Alcohol Addiction
What is Alcohol Addiction?
Affecting over 10 million Americans, alcoholism is a physical and chemical dependence to alcohol, no different than with illegal narcotics. Excessive drinking can lead to broken relationships, declines in physical health or even fatality.
Alcohol Facts
In 2018, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) found that 14.4 million American adults had alcohol use disorder (AUD). They also found that 400,000 adolescents under the age of 18 suffered from AUD. They define AUD as “a chronic relapsing brain disease characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences.” The scary part of this is that only 7.9% of adults and 5% of children received any form of treatment in that year. The NIAAA also discovered that approximately 88,000 American’s die every year due to Alcohol Abuse. This is the third leading cause of death in our country.
Dangers of Alcohol Abuse
As with any disorder, AUD can range from mild to severe cases. Typically, one of the main determining factors about severity involves the user drinking to the point that alcohol consumption causes distress or harm to the drinker or others. While it is never wise to overdo it with any toxic substance, overconsumption of alcohol can lead to a ton of health problems. Alcohol can affect the brain, heart, liver, pancreas, and immune system. Alcoholism can also increase the risk of developing certain cancers, including mouth, esophageal, throat, liver, and breast cancer.
The most common detriment caused by AUD may be cirrhosis of the liver, a serious medical condition that leads to liver scarring and ultimately, liver failure. Cirrhosis is treatable, but not curable. If left unchecked, Cirrhosis could lead to serious medical complications, or even death. Though AUD is highly treatable, fewer than 10% of people with the disease seek treatment.
Should I seek Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder?
Overcoming an alcohol use disorder can be extremely difficult on your own. For most men and women, treatment is essential. Without the medical supervision and the assistance of a certified and accredited detox facility, withdrawal from alcohol, especially prolonged misuse, may prove fatal. In fact, alcohol is the most difficult and dangerous substance to detox from. Because We Care, Royal Life Detox is committed to providing the safest, most affordable and most effective medication-assisted alcohol detox program. This is followed by carefully structured, individualized medical regiments, an intensive therapy program, and extensive aftercare options. If you or someone you love is suffering the grips of alcoholism, it is imperative that you seek professional assistance.
Signs of an AUD
- Drinking alone and/or to de-stress
- Craving alcohol
- Inability to stop drinking once you start
- Prioritizing alcohol over other things
- Continuing to drink despite the problems it causes you
- Withdrawal symptoms
- Using alcohol in unsafe situations
- Developing a tolerance to the effects of alcohol
- Alcohol use causing financial burden
If you or someone you love is exhibiting these behaviors, there is a reasonable chance that there is an alcohol use disorder at play. Considering taking the next steps toward treatment can help you safely transition to a life of sobriety. It is very important that if you are making this decision, that you do so under medical supervision because of how dangerous alcohol withdrawal can be.
Alcohol Withdrawal
Withdrawal from alcohol, like any chemical dependence, is physically and emotionally taxing on anyone involved. Withdrawal symptoms vary in severity depending on your age, alcohol and other substance use, past history of withdrawal, and peak blood alcohol levels. Our goal at Royal Life Detox is to make the alcohol detoxification process as smooth and comfortable as possible. Our guests are monitored through and after detox, and medical staff are on site 24/7 to ensure safety and comfort. Because it is such an intense process, it is broken out into different stages to help understand the experience.
Alcohol Detox
Alcohol detox is typically broken down into three stages, each characterized by a particular set of symptoms.
First stage (8 hours after last drink):
- Anxiety
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Insomnia
Second stage (24-72 hours of last drink):
- Rise in blood pressure and body temperature
- Quickening of heartbeat
- Reduced mental acuity
Third stage:
- Hallucinations
- Fever
- Seizures
- Agitation
- Risk of death
If you recognize any of these signs in yourself or others following alcohol consumption, you may have AUD and require medical detox. It is very important that if you are choosing to end a dependency to alcohol, you do so safely and with professional assistance. Withdrawal from alcohol can be extremely dangerous or even fatal.
What Happens After Medically Assisted Alcohol Detox?
After completing a medical detox at Royal Life Detox, our guests will begin a comprehensive, collaborative approach to treatment. We have designed this program to support physical and mental wellness and promote a lasting, sober lifestyle. You’ll be happy to know that all of our addiction specialists, from our therapists and case managers to our facility staff, are dedicated to providing the best care and support available. Our holistic, research-based approach to psychotherapy and healing incorporates individual and group sessions as well as activity, movement, and adventure therapies to create one program that treats mind, body, and spirit. We encourage you to reach out to one of our caring and compassionate admissions coordinators to learn more about your journey toward sobriety and beyond.
Our guests are encouraged to begin their recovery journey in our residential inpatient program and continue with us through PHP, IOP, OP, and sober living at our beautiful and comfortable graduate housing residences. Here at Royal Life Detox, our guests are always our top priority. We consistently do all we can to inspire lasting change, so that they might continue to lead healthy, sober lives long after they have left our care. It is not just our goal, but it is also our mission to provide the best care possible, to save lives. Because We Care.
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