Outpatient Alcohol Addiction and Detoxification Treatment in San Francisco Bay Area
Alcohol is one of the most commonly abused substances in the United States and many other countries around the world. When excessive drinking continues over a long period, the effect on health, longevity, employment and relationships can be devastating.
Dependency on alcohol also gives rise to both physical and mental health problems. Patients may have started drinking at a young age and continue to drink into adulthood. Alcohol does not become a problem for others until after retirement. Whenever alcohol becomes a problem for you, we are here to help you.
What Is Alcohol Detox?
The 1st stage in alcohol recovery is detoxification. During the detoxification process, your body goes through a process of removing the alcohol and toxins from your system.
Why Is It Necessary to Detox Properly from Alcohol?
During the detoxification process, it is important to be under the watchful eye of medical professionals. Without medical supervision, alcohol detoxification can result in seizures, delirium tremens, and can be potentially life-threatening.
While physical detoxification from alcohol is a highly important part of detoxification, this period is also very useful for evaluation. Increased dependence on alcohol may have also created strong psychological dependence and must be addressed as well.
When your brain cells become used to the consistent alcohol presence, they actually change and adapt to it. Once the alcohol is removed, then the sudden shock can cause seizures and delirium tremens. They occur because the brain is no longer sedated, and it is then suddenly overwhelmed by the massive influx of stimulation coming from newly ‘awakened’ neurons.
Alcohol Detox Treatment
Most of the symptoms of acute alcohol withdrawal will have faded after 3-5 days of detoxification, though some may continue for a week or longer.
After about 3-5 days of detoxification, a lot of the symptoms of acute alcohol withdrawal will have mostly disappeared.
The Bay Addiction and Detoxification Center provides professional health monitoring for those in need of medically-assisted detoxification.
Remaining Sober and Avoiding Relapses
The period immediately after detoxification carries a high risk of relapse. It is important that appropriate support and ongoing medical care continue.
At the Bay Addiction and Detoxification Center, we continue to support clients through this difficult period. We take relapse prevention seriously and address it with high priority. We help patients understand addiction and the triggers that cause a relapse. The key is replacing destructive behaviors and help patients restore their lives. If either you or someone you love is battling alcohol, then we are here to help.