Who Needs an Alcohol Detox?

Alcohol addiction is a massive problem for many people here in the UK. Although alcohol is a substance that is consumed by most adults to some extent, most drink it in moderation and in line with the Government’s recommended weekly allowance of fourteen units. Having said that, there are millions of individuals across the country who regularly exceed fourteen units per week. Some even drink their full allowance and then some over the course of one drinking session. With alcohol being such a widely abused substance, it is easy to see how alcohol addiction has become such a major problem in the United Kingdom.

Those who do develop an addiction to alcohol will usually need professional help to put an end to their substance abuse issues. This often begs the question of who needs alcohol detox? The answer is simple: anyone with a physical dependence on alcohol.

What do the Stats Say?

According to stats from the NHS, there were 339,000 alcohol-related hospital admissions in 2015-2016. This was a three per cent increase on the previous year and a massive twenty-two per cent rise on the period 2005-2006. In terms of geographical locations, the area with the highest number of hospital admissions was Blackpool, with 1,160 admissions for every 100,000 people. The lowest rate was recorded in Kingston-upon-Thames, with 390 admissions for every 100,000 people.

Despite increases in hospital admissions, there was a fall in the number of individuals who reported drinking in the previous week in 2016. Fifty-seven per cent of adults in England said they drank alcohol within the previous week; this equates to 25.3 million people.

Do You Need Professional Help?

There are those who think about the question of who needs alcohol detox when trying to figure out if they are in trouble because of their own alcohol consumption. The idea that there is a certain type of person who might need a detox or who would be affected by alcoholism is completely inaccurate.

The reality is that anyone who has allowed their alcohol consumption to spiral out of control is going to require some sort of assistance to get back on track. It may be some words of advice to help them cut back or quit, or it could be that they need a more comprehensive programme of recovery to enable them to put their alcohol use behind them for good.

In terms of your own alcohol use and the question of whether you need an alcohol detox or not, it is important to establish what level of alcohol use, or misuse, you are dealing with. If you are worried that your use of alcohol is no longer under control, then it is time to look at your consumption levels and evaluate your situation.

You are probably already aware that it is not possible to diagnose an alcohol addiction with a blood test or any kind of physical examination. But what you can do is ask yourself some questions to determine how you use alcohol and what measure of control you have over your use. It is important to be completely honest when answering these questions.

• Do you drink alcohol to forget your problems?
• Have you increased the amount of alcohol that you drink in recent times?
• Do you regularly drink alcohol for longer than you had intended?
• Do you find yourself drinking alcohol, despite promising yourself that you would not?
• Do you find it difficult to stop drinking, once you start?
• Do you feel ashamed about things that you have done while under the influence of alcohol?
• Do you try to hide your alcohol consumption from loved ones?
• Have your loved ones expressed concerns about the amount of alcohol you are consuming?
• Do you feel guilty for drinking when you have promised your loved ones that you wouldn’t?
• Have you tried to cut down or quit drinking without success?
• Do you arrange all social activities around alcohol?
• Do you want to continue drinking when everyone else has had enough?
• Do you continue drinking even though you know that doing so will have negative consequences for yourself or your loved ones?

Answering yes to just one or two of the above questions could signal a problem with alcohol. If you answered yes to more than that then you are probably in need of professional assistance to help you quit.

However, even after reading the above questions you may be thinking to yourself that you do not have an issue because you are still going to work, and you do not drink every day. In your mind, you do not fit the profile of a typical alcoholic, therefore you do not need help.

What you need to remember is that not every alcoholic is affected in the same way. Alcoholism has more to do with the amount of control you have over your alcohol consumption than it has over the type of alcohol you drink and how often you drink it.

Do You Need an Alcohol Detox?

So, who needs an alcohol detox? If this is a question that you have pondered, consider this – if you are experiencing headaches, shaking, sweating and nausea when you need alcohol, it is likely that you have a physical dependence.

These symptoms are common among alcoholics and tend to occur when the effects of alcohol begin to wear off. You have probably also realised that a couple of sips of alcohol will see these symptoms start to subside.

This can lead you into a cycle of alcohol abuse, and the longer this continues, the harder it will be to break free. To overcome your addiction, you are almost certainly going to need professional help; this will likely begin with an alcohol detox.

What is Alcohol Detox Like?

The issue of who needs alcohol detox comes up quite regularly with those who are contemplating getting help for addiction. The reason for this is that most people have a deep-rooted fear of the detox process, and this fear can be enough to prevent them from reaching out for help. When considering who needs alcohol detox, it is common for some affected individuals to be hoping they will not be one of them.

The reality is that detox is an essential part of the recovery process for most of those with alcohol addiction. It is also true that detox is almost always easier than many expect it to be. Old movie scenes that showed addicts being tied to a bed while they went through cold turkey have led many people to believe that this is what a detox is going to be like. In fact, this could not be further from the truth.

An alcohol detox may not be a pleasant experience, but it does not have to be an excruciatingly painful one either. If the detox is effectively managed, you will be comfortable and safe at all times. So, what is it like?

Your detox will begin when you quit alcohol. It will not begin immediately because there will still be a significant amount of alcohol in your system. Nevertheless, after around six to twelve hours, the effects of your last drink will begin to wear off and your body will realise that the usual supply is not forthcoming.

When this happens, your body will react by trying to rid itself of any chemicals or toxins that remain. This attempt to get back to some kind of normality will result in a variety of withdrawal symptoms. For most, symptoms will begin quite mild and will progress in severity, although for the majority of recovering alcoholics, symptoms will only ever be mild to moderate in intensity.

For some individuals however, severe symptoms can occur, and these can include seizures, convulsions, and the DTs. As these symptoms can be life-threatening at times, they are always classed as a medical emergency.

What you should know is that most of the severe symptoms can be prevented with effective management of the detox process. In a supervised facility, medication and supplements are often used to prevent the most severe symptoms from presenting.

How to Access an Alcohol Detox?

There are many organisations that offer detox programmes to those who want to overcome an addiction to alcohol. Primrose Lodge is one such clinic. With one of our detox programmes, you can rest assured that you will be safe and secure at all times during the process.

You will be monitored by fully trained, professional staff who will ensure that you are at virtually no risk. If appropriate, certain medications will be prescribed by medical professionals to help ease the symptoms you are experiencing.

You can expect your detox to last for between seven and ten days, after which you can access one of our rehabilitation programmes, where the emotional and psychological issues relating to your illness will be addressed.

For more information on our detox and rehabilitation programmes, please contact us today via our dedicated helpline. Alternatively, we can call you if you prefer; all you need to do is leave your contact details on this website and we will be in touch as soon as possible.