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If you or someone you love is considering taking the first step toward sobriety, one of the most common questions is: “What actually happens when you stop drinking?” Understanding what happens during alcohol detox can help remove some of the fear and uncertainty that often stands between someone and getting the help they need.
What to Expect During Alcohol Detox
Here’s one of the clearest ways to understand what happens during alcohol withdrawal, explained by Dr. Jason Powers, Chief Medical Officer at Positive Recovery Centers:
“Alcohol detox is a lot like the opposite of the effects of alcohol. While alcohol is mainly a depressant — a sedative — so you drink, you chill, relax, pass out… alcohol withdrawal is the exact opposite. It’s a high-energy state, a high neuron excitability state. That’s why people tend to have seizures, high heart rate, high blood pressure, sweating, and tremors.”
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Why Alcohol Withdrawal Can Be Dangerous
It’s important to note that not everyone experiences the same level of withdrawal. For some, symptoms are manageable and short-lived. For others, particularly those with a long history of heavy drinking, withdrawal can escalate into a serious medical event.
One of the most severe risks is a condition called delirium tremens, or DTs. As Dr. Powers explains: “Delirium tremens, that’s Latin for ‘crazy shakes.’ You may have a seizure and lose touch with reality. You can get psychotic.”
DTs are more likely for people who have been drinking heavily for an extended period, have a prior history of seizures or DTs, or are dealing with underlying health conditions. It’s one of the reasons alcohol withdrawal is considered medically significant and why attempting to detox alone can be life-threatening for many.
Why Alcohol Detox is Best Done Under Medical Supervision
At Positive Recovery Centers, our medical detox program is designed to keep patients safe and as comfortable as possible throughout the process. Depending on the severity of withdrawal, our team may use medications to reduce seizure risk, manage agitation, control elevated blood pressure, and address nutritional deficiencies that are common in those coming off of long-term alcohol use.
Once the acute phase of detox is complete, our team can also discuss longer-term medication options to support sobriety and reduce the likelihood of relapse, because detox is just the first step, not the finish line.
To learn more about what to expect from alcohol detox, including a detailed withdrawal timeline and information on withdrawal length and timing, visit our full guide here.
Alcohol Has Taken Enough. Let Us Help You Add More to Your Life
Maybe you’ve been thinking about quitting drinking for a while now, quietly wondering if things have gone too far or lying awake at night trying to find the courage to make a positive change. Perhaps you’ve tried to cut back before and couldn’t on your own, or you’re just now admitting to yourself that alcohol has taken more than you’ve wanted to give it.
What may have started as a way to unwind, celebrate, or cope quietly has slowly become something you can’t imagine living without, and before long, it didn’t just take up space in your evenings, it has also taken up space in your relationships, your health, your sense of self, and your future. If you’re honest with yourself, you can probably name the things it has cost you.
The missed moments. The mornings you wish you could take back. The version of yourself you haven’t seen in a while.
Here’s what alcohol doesn’t want you to know: you can reclaim everything alcohol slowly pushed out of your life, and more. Sobriety gives you your clarity back, your relationships, your health and your joy. The road ahead won’t always be easy, however, it will be worth it.
Whatever brought you here, one thing is clear: you’re asking questions and that’s exactly the right place to start.
Looking for Alcohol Detox Near You?
At Positive Recovery Centers, we offer Medical Detox, including Alcohol Detox, at three of our locations including Detoxification at our Austin-Hill Country location, DFW-Eulless location, as well as our Houston – Garden Oaks location.
If you’re needing a medical detox, or have other concerns with alcohol addiction, opioid misuse, or other substances that you need further medical support, we are here for you. Call today at (877) 476-2743 to speak with our admissions team or visit our website at positiverecovery.com to learn more about our additional addiction treatment services.