Alcohol Detox

What is Alcohol Detox?

Alcohol detox is when you stop drinking alcohol, and your body begins to clear out the alcohol in your system. It’s often the first part of a recovery plan. This process can be tough for someone who has been drinking a lot, but it’s a key step in breaking free from addiction.

The first stage of recovery is a medically supervised alcohol detox programme. This means that professionals will watch over you to make sure you’re safe while you go through detox. The alcohol detoxification treatment helps clear the alcohol from your body and manage the symptoms that come with withdrawal.

Why is Alcohol Detox Important?

Alcohol detox is important for people who have been drinking for a long time, drinking too much can harm your liver, heart, and weaken your immune system. Detoxing from alcohol allows your body to get rid of toxins and begin healing.

Detox also helps break the cycle of needing alcohol to feel normal. Your body needs time to adjust to life without alcohol, and detox gives you that time.

Though the stages of alcohol detox can be hard, it prepares your mind and body for further treatment. Once you finish detox, you can focus on therapy and learning how to stay sober.

What Symptoms Are Experienced When You Have An Alcohol Addiction?

With alcohol addiction, the symptoms of alcoholism can be different for every individual. It is not uncommon to experience physical and psychological symptoms such as anti-social behaviour, hand tremors, shakes, sweating, an increased heart rate, nausea, anxiety, perspiration, insomnia, depression, paranoia and persistent headaches.

Although treatment can reduce the health problems associated with alcohol misuse, treatment cannot entirely alleviate chronic conditions, such as organ failure. It is, therefore, crucial you seek treatment via a detoxification and alcohol rehabilitation programme as soon as possible.

How To Know You Need Professional Help?

Recognising your addiction is an incredibly challenging aspect of the journey towards recovery.

It is not uncommon for individuals struggling with alcoholism to endure its grip for numerous years, adamantly denying their dependence to not only those around them, but also themselves. This inclination to deny is, undoubtedly, a self-defence mechanism.

Acknowledging the need for help can be immensely difficult, but it also marks the start of a transformative new chapter in your life.

Below are several ways to identify if you need professional help.

• If you feel as though you can’t go very long without drinking, need to drink more to achieve the same effect, or experiences withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop, you likely have developed a dependence and require alcohol detox, along with further treatment.
• If you have tried to quit drinking many times but have relapsed.
• If you have developed health issues which can be directly linked to alcohol, such as liver disease, then seeking treatment is absolutely essential.
• If alcohol use is leading to problems at work, in relationships, or with the law, alcohol detox is likely necessary.

Remember, it’s important to seek medical advice before starting alcohol detox. The process can be dangerous without professional supervision, especially for people with severe alcohol dependence. Detox should also be followed by ongoing treatment to address the underlying issues related to alcohol use.

If you can relate to the above scenarios, please get in touch with us to discuss options for alcohol detox treatment. 

How Long Does Alcohol Detox Take?

The time it takes to complete alcohol detox can vary. For most people, alcohol detox treatment lasts between 7 to 10 days. How long it takes depends on things like how much you’ve been drinking and your overall health.

Sometimes, people may experience Post-Acute Withdrawal Symptoms (PAWS), which can last for months. These symptoms may include mood swings or sleep problems. Understanding what to expect after alcohol detox can help you prepare for the next steps, such as alcohol rehab.

Alcohol Detox Symptoms Timeline

Alcohol detox is the process of removing alcohol from the body, which takes place over several days. Medical support is provided to keep the person safe during detox. Reaching important recovery milestones along the way helps keep the process on track.

With the help of medical professionals, each person’s experience may vary. Some may only have mild symptoms and recover with little intervention, while others may face more intense withdrawal symptoms and need close medical supervision to manage these challenges.

Understanding the timeline of alcohol detox is crucial for anyone beginning the journey toward sobriety. While each person’s experience varies, this general detox from alcohol timeline outlines what to expect and when during withdrawal. Medically supervised detox is recommended to safely manage symptoms.

0–6 Hours After Last Drink: Initial Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

Symptoms of detoxing from alcohol often begin within 6 hours of the last drink.

Early signs of alcohol withdrawal include:

• • Mild anxiety or irritability

  • Headache

  • Nausea

  • Cravings for alcohol

6–24 Hours: Worsening Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

Detoxing from alcohol continues with more noticeable symptoms such as:

• • Shaking or tremors

  • Increased heart rate

  • Insomnia

  • Heightened anxiety

24–48 Hours: Peak Symptoms

This stage typically includes the most intense alcohol detox symptoms timeline:

• • High blood pressure

  • Fever or sweating

  • Confusion

  • Hallucinations

48–72 Hours: Stabilisation Begins

• Symptoms may begin to stabilise, but risks can still be high for those with long-term alcohol use.

• Continued supervision helps manage lingering physical and psychological effects.

• Patients may be given medications to ease discomfort and reduce cravings.

During this stage, people may need medical help to manage symptoms like high blood pressure, nausea, anxiety, and even hallucinations. In severe cases of long-term alcohol use, symptoms like delirium tremens (severe shaking and confusion) may occur. This condition, known as alcohol withdrawal syndrome, can be life-threatening if not managed properly.

To help manage these symptoms, doctors may use medications and other treatments. These treatments are especially important in the early stages of detox when symptoms are most intense. Detox at home can be dangerous, which is why medically supervised detox programmes are much safer and more effective.

3–7 Days: Alcohol Recovery Milestone

• Most symptoms begin to subside.

• The risk of severe complications decreases.

• Emotional and psychological support becomes more important.

• This is often when people transition from alcohol detox to longer-term recovery programs.

After 7 Days: Post-Acute Withdrawal

• Mild symptoms like fatigue, irritability, and sleep disturbances may persist.

• Ongoing support, therapy, and healthy routines are essential for continued recovery.

• Many who completed detox at home from alcohol or in clinical settings move on to outpatient care or support groups.

Is Alcohol Detox Dangerous?

Yes, alcohol detox can be dangerous if not done with medical help. Withdrawal symptoms range from mild (shaking, anxiety) to severe (fever, seizures).

In some cases, people experience delirium tremens (DTs), a life-threatening condition. This is why it’s safest to detox under medical supervision in a controlled setting.

Why Is It Safer to Detox From Alcohol Under Medical Supervision?

For professionals specialising in alcohol rehabilitation, medical supervision is seen as required when completing an alcohol detox to ensure that your body is coping with the process and you are able to manage symptoms. By doing your detox in a safe rehab environment, which is controlled and prepared, you’ll have the support and reassurance that you’re in safe hands while detoxing.

If you have abused alcohol for a long-term period of time, your body and mind will likely rely heavily upon alcohol. As you start the detox and your alcohol consumption becomes reduced, withdrawal symptoms are experienced, which may start moderately but are likely to reach chronic effects as it withdraws from your system.

To ensure that your health and safety are prioritised whilst withdrawing from alcohol, investing in a structured alcohol detox programme is highly recommended. This is available through our referral rehab service, which offers you a safe and progressive rehab environment to complete detox successfully.

If you attempt to detox from home, please remember that the withdrawal process can be dangerous and difficult to control. Success rates are also much higher at a rehab centre, down to the support and round-the-clock medical supervision that is available in rehab facilities. For your best chance at sobriety, consider a medically supervised detox programme.

How Can Friends and Family Members Support Someone Going Through Alcohol Detox?

It’s tough knowing someone you care about is struggling with alcoholism. But remember, you can really make a difference in their experience with detoxing from alcohol.

First, try to learn about what they’re going through. You may not be experiencing it first-hand, but being aware of the symptoms of alcohol detox will allow you to support them and understand them on a deeper level.

In addition to the above, simply just being there for them emotionally is also incredibly helpful. Lend them an ear when they need to talk about what they are experiencing and remind them they’re not alone in this fight. It’ll require a lot of patience and understanding, but going through alcohol detox can be a truly testing time, both physically and emotionally, and your support can make all the difference. Caring for someone with an addiction is also bound to be emotionally difficult for loved ones, so also be sure to take care of yourself.

If they are attempting to detox at home, encouraging them to seek professional help is a much safer route. We provide a free referral service for family members and friends. Our specialist team can offer you support and guidance on how to navigate situations when a loved one is struggling with addiction. Please get in touch today to see how we can help.

Additional Treatment Services

Although an alcohol detox will initially help you stop drinking, addiction is a multifaceted illness which requires different levels of treatment, which is entirely dependent on the individual. As well as alcohol withdrawal, the psychological element of addiction must be treated too, commonly through methods such as group therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and motivational sessions.

By completing detox and therapy, you will have the best chance at sustaining sobriety. Without this treatment, alcohol cravings may become overbearing and lead to relapse.

To avoid this vicious cycle of alcohol consumption and addiction, completing an initial alcohol detox programme will be advised, followed by alternative suitable treatment services. Here at Addiction Advocates, we can recommend and help you source the most suitable treatment programme for you.

For more information on how beneficial an alcohol detox can be, reach out to our team today.