

Alcohol Addiction, Alcohol Detox, drug withdrawal symptomsBy PRL Social

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.

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How Long Does Alcohol Stay in Your System florida

How Long Does Alcohol Stay in Your System?

Alcohol Detox, Alcohol Detox Program, RecoveryBy PRL Social

Finding out how long alcohol can stay in your system is a common question. After all, you do not want to risk trying to drive if there is still any alcohol left in your system. Unfortunately, the answer depends on many different factors. You need to measure how much you were drinking, the proof of the alcohol, and your body size as starters. How well your kidneys and liver function also factor into how long alcohol can stay in your system. Then there is the factor of how old you are, whether you are male or female, and if you ate anything before or while drinking.

Thankfully, there is a pretty good rule to follow should drinking be a part of your regular routine. Most people will have no residual alcohol left after 2-4 hours if they were drinking a can or two of beer in that time. Anything more than that, the time goes up exponentially. The best way to be sure that there is never any alcohol in your system is to stop drinking. That way, any time you need to go out, you know it is safe to do so without putting yourself, or anyone else around you, at risk.

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What is Methadone florida

Methadone: Treatment, Withdrawal, Abuse, Uses, Side Effects & Dose

Blog>Alcoholism & Drug Addiction>Drug Addiction>MethadoneBy PRL Social

What is Methadone?

Methadone is a prescription medication that seems to have received more attention in recent years. According to experts writing for the Western Journal of Medicine, methadone belongs to the opiate class of drugs, and it is comparable to morphine. This prescription medication does have legitimate medical uses and is safe and effective when people use it as a doctor prescribes it, but for some people, it may become addictive and dangerous.

Medical Uses of Methadone

What is methadone used for? One of the most common uses of methadone is for the long-term treatment of addiction to opiates like heroin. Methadone is used as a maintenance medication to help people remain abstinent from heroin and other opiates. It promotes abstinence because it has long-lasting effects and stops the unpleasant symptoms of opiate withdrawal; methadone also reduces heroin cravings and stops people from feeling high if they do take heroin, per the authors writing for the Western Journal of Medicine.

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Is Alcoholism Genetic florida

Is Alcoholism Genetic?

Blog>Alcoholism & Drug Addiction>Alcoholism (AUD)>Alcoholism (AUD) FAQsBy PRL Social

It is exceedingly rare that someone in Western society will have gone through their life without this being presented as a question. In fact, it is one of the more often debated subjects in addiction. It is clear that as a country we the United States have not given the mental health field the dedicated studying it deserves, and our rate of mental health issues and addiction correspond to this fact.

The question is: How does the fall into addiction happen to some and not to others?

Predisposition to alcoholism has been a much researched topic in both psychological and medical fields, and seems to be correlated somewhat to how much stress someone experiences as baseline. Most of this research that involves intervention has been performed on non-human models. A study performed in 1990 using rhesus monkeys showed that more anxious monkeys were predisposed to increased alcohol consumption. However, when stress was induced in the monkeys by separation, they would increase their intake to the same levels as the naturally anxious monkeys.

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Drug Dependence vs. Drug Addiction

Blog>Alcoholism & Drug Addiction>Drug AddictionBy PRL Social

There are many terms thrown around in relation to drug abuse, and it can be difficult to discern what they mean. Drug addiction is an already misunderstood disease, and the confusion regarding terminology only adds to the problem. While drug dependence and drug addiction are often related, they do not mean the same thing. Keep reading to learn more about the difference between drug dependence and drug addiction.

What is drug dependence?

Drug dependence involves a physical condition. Repeated exposure to a drug or frequent usage causes the body to adapt to the drug. The easiest way to identify drug dependence is through withdrawal symptoms when the drug is no longer used.

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Suboxone Withdrawal: Symptoms & Treatments florida

Suboxone Withdrawal: Symptoms & Treatments

Blog>Alcoholism & Drug Addiction>Drug Addiction>SuboxoneBy PRL Social

Suboxone is a medication used to treat addiction to opiates like heroin, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Suboxone contains both buprenorphine and naloxone, and doctors prescribe it to people in addiction treatment to help alleviate opiate withdrawal and cravings.

That being said, buprenorphine itself is a partial opiate, meaning that it can create euphoria, much like heroin, although to a lesser extent. While the effects of Suboxone may not be as strong as with heroin, people still may abuse this medication and become addicted to it. After all, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), labels Suboxone as a Schedule III Controlled Substance, indicating that users can become highly psychologically dependent upon it and develop low to moderate physical dependence upon the drug.

Unfortunately, with dependence comes withdrawal, which means that people may experience uncomfortable symptoms when detoxing off of Suboxone, whether they are using it legally as a doctor prescribes or abusing it in some fashion. Learning more about Suboxone withdrawal can help you to understand this condition better.

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Benzodiazepine Withdrawal: Symptoms, Dependence, Treatment, Timelines and Types florida

Benzodiazepine Withdrawal: Symptoms, Dependence, Treatment, Timelines and Types

Blog>Alcoholism & Drug Addiction>Drug Addiction>Benzodiazepines ("Benzos")By PRL Social

According to Harvard Medical School, benzodiazepines are a class of medications primarily used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and seizures. They work by increasing the activity of a neurotransmitter, or brain chemical, called GABA, which slows activity in the nervous system and produces a calming effect. These medications can be useful for treating anxiety and related issues, but with long-term use, people may become addicted to them and undergo withdrawal if they attempt to stop using benzodiazepines. It is critical to understand the risk of addiction and withdrawal that comes with benzodiazepine use in order to make informed choices about the best course of action for treating conditions like anxiety.

Benzodiazepine Dependence

Before learning about benzodiazepine withdrawal, it is first important to understand why these drugs are addictive and lead to dependence. The reason for benzodiazepine dependence is that the brain and body adapt to the presence of these drugs, and they become accustomed to increased GABA activity. This means that over time, the body cannot produce enough GABA on its own, and it becomes dependent upon benzodiazepines to increase GABA activity and calm the body. Once the body becomes dependent on benzodiazepines, if a person stops using these drugs, there will not be enough GABA activity to maintain normal functioning. This causes the uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms associated with benzodiazepines.

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3 Most Common Fears That People Have Before Getting Clean & Sober florida

3 Most Common Fears That People Have Before Getting Clean & Sober

Blog>Drug & Alcohol Detox, Blog>Recovery SupportBy PRL Social

There are certain people who aren’t able to drink. They can’t handle alcohol. Maybe you are one of the people who get out of control when you drink. You might feel the need to drink to handle a trauma from your past. Maybe alcohol & drugs negatively affect every aspect of your life. If this is the case, you are not alone. There are millions of others just like you. Now it is up to you to decide whether you are going to get sober. This can be scary. Many people have fears that keep them from getting sober. Knowing more about these fears might give you the boost that you need to start your sobriety and recovery journey in Florida.

1. You Won’t Have Fun in Your Life Once You Are Sober

Many people believe that they won’t have any fun in their life once they are sober. This is a fear that many alcoholics & addicts have. The problem is that you can’t keep drinking. When you think about it, the “fun” that you have when you are drunk is not real fun at all. It is an imagined type of fun that you tell yourself you are having so that you can continue drinking. Once you wake up with a hangover or after doing something that you regret, you realize that the drunk lifestyle is not actually fun.

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6 Reasons Not to Detox from Alcohol on Your Own florida

6 Reasons Not to Detox from Alcohol on Your Own

Blog>Recovery SupportBy PRL Social

If you have made the choice to get sober, that is amazing. Many people live their entire lives and never even admit they have an alcohol addiction. You are already on the right path and you should be extremely proud of yourself for this decision. Now that you have made this decision, you can decide to detox with an outpatient detox program, inpatient detox program, or detox on your own at home.

With this being said, there are some things that you need to think about when deciding where you are going to detox. You need to consider your safety, the comfort of getting sober, and your alcohol abuse history. You should also consider your past, current, and future health. While taking these things into consideration, it is helpful to know some of the reasons why you shouldn’t detox from alcohol on your own.

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How to Help Someone Detoxing from Alcohol florida

How to Help Someone Detoxing from Alcohol

Addiction Recovery, Alcohol Addiction, Alcohol DetoxBy PRL Social

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.

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