Alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States; 1 in every 12 adults suffers from alcohol abuse or dependency. While alcohol is a legal drug consumed by millions of people regularly this does not minimize the reality of how addictive alcohol can be. In this article, you’ll learn more about how addictive alcohol is, alcohol withdrawal symptoms, how long does it take to detox from alcohol, and more.
At Sequoia, we provide medical detox treatment in Washington to help clients safely and effectively break free from their drug and alcohol addictions. It’s important to understand that there is no concrete detox timeline. While most patients take about a week to fully detox, clients with severe addiction cases may take up to two weeks to complete detox. Regardless of how long it will take you to detox, our compassionate team at Sequoia is here to help you on your road to recovery.
Contact us to learn how we can help start your addiction recovery journey at our drug and alcohol detox center in Spokane.
Is Alcohol Addictive?
Although alcohol is a legal drug consumed by millions of people, alcohol is still an addictive substance. Alcohol is addictive because when you drink alcohol, it releases dopamine and endorphins, which make you feel a sense of pleasure and satisfaction. Constantly drinking can make your brain become accustomed and used to receiving these pleasurable chemicals and expect them, thus resulting in addiction.
Therefore, alcoholics become addicted because their brain becomes dependent on alcohol to give them these external, pleasurable dopamine hits This is why overcoming addiction is extremely difficult because your brain changes to expect these external dopamine spikes to make you feel a sense of satisfaction.
Can Alcohol Cause Withdrawal?
Like any other drug dependency, alcohol addiction can result in withdrawal when you stop abusing alcohol. This is because the brain is physically accustomed to receiving these dopamine hits from consuming alcohol. So, when your body suddenly stops consuming alcohol, this causes your body to experience negative health effects for a short period of time, otherwise known as withdrawal symptoms.
Common alcohol addiction withdrawal symptoms may include:
- Anxiety
- Shaky hands
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Insomnia
- Sweating
- Confusion
- Racing heart
- Fever
While withdrawal symptoms can be painful and uncomfortable, overcoming your withdrawal symptoms and detoxing is a necessary first step in your addiction recovery journey.
How Long Does it Take to Detox From Alcohol?
Before going through the detoxification process, patients’ common question is: “How long does it take to detox from alcohol?”
Most patients take about five days to detox from alcohol and completely overcome withdrawal symtpoms. Furthermore, most patients experience the worst withdrawal symptoms about 2-3 days into detoxing. That being said, in severe cases, some alcoholics may take up to 2 weeks to detox and stop experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
There are a variety of factors that play a role in how long your alcohol detox will take, including:
- How much you drink
- How long you’ve been drinking
- Age
- Weight
While detoxing can be uncomfortable and painful, it is an essential first step. It’s also important to be aware that seeking professional treatment when it comes to overcoming your addiction is vital to ensure you detox in a safe manner. This is because some addicts may experience severe withdrawal symptoms that can potentially be life-threatening if they try and handle their symptoms all on their own.
How to Find Alcohol Detox Programs
Now that you know more about how long does it take to detox from alcohol and the alcohol detox process in general, it’s important to understand how to find the right alcohol detox program for you. To find an alcohol detox program near you, search online and research various detox programs in your area. Compare each program to see which program most aligns with your exact needs.
At Sequoia Recovery Centers, we help clients safely and effectively detox so they can start their addiction recovery journey. We understand how painful and uncomfortable the detoxification process can be. That’s why we are here to help you every step of the way through your detox. At Sequoia, we treat a range of clients with varying addictions; thus, we offer specialized programs, such as our alcohol detox program, so clients can receive the exact care they need to overcome their withdrawal symptoms. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, contact us to learn how we can help you start on your road to recovery.
