Alcohol detox programs are required to help those individuals who became addicted to alcohol due to excessive drinking for a long time. They struggle with their addiction because even if they try to stop drinking, they lose their willpower and end up drinking again. There are almost 14.8 million Americans who are affected by alcohol use disorder because it is legal in their country so easily available that even an underage person can get his hands on it without much trouble. It is so harmful that about 88 thousand people lose their lives because of alcohol poisoning in a year. This makes alcohol one of the top leading causes of death in the country.
Effects of alcohol addiction and its detoxification
Source:detoxplusuk.com
Alcohol causes various illnesses and deteriorates the user’s body by damaging his vital organs. It may cause liver damage, kidney failure, gout, dementia, high blood pressure, seizures, never damage as well as cardiovascular diseases, etc. Look at this site. Many people who drink alcohol excessively deny the fact that they have a drinking problem, instead, they keep insisting that they have this thing under control which is why they never think about getting help from a rehab facility. Sometimes, guilt and shame contribute to the factor of not trying to get help and becoming healthier. As detox is a difficult process which is one of the reasons why people refuse to get treatment as they are scared of the withdrawal symptoms. However, good rehab centers make sure that their clients are dealt with utmost care and respect, and their comfort is considered a top priority. Therefore, it is a much better and safer option to go through a medically supervised detox rather than doing it at home. The withdrawal symptoms of alcohol detox are severe headaches, increased heart rate, tremors, anxiety, depression, excessive sweating, vomiting and nausea, nightmares and erratic sleeping habits, seizures, irritability, frustration, and hallucinations, etc. These withdrawal symptoms can start after a few hours of the addict taking his last drink. Another serious condition is called delirium tremens (DTs) during which the addict feels disoriented, confused, and experiences hallucinations. If this is not treated in time, then it will result in a fairly fatal condition. Many a time, some rehab facilities use outdated methods to treat their patients and their success rates of clients’ recovery are fairly low as a result. Furthermore, the buildings are so somber and resemble psychiatric facilities where the patients feel dehumanized. These aspects also ruin the success rates of their recovery. Various factors contribute to effective detox and some of the key components are given below.
- Creating an individual treatment plan to suit the patient’s needs. This is done after checking his health and his complete medical history to avoid any mishaps.
- Further physical, social, and psychological assessments.
- The patient should be monitored and supervised constantly by his doctors.
- Cardiac telemetry and video technology
- IV therapy programs
- A suitable aftercare program to make sure that the patient remains stable and sober after his recovery.
Benzodiazepine
Source:.aspenridgerecoverycenters.com
Benzodiazepine is a prescription drug and it is frequently prescribed by various doctors. Its intake is not supposed to exceed more than two to four weeks but still some physicians prescribe them to their patients for a longer time, thus posing a risk to their health. As the patients keep on taking BZDs, their bodies build up a tolerance to these therapeutic effects and despite this constantly increasing level of tolerance, they experience its negative side effects as well. Eventually, the patients become dependent on BZDs. It can also cause the neurocognitive disorder.
Treatment of benzodiazepine addiction
Source:thenestledrecovery.com
It takes a very long time to eliminate BDZs from the patient’s bodies which is why their treatment ranges from three weeks to six months. It has severe physical and psychological effects which are why it becomes mandatory for patients to have medical and therapy visits. Aftercare programs are also very important for benzodiazepine addicts and these aftercare programs also teach them steps and techniques to avoid relapsing in the future. When the treatment for BDZ addiction starts, tapering is done for the drug by the medical staff. It is done after admitting the patient to the facility because it requires close monitoring to check the patient’s health and condition as the doses of BDZ are gradually reduced. This helps to determine the rate at which tapering can be done on a specific patient. The tapering schedule is developed after observing factors such as duration of BDZ addiction, age of the client, support systems, and comorbidities, etc. As an inpatient, when he is stabilized on a taper, the medical staff coordinates with the medical director to create a home tapering schedule for the ease of the patient.
After the treatment, the patient is free to choose from a variety of options including partial hospitalization, Regular outpatient or intensive outpatient program, or residential care, etc. However, the doctors will recommend a certain option based on the severity and history of his substance abuse disorder, history of traumas, social support networks, mental health comorbidities, period of sobriety, and the recovery environment, etc. among other things. The patient receives regular medical care and monitoring from trained medical staff as well as therapeutic support. His doctor will strongly advise him to get one hour of therapy in one week at the very least. Individual therapy is necessary for him, however, if in addition to this, he wants to join a support group or a group therapy session, then it is a good choice and his doctor will encourage him to do so. Furthermore, as the treatment for BDZ addiction disorder is relatively longer than some other drug addiction disorder treatment, the patient or his family may be worried about paying his medical bills but he does not have to worry because their health insurance will cover their expenses and treatment at the respective rehabilitation facility. The only thing that the patient has to worry about is becoming healthy again.
