When the alcohol is gone, your brain struggles to regain balance, and this imbalance makes it hard to concentrate. The foggy brain is your body’s way of readjusting after losing the sedative effect of alcohol, which it had grown used to. If you have a sibling or parent with AUD, then you are three or four times more likely than average to develop the disorder. Some people with family histories of AUD choose to abstain from drinking, since this is a guaranteed way to avoid developing alcohol dependence.
Stage 3: Middle recovery and rebuilding habits
For instance, you might write a list of reasons why you want to stop drinking alcohol and read it. When used along with beta-blockers,clonidine may help get your Alcohol Withdrawal heart rate or blood pressure back down to healthy levels. For two to seven days, doctors may manage your withdrawal with medications.
- All of this falls under a structured medication assisted detox or detox stabilization program, tailored to your specific risks.
- Because alcohol affects the Mu opioid receptors, this is an effective treatment to decrease alcohol cravings (Stahl, 2021).
- However, severe or persistent hand shaking of the hands after alcohol may require medical intervention.
- And caffeine may not be a good choice for people who react to its effects or who take certain medications.
- If symptoms and CIWA assessment is lower, the patient may be given a 100mg dose every 4 hours and tapered from this point.
Medical Professionals
These programs support behavioral modification through self-help and peer support. Group therapy supports people with SUD in maintaining abstinence and restraint. However, research shows that the changes to your brain’s reward system due to a substance’s addictive potential may cause the condition. “For patients who are left with cirrhosis after severe injury to the liver from alcohol, even one drink of alcohol is toxic to the liver,” cautions Dr. Lindenmeyer. At Moving Mountains Recovery, we focus on creating personalized care plans to ensure you receive the best possible support during detox.
Nutritional and vitamin support
- As withdrawal progresses, symptoms may become more disruptive and affect daily functioning.
- Lack of thiamine can lead to Wernicke’s encephalopathy, a serious brain disorder.
- That means your CNS is much more active than needed, to the point that it negatively affects automatic body processes.
If you have severe vomiting, seizures, or delirium tremens, the safest place for you to be treated is in a hospital. For delirium tremens, treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU) is often required. In an ICU, your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing can be monitored closely in case emergency life-support (such as artificial breathing by a machine) is needed. Some people experience hallucinations during this period, seeing or hearing things that aren’t there. This is different from delirium tremens and is sometimes called “alcoholic hallucinosis.” While disturbing, these hallucinations are usually temporary. You might also have an elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, and more severe nausea or vomiting.
Supportive Care and Recovery
- It can be given IV if in a hospital setting or oral if in a detox facility.
- We specialize in compassionate, evidence-based care tailored to your needs.
- There has been some research conducted on how abstaining from alcohol detoxifies your liver over time.
- The most dangerous form of alcohol withdrawal occurs in about one out of every 20 people who have withdrawal symptoms.
- Engaging in hobbies and activities that bring joy and fulfillment can also play a significant role in preventing relapse by providing healthy alternatives to alcohol use.
- No, your withdrawal symptoms won’t differ between beer and hard liquor consumption.
The goal is to move you safely from medical crisis to a place where you can fully engage in long‑term treatment and healing. This careful medical support is a core part of a clinical detox program and would be almost impossible to manage safely at home. If you have been drinking heavily, your body may be depleted of key nutrients, especially thiamine (vitamin B1).