Santa Monica Alcohol Detox: How Does it Work?
Santa Monica Alcohol Detox: Where to Find Help
When someone decides to change their life, finding the right information, guidance, or mentor can sometimes be tough. Making a change that involves drugs or alcohol certainly falls into this category. A Santa Monica alcohol detox center can assist those who are struggling with dependence or addiction. There are a lot of aspects to consider when choosing an alcohol detox program, as everyone’s experience with substance abuse is different. That’s why it is important to know about how dangerous alcohol withdrawal can be, how long alcohol withdrawal lasts, what costs are involved in inpatient treatment, including insurance coverage, and how the overall alcohol detox process works.
One key to remember is to ask as many questions as you feel necessary to be comfortable with your choice before you proceed with alcohol detox treatment. At Novo Detox, we can assist you with any information you need before you get started. Our exceptional staff of administrators, counselors, therapists, doctors, nurses, and support staff are ready to help. All you have to do is call.
Is Alcohol Withdrawal Dangerous?
Withdrawal from any substance with addictive or habit-forming qualities, from hard drugs to alcohol to nicotine and caffeine, can have everything from minor health risks to serious dangers when you decide to quit. One of the things that makes alcohol withdrawal dangerous is the fact that it takes a long time to become addicted to it, meaning that your body has been used to having alcohol in your system over a long period. Withdrawal symptoms vary from person to person, depending on many factors specific to the individual. There are also hidden dangers when it comes to alcohol detox if you try to go about it on your own.
Drug detox and alcohol detox can be accomplished at home, but most experts strongly suggest taking part in supervised programs to avoid many of the dangers and possible pitfalls that can occur. First, no matter how long you have been drinking, and even if you have attempted to stop before and experienced some withdrawal symptoms, you never know exactly how your body will respond at any given time when you remove a substance from regular use. Second, it is very easy to acquire drugs, and even more so alcohol, at almost any time in most of the United States. This means that even if you have removed all alcohol and any other substances from your home if you begin to feel like you cannot handle the withdrawal symptoms you are experiencing, you can easily get more alcohol very quickly. This leads to a third area of danger: binge drinking if you relapse during alcohol withdrawal. Binge drinking can cause major harm to many areas of the body. Your brain, heart, gastrointestinal system, liver, and kidneys can all be impacted.
Binge drinking during a relapse can also lead to some of the hidden dangers of trying to go through alcohol or drug detox on your own. When you binge drink, your cognitive functions can become severely impaired. You may make choices that you normally would not. This can include driving while intoxicated, having unsafe sexual encounters, committing minor crimes, and instigating fights or other unnecessary scenarios. All of this can be avoided by participating in a Santa Monica alcohol detox program.
How Long Does Alcohol Withdrawal Last?
Typically alcohol withdrawal lasts only a few days. This usually means three to seven days of experiencing withdrawal symptoms. However, there are micro stages within this period and milestones to reach afterward, too. Here are some of the possible alcohol withdrawal symptoms people experience:
- Headaches
- Body Aches
- Anxiety
- Tremors or shakes
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
- Mood changes
- Gastrointestinal disturbances
- Heart palpitations
- Increased blood pressure or heart rate
- Hyperthermia
- Rapid abnormal breathing
- Hallucinations
- Seizures
Some of these, like headaches and body aches, may seem simple and easy to handle. Others, like increased blood pressure and heart rate, can be dangerous. Again, one of the important things to remember is that everyone will experience withdrawal symptoms based on their relationship with alcohol. This includes over what period a person has been drinking and has been dependent or addicted to alcohol, how much they drink regularly, and what type of general health they are in when they begin the detox process in Santa Monica.
When a person stops drinking, they may begin to experience side effects within a few hours and almost certainly during the first day. Most individuals will crave alcohol during the first few days, which can continue long after all substances are out of their bodies. After the initial detox process, a person’s body will also begin to recover. For example, when alcohol is no longer being introduced into a person’s body, their liver will begin to respond, starting at the four-week mark from when someone quits drinking. Most people feel like they have gotten over an initial hurdle on day four, as the worst withdrawal symptoms may be behind them.
Santa Monica Alcohol Detox: Does Insurance Cover Treatment?
Santa Monica alcohol detox facilities do take insurance. At Novo Detox, one of the first things we do is verify what is stipulated in your insurance policy to ensure you receive all of the benefits you are eligible for during treatment. As each insurance policy varies in the exact coverage, we go over this information with each patient and their loved ones, if appropriate. We can also review and discuss medical financing options for any costs that are not covered by insurance. At Novo Detox, once we have reviewed your insurance information, we will review your best options. We want to make sure all of our clients are going through the admissions process as stress-free as possible so that they can concentrate fully on their treatment and progress.
Santa Monica Alcohol Detox: How Does the Process Work in a Treatment Facility?
Alcohol detox in a treatment facility like Novo includes many aspects that are all aimed at you successfully beginning on your road to recovery. After initial admissions, individuals will go through a general and mental health check-up so that the proper alcohol detox protocols can be implemented. This also ensures that any over-the-counter or prescription medications that may be used are a good fit for the individual. One of the next important steps is ensuring a person returns to a healthy diet with the proper amount of hydration, which is often ignored by people struggling with addiction.
Once a person begins detoxing in Santa Monica, their withdrawal symptoms will be regularly assessed by our medical and support staff members. There is always someone available if a guest is feeling uncomfortable in any way during their stay. As addiction affects a person’s mind, body, and spirit, we make sure to observe all aspects of an individual’s reaction to no longer drinking as they go through their first few days of sobriety. We also try to help our guests onto a scheduled sleep cycle, as proper rest is important during detox. Last but not least we offer counseling services as just removing substances from the body is the first step in recovery.
Please contact us at Novo if you have any questions about our Santa Monica alcohol detox programs. We can be reached at 844-834-1777. Our counselors are ready and waiting to help.
