The Dangerous Business of Detoxing from Alcohol Alone

Amy Winehouse death  on July 23rd, brings to surface the eye opening fact of the dangers of alcohol detox. It also discloses to those who still don’t think alcoholism is a disease, that getting off of alcohol is a dangerous business.

Alcohol detox is a common recommendation for severe alcohol addiction. It saves and has saved many lives. However, one thing that many people don’t realize is that, the detox process itself is a painful and potentially a dangerous process. Alcohol detox can in fact kill the addict, if not closely supervised. 

According to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health an estimated 15.2 million Americans battle alcohol abuse and addiction each year. About 5 percent of untreated patients going through acute alcohol withdrawal have seizures, according to a report published in Alcohol Health & Research World. Between 5 and 25 percent of patients who are going through the severest stage of alcohol withdrawal die from delirium tremens (DT's), the report said. Alcohol withdrawal requires careful monitoring and taking a drug such as Librium to help.

Dr. Philip Gilly, medical director of the Maplegrove Center at Henry Ford Health System in West Bloomfield, Mich., says a seizure can be caused after 24 hours of alcohol withdrawal or withdrawal from long-term use of the medication, part of a class of benzodiazepines which includes other prescription drugs such as Ativan, Klonopin, Xanax and Valium.

Librium can become addictive and can cause medical issues such as dependence, agitation, disorientation, hypertension, anxiety and anorexia if it’s taken much longer than a week. In severe cases, seizures can occur during sudden Librium withdrawal.

“If someone were going to have a benzo withdrawal seizure because of the Librium, it means they were taking it improperly,” Dr. Gilly says. “They were taking it longer and more than they would need for alcohol withdrawal. They would have to be taking it every day for more than a month or two.”

“Your blood pressure gets really high. You’ll get agitated, hyperactive, anxiety-filled and you will actually get depressed because of all that’s going on," she said. "You can get jaundice and turn yellow from hepatitis inflammation in your liver, and have hallucinations and seizures.”

Drugs and alcohol affect the brain, says Dr. Gilly, and seizures are a short circuit in the brain’s electrical circuits. The brain goes through changes when a person starts taking drugs, or comes off them, causing overactive or irritated nerves that can lead to seizures.

As it is suspected that Amy Winehouse died from alcohol detox seizure related complications, one need to understand that medical attention is necessary to go through this process, otherwise the person going through the process is running a grave risk. Dr. Gilly's advice is, don't stop drinking until you get medical attention, which is needed immediately because between 48 and 72 hours is when you have seizures from an acute withdrawal.” 

For more information on Alcohol Abuse, Use and Alcohol Addiction Treatment visit Cove Center for Recovery

Four Things to Know About Addiction

In the past few decades, limited research and resources influenced people into believing addiction could easily be overcome if an addict simply “said no” to drugs and alcohol. In today’s society, we know that addiction is classified as a “disease of the brain” rather than a recreational hobby. In order to better understand addiction, one must consider four key components: 

Genetics:

The National Association for Children of Alcoholics warns that not only are children of alcoholics 8 times likelier to develop alcoholism , but they are more likely to choose a partner who is also an alcoholic, which ultimately leads to alcoholic offspring. Furthermore, males are 4 times likelier to develop alcoholism than females are.

Biology:
Just as genetics plays an important role in alcoholism, so does brain chemistry. There are many addicts, who will give priority to alcohol and other substances and eventually neglect their spouses and children, all because their bodies were intensely “craving” the substance. These substances ultimately change the chemistry of the brain once they enter the body and researchers across the world believe they will soon be able to identify why the changes occur and how reverse them. 

Self-Motivation:

A peer reviewed journal known as “Health Psychology” will soon publish an article on how brain scans can predict just how motivated addicts are to overcome their addiction.

Learning to Take Personal Responsibility:

Many addicts blame their social status, living conditions, souses and families for their addiction and often feel “victimized” by society. Addicts must learn how to change their outlook on life by choosing better friends, healthier lifestyles and by mending broken relationship with loved-ones.
 
Because drug addiction as well as alcohol addiction, have so many dimensions and disrupt so many aspects of an individual's life, addiction treatment is not simple. Effective addiction treatment programs incorporate many components, each directed to a particular aspect of the illness and its consequences. Addiction treatment must help the individual stop using drugs (interventions), maintain a drug-free lifestyle, and achieve productive functioning in the family, at work, and in society. Because addiction is typically a chronic disease, people cannot simply stop using drugs or alcohol for a few days and be cured. Most patients addicted to drugs and alcohol require long-term or repeated episodes of care to achieve the ultimate goal of sustained abstinence of drug and alcohol, and recovery of their lives.

For more information on effective addiction treatment, behavioral addiction treatments and the different types of addiction treatment programs, visit us @ http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/Addiction-Treatment.asp

Addiction Treatment Helpline for Young Adults and Adults:
1-888-387-6237

http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com

Addiction Treatment Helpline for Adolescents:
1-888-757-6237

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Alcohol Dependency

It's easy to forget that alcohol is a drug too. Alcohol affects the brain - in the short term it impairs judgment, coordination and reflexes. When people use alcohol regularly they may develop tolerance and dependence. Tolerance means they will require more alcohol to achieve the same effect they used to get with smaller quantities, because the brain compensates for the sedating effects of alcohol and the liver breaks it down more quickly. Dependence means that alcohol use becomes central in their life. A lot of time is spent thinking about alcohol, obtaining it, using it and recovering from its effects. Use is continued despite knowing that it is causing harm.
A common feature of dependence is that a person will experience withdrawal symptoms if they reduce or stop drinking, due to increased excitability (irritability) of the brain. Typical alcohol withdrawal features last about 5 days and include:

shaking (tremor)
nausea & vomiting
anxiety
depression
sweating
headache
difficulty sleeping (may last several weeks)

Alcohol withdrawal can be very dangerous (e.g. seizures may occur); people drinking 8 or more standard drinks a day are advised to discuss a decision to stop drinking with their doctor as medication may be needed to prevent withdrawal complications.

Because  alcohol addiction, have so many dimensions and disrupt so many aspects of an individual's life, addiction treatment is not simple. Effective addiction treatment programs incorporate many components, each directed to a particular aspect of the illness and its consequences. Addiction treatment must help the individual stop using drugs, maintain a drug-free lifestyle, and achieve productive functioning in the family, at work, and in society. Because addiction is typically a chronic disease, people cannot simply stop using alcohol for a few days and be cured. Most patients addicted to alcohol require long-term or repeated episodes of care to achieve the ultimate goal of sustained abstinence of alcohol, and recovery of their lives.

For more information on alcohol abuse, addiction and alcoholism treatment visit us on the web.

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

Alcohol Dependency

It's easy to forget that alcohol is a drug too. Alcohol affects the brain - in the short term it impairs judgment, coordination and reflexes. When people use alcohol regularly they may develop tolerance and dependence. Tolerance means they will require more alcohol to achieve the same effect they used to get with smaller quantities, because the brain compensates for the sedating effects of alcohol and the liver breaks it down more quickly. Dependence means that alcohol use becomes central in their life. A lot of time is spent thinking about alcohol, obtaining it, using it and recovering from its effects. Use is continued despite knowing that it is causing harm.
A common feature of dependence is that a person will experience withdrawal symptoms if they reduce or stop drinking, due to increased excitability (irritability) of the brain. Typical alcohol withdrawal features last about 5 days and include:

shaking (tremor)
nausea & vomiting
anxiety
depression
sweating
headache
difficulty sleeping (may last several weeks)

Alcohol withdrawal can be very dangerous (e.g. seizures may occur); people drinking 8 or more standard drinks a day are advised to discuss a decision to stop drinking with their doctor as medication may be needed to prevent withdrawal complications.

Because  alcohol addiction, have so many dimensions and disrupt so many aspects of an individual's life, addiction treatment is not simple. Effective addiction treatment programs incorporate many components, each directed to a particular aspect of the illness and its consequences. Addiction treatment must help the individual stop using drugs, maintain a drug-free lifestyle, and achieve productive functioning in the family, at work, and in society. Because addiction is typically a chronic disease, people cannot simply stop using alcohol for a few days and be cured. Most patients addicted to alcohol require long-term or repeated episodes of care to achieve the ultimate goal of sustained abstinence of alcohol, and recovery of their lives.
For more information on alcohol abuse, addiction and alcoholism treatment visit us on the web.

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

Rise in number of alcohol and drug addicts over 50

As the number of substance-abuse related treatment admissions for individuals over fifty increases throughout the nation, experts have begun to express their concern over the growing numbers of baby boomers succumbing to alcohol and other substances in order to carryout everyday tasks.

In 2008, one out of every eight individual seeking help for substance abuse was an older adult; implying that their share of treatment admissions had doubled over a sixteen year period while the number of admissions for other age groups had decreased.

Experts studying substance abuse amongst baby boomers believe that this group of individuals seeking help for their addiction has historically high rates of substance abuse that has often been acquired in up to three or four prior decades.

And while the number of treatment-seeking individuals seems to increase in almost every age group, it is unfortunate that only few treatment facilities designated to take in older adults, leaving them forlorn in their lingering battle against substance abuse.

For information on addiction treatment and recovery visit us at:

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237 http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com

Keywords: drug rehab, alcohol rehab, addiction treatment, alcoholism treatment, drug rehab programs, drug abuse help

Despite giant steps towards the identification and treatment of alcoholism, and addiction in general, there are still substantial obstacles in the way of preventing and treating alcohol addiction.

According to Dr. Drew Pinsky, a board-certified addictionologist and relationship expert, addiction is a brain disease. This disease is due to the neurochemical imbalances seen in the brains of alcoholics.

By definition, alcoholism is a chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors. The disease is often progressive and fatal. It is characterized by impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences associated with alcohol use, and distortions in thinking -- most notably denial. Addiction is the only disease that generates criticism against the sufferer unlike those suffering from other chronic relapsing disorders, such as diabetes or heart disease. Alcoholism is a disease that lends itself to study in animals due to similar brain regions, allowing for animal models of alcoholism, paving the way for increased research into the biological mechanism underlying addiction.

Doctors are often fearful to bring up the issue of alcohol use because they may not have the tools to deal with this disease and because of the denial of patients. This leads to the unmet educational needs of primary care physicians on available treatments and diagnostic training. Due to the still-evolving understanding of alcohol dependence, many physicians are still unclear as to the treatment and management of such patients.

If you are looking for a comprehensive alcoholism treatment program, Cove Center for Recovery premier Drug and Alcohol Rehab Centers is the solution for you. From Intervention to Recovery After Care, Cove Drug and Alcohol Rehab Centers provides unique programs helping patients to recognize the origin of the problem that caused the need to self-medicate. Learning how to deal with these problems results in facing situations instead of avoiding them and reduces the chance of relapse.

Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237 http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237http://www.inspirationsyouth.com
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com