24% of people aged 12 and older reported binge drinking once in the past month. While that is a problem within itself, alcohol dependence is an even bigger problem – and it always starts with that first sip.
If you know you or a loved one has a problem with alcohol and you want to detox, that is a great first step. However, detox is not easy. Having medical supervision during this time is crucial for the safety and success of recovery.
Luckily, there are so many benefits of medical detox to help with addiction recovery. Keep reading to learn all about how a medical detox can help.
What Is Alcohol Dependence?
Did you know that nine in 10 adults drink too much alcohol? That doesn’t mean they are dependent on alcohol, though. It just means they drink more than the recommended amount.
Alcohol dependence is a medical condition that includes excess drinking, constant craving for alcohol, constant use of alcohol, and the inability to control consumption.
Benefits of Medical Detox
Going through medical detox has so many benefits. From being safer to giving you the support you need, it is all around the better option than doing it on your own.
Medical Detox Is Safer
When someone is addicted to alcohol, it can be difficult to determine how the alcohol abuse has affected their system. It can cause issues like liver damage, heart problems, depression, and more. However, a lot of times, these are not as visible until the drinking is done.
This can make the detox process a bit more dangerous.
But with medical detox, there is always an examination to examine the best course of action for the detox. It can also determine health issues and medical support needs for the patient to aid in addiction recovery.
That means that there is always someone there that can help at San Diego rehab centers – unlike if someone were to detox at home.
Access to Medications and Care
If an individual does experience a large number of withdrawal symptoms or some of the more severe symptoms, it can be helpful to have medication that will ease the withdrawal symptoms and prevent them from getting worse.
In addition to access to these medications to ease the withdrawal symptoms, staff can also administer other medications like magnesium and sodium through an IV if the individual is low on the key minerals.
Three of the most common medications used during alcohol withdrawal and detox in rehab centers in San Diego are:
- Benzodiazepines –Â the most common
- AnticonvulsantsÂ
- BarbituratesÂ
These medications are mostly used to treat psychological and physical symptoms like seizures, however, can also treat some other symptoms.
Better for Overall Health
While there is always a possibility to detox at home, putting yourself or your loved one in the hands of professionals is always the best idea. Licensed professionals know what they are doing, and they can help aid in the recovery process in more ways than one.
They are there if something goes wrong. They can tell what needs to be done or what nutrients you are lacking. They can screen for overall health conditions.
In addition to that, doing a medical detox puts an individual in an anxiety-free environment with a supportive staff that will continue to support them.
Sober Environment
One of the biggest advantages to a medical detox is that it gives the individual a sober environment.
During detox, this is crucial. If there is access to alcohol or it can be easily attained, it is much harder for that individual to abstain from alcohol use.
By being in an environment where there is no access to alcohol, and there is no way to get it, it is much more likely that the medical detox will be successful.
Can I Detox At Home?
When you detox, you are ridding yourself of all of the toxins that you accumulated from drinking alcohol. When you cleanse yourself, you can experience a lot of symptoms, some of which may be severe, which can be dangerous if you are detoxing at home alone.
With that said, it is not impossible to detox at home; however, it is not the best option. It is best to have medical supervision when detoxing because of the symptoms you may experience during the detox.
Not only with the alcohol withdrawal itself make you want to go back to drinking (with no one there to stop you), but it can also cause the following to occur:
- Seizures
- Nausea and vomiting
- Heart problems
- Anxiety
- Suicide or harming someone else
- Overdose
With these severe withdrawal symptoms, it is best to be at one of the best alcohol treatment centers in San Diego to get the help that you need.
Addiction Recovery: Get the Help You Need
It can be difficult to admit that you have an addiction and need to detox. But once you do admit that to yourself and others, you will be on the path to recovery.
To start, you should go through medical detox. With so many benefits of medical detox, your addiction recovery will start off on the right foot.
Here at Apex Recovery, we want to make sure that you get the help that you need when you need it. As one of the best San Diego alcohol rehabilitation centers, we pride ourselves on giving you the treatment you need.
If you are ready to get help today, do not hesitate to contact us. We are here for you.