What You Need to Know About Alcohol Detoxification
Filed under Alcohol Detoxification
Drinking alcoholic drinks during special occasions like birthdays has become part of the social norm of the adult world. At times, people also turn to drinking alcohol when they’re sad to drown their sorrows away even just for a couple hours. You get drunk and you wake up with a killer hangover the following morning but then after some time of rest, life goes back to normal again right? Wrong! Because what not everyone realizes is that alcohol has harmful effects in the body and when the body has taken on an excessive amount of alcohol in the bloodstream, it can lead to alcohol poisoning which when left untreated, can lead to death. So, the next time around you drink too much and you wake up with a killer hangover the following day, don’t just be thankful you’re alive. Take action and do yourself a favor – go on a body detoxing.
Why Undergo Alcohol Detoxification?
People’s mindset is that the only ones who need to undergo alcohol detoxification are the alcoholics, people who have developed an addiction to alcohol. But the truth is, even social alcohol drinkers need to undergo alcohol detoxification because alcohol build up in the system can lead to different kinds of diseases such as liver cancer. For the alcoholics, there are rehabilitation and detox centers that they can check in too to help them deal with their addiction and they have come up with methods of alcohol detoxification methods. But for those occasional drinkers, there are ways of detoxing and cleansing the body from alcohol without checking in on a detox center.
Alcohol detoxification is important because alcohol is a depressant which slows down the nervous system and can cause drowsiness, relieve pain and induce sleep. Alcohol also causes a loss of inhibition as it impairs the region of the brain that controls behavior and emotions. High amounts of alcohol in the lungs lower its resistance to infection and may cause you to stop breathing. It can cause damage to the liver, infertility and impotence and it can also weaken the heart.
How to Go on an Alcohol Detoxification
The simplest form of alcohol detoxification involves abstaining from alcohol for a period of time and allowing the body cleansing of all traces of the substance from the tissues and blood stream. Most health professionals recommend that one abstain from drinking alcohol at least one to four weeks when undergoing alcohol detoxification. Allowing the body a “vacation” from drinking may eventually lead to healthier habits as you experience increased energy and vitality after your body begins to recover. During this period of alcohol detoxification, take the chance to also do a colon cleanse, a liver cleanse and a kidney cleanse. Many report an increase in energy, sexual drive and function and a decrease of appetite after the detoxification period.
But when you feel that your alcohol intake has become more serious, bordering on alcoholic, the detox centers suggest two alcohol detoxification methods: The first detoxification method is the cold turkey alcohol detoxification method. This alcohol detoxing method is not very advisable since it forces the alcohol detox patient to completely shun alcohol intake abruptly, thereby causing withdrawal symptoms such as emotional volatility and anxiety. The other alcohol detoxing method is called the gradual alcohol detoxification method. In this alcohol detoxing method, the detox patient gradually reduces their alcohol intake until they reach such a time when they reach the detox goal of zero cups per day.
Your diet is also important in alcohol detoxification and body cleansing. Choose what you eat and limit your diet to food that will help your body cope with the withdrawal symptoms of alcoholism. Included in the alcohol detox diet and meal plan are fruits rich in antioxidants, vitamins and positive carbohydrates such as apples, avocados, bananas, grapes, mangoes, oranges, pears, cherries and strawberries. Get enough fiber into your diet with organic wheat, rice and oats. Best protein sources for the alcohol detox diet are lean meat, poultry eggs and beans. Dark chocolate and green tea is also known to have high levels of antioxidants and are good additions to the alcohol detox diet.
Lastly, it is good for people who are on a serious alcohol detoxification program to have a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous or better yet, surround yourself with family and friends determined to see you surpass alcoholism. Allow them to monitor your behavior and solicit their support to help you stay away from places and occasions where you may be tempted to drink. Let friends assist you as you clean your cupboards and basement of alcohol. Give them the permission to occasionally inspect possible hiding places of alcoholic drinks.
It is also recommended that alcohol detox patients join groups that engage in relaxing activities like meditation and yoga. Involve yourself in creative and productive endeavors, learn to paint, play a musical instrument or join a pottery class. These will help in your gradual reintegration into the non-alcoholic society.
Good site. I am a doc. 20 year experience. Dr.Vorobiev Drug and Alcohol Treatment Clinic. Belgrade. Let me say my opinion about alcohol addiction treatment. If we diagnose a person with alcoholism means that the only solution of that medical problem can be a full refuse of alcohol consumption. The person must undergo alcohol detox, pass through special aversion therapy in in-hospital condition and afterwards be under anti-alcohol pharmacological protection up to one year. Only then we can speak of recovery with some kind of certainty. Our clinic has great experience in this field.
The desperation of understanding that drinking alcohol has wrought this kind of destruction upon yourself as well as your family members, your finances, your mental and emotional well being, and however to still so absolutely need an additional drink will be the peculiar twist of active alcoholism.