How Long Does Alcohol Detox Last?

The detox process refers to what happens when you have built up a certain substance in your system, and your body is trying to get rid of it. This can happen with sugar detox, detox from prescription medications, illicit medications, and alcohol.

How long does alcohol detox last? This process is generally several days, but it varies from one person to the next based on factors like:

  • Drinking history
  • Weight
  • Age
  • And how much is regularly consumed

With so many variables, it can be difficult to know precisely how many days or hours the detox process will take, but most clients who work with qualified facilities will anticipate one week for the overall withdrawal symptoms.

How Long Does Alcohol Detox Last?

The detoxification process refers to the length of time it takes for your body to get rid of any toxins that have built up over the span of your history with alcoholism. The longer you have struggled with alcohol consumption, and the more you drink on average, the longer your detox process will be.

During alcohol detox, symptoms will set in within a few hours of your last drink, and they will increase in severity, often ebbing and flowing across a handful of different physical symptoms like dizziness, muscle aches, headaches, and mental symptoms like irritability and insomnia.

When you work with professionals, all of these symptoms can be managed much better. 

Alcohol Detox: Why Work With Professionals

Alcohol detox is a unique challenge among substance abuse because it comes with a high risk of several complications. Because of this, it is highly recommended that you undergo this process with a qualified treatment center that offers alcohol-specific detox programs and can keep you as comfortable as possible during your detox process.

Professionals will monitor your vitals, keep you as comfortable as possible, and administer over the counter or prescription medication where necessary to manage the majority of your symptoms. If any complications arise, they will be there to render aid. 

Getting Professional Help with Sequoia Recovery Centers

With Sequoia Recovery Centers, we provide comprehensive alcohol rehab with all available levels of care. Our team can help you answer questions like “How long does alcohol detox last?” and “What should I do when triggered?” during your recovery. 

Assessments

When you reach out to our team, we will start with an initial consultation. This consultation will include a lot of questions that you should feel comfortable answering with complete honesty. These questions have to do with things like your history of substance abuse, how frequently you drink, and how much you drink.

Over the span of several months, your body can become reliant on alcohol, and this reliance means that your brain no longer generates the chemicals it should and instead relies on alcohol. Flushing the toxins from your body can be a challenging process full of physical and mental discomfort because your body isn’t generating chemicals itself and instead deals with strong cravings. 

Our team will work with you to give you a more personalized assessment on things like how long detox lasts and what to expect.

Expectation Management

Another big part of getting professional help for alcohol detox is making sure that you understand what is to come.

In some cases, it might be recommended that you work with medication-assisted treatment as part of your detox. This is a type of detox for alcohol that uses FDA-approved medications. However, one requirement to use these medications is that you complete ongoing therapy.

With Sequoia Recovery Centers, we will help you figure out what to expect in terms of:

  • Withdrawal symptoms
  • What medication or services will be rendered
  • How the therapy process works

Ongoing Care

During your alcohol detox, we will conduct medical monitoring to make sure that you are comfortable and that no serious side effects happen. If they do, our team will be on hand to render Medical Aid where appropriate.

After you have completed your alcohol detox, we will help you transition into the next level of care, whether that is a residential or outpatient program. During the course of your recovery program, we will provide you with resources like behavioral therapy that help you manage and control things like cravings.

Overall, the alcohol detox process generally takes an average of one week, with severe symptoms peeking after several days. However, alcohol detox comes with a high risk of potential complications, which is why it is essential that you go through your detox process with a qualified treatment center, after which you can continue with the rest of your therapy program.

Contact our team to learn more about our alcohol rehab.