The term alcohol detox normally refers to the process whereby an alcoholic or someone with a serious drink problem begins a process of stopping or coming off alcohol, either by stopping it completely or by coming off in a graduated tapering off process.
An alcohol detox may happen quite naturally with no problems by an alcoholic simply stopping drinking, or there may be significant side-effects which need to be controlled and monitored by qualified medical and nursing personnel.
An alcohol detox is also sometimes referred to by way of an holistic detox. Detox is quite literally short for detoxification, which in a general sense means purifying or cleaning the body. An holistic detox can imply a more thorough cleansing of the body and simply letting the residue of alcohol filter its way out of the system.
An alcohol detox is a condition that needs to be considered and understood and monitored very carefully. Each individual case is different and should ideally be assessed by a qualified medical practitioner.
Alcohol Detox – Alcoholism
A person who is an alcoholic makes stop drinking on their own by attending meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous or entering into a rehab, without the need for any medical intervention or supervision.
Other people who are alcoholics may well need medical help and supervision to withdraw from alcohol in a safe and controlled way. This may depend on a whole range of circumstances, including their lifestyle and other medications or prescription drugs that they may be taking.
From a medical point of view, it is important to assess each individual person separately at what their needs are. Many people will address their alcoholism by way of entering a rehab treatment center.
If this is the case then it is important to check that the rehab either had its own on-site detox programme with qualified medical personnel available, or access to a local clinical facility which has appropriate detox facilities and personnel.
Whether an alcohol detox needs to be medically supervised and controlled is an assessment that should be made by medical personnel in the rehab itself.
Withdrawal from alcohol can be a scary process for someone who is an alcoholic, both in terms of potential physical and mental side-effects, but also in terms of the sense of loss that an alcoholic will feel at not being able to drink any more.
This may not be thought of as a normal part of an alcohol detox, which is often thought of as dealing with the physical or mental side-effects of withdrawal.
An alcoholic will most likely have a belief system that alcohol is the only thing that is really holding them together. It is this belief system that is core to that denial of having a problem, which often ultimately leads to the need for an alcohol detox.
This depends on the severity of the alcoholism, and the extent to which they have carried on drinking and been in denial of the nature of their alcoholism.