Common Alcohol Detox Timeline
Common Alcohol Detox Timeline
Alcohol Detox Timeline: 6-12 Hours
The body metabolizes alcohol fairly quickly. That means the first symptoms show up somewhere between six hours and 12 hours from your last drink. For most people, the symptoms during this stretch prove comparatively mild. They often resemble what you feel during a hangover.
Some of the more common symptoms include hand tremors, nausea, headaches, and alcohol cravings. Other symptoms you may or may not experience include insomnia, anxiety, depression and mood swings.
Alcohol Detox Timeline: 12-48 Hours
Alcohol Detox Timeline: 48-72 Hours
Starting around the 48-hour mark, you enter the worst phase of detox. The odds of hallucination and seizures increase. You’re also likely to exhibit more extreme confusion. You’ll continue experiencing a fever.
While only a small percentage of very heavy alcohol users experience them, this is the stage where you’re at risk for delirium tremens. You may experience a temporary form of psychosis during delirium tremens.
The seizures and hallucinations you can experience during withdrawal can pose a serious risk to your life. That’s why you should never attempt alcohol detox without help from trained medical professionals in a detox center.
Monitoring and Medication
The above symptoms all represent a more or less worst-case scenario of the alcohol detox timeline. Detox programs for alcohol use disorders exist so you won’t face the worst case scenario. Instead, medical professionals monitor your condition and can act to prevent lethal outcomes.
Under current treatment models for alcohol detox, you can expect to receive medication to prevent the more serious symptoms. For example, the medical staff at a detox center will often administer doses of a benzodiazepine during your stay to help prevent seizures and delirium tremens.
You may also receive antipsychotic medication to prevent hallucinations. Those with heart conditions or heart disease may get beta blockers to reduce the risks of a cardiac event during withdrawal. The medical staff may also provide medications that reduce dehydration, treat headaches, and improve nausea.
Post-Detox Treatment
While detox can get you through the alcohol detox timeline, it doesn’t provide a solid groundwork for lasting sobriety. Any personal, social, and environmental pressures that drive your drinking will still be in force. Laying that groundwork for lasting sobriety almost always means seeking treatment in a residential rehab program.
These programs offer numerous therapies with the specific goal of preparing you for the challenges of living an alcohol-free life. Some of the therapies you will likely see include:
- CBT and DBT
- Family Therapy
- Group Therapy
- Relapse Prevention Training
Silver Pines Treatment Center
Silver Pines Treatment Center is an alcohol detox center Mahanoy City PA. We also provide addiction therapy services through our rehab programs.
An alcohol-related substance use disorder can take over your entire life, but you don’t have to just live with it. You can overcome the alcohol detox timeline with assistance from a quality rehab program. Call 866 345 2147 and learn what Silver Pines Treatment Center has to offer.