Alcohol Withdrawal Treatment

Alcohol Withdrawal Treatment

Alcohol withdrawal treatment is often considered more difficult than actual alcoholism treatment. As said, for some reason it is easier to stop at a stop sign than it is to slow down and look around when at a yield sign. The same goes for alcohol withdrawal. There are many treatments, medical and non-professional, that focus on the halting of a person’s alcohol intake but what of the problem of withdrawal? Contrary to many people’s disbelief, there are several alcohol withdrawal treatments.

Withdrawal is mainly a physiological form of dependence as the brain is now accustomed to the chemical process that occurs with a daily dose of alcohol. The body has developed tolerance and dependence per se to alcohol. Taking away the alcohol disrupts the “normal” flow that the mind has been used to. This then leads to the common symptoms of alcohol withdrawal such as seizures, restlessness and headaches.

The most common medical alcohol withdrawal treatment is Benzodiazepine drugs such as Diazepam and Lorazepam. This drug is well used in detoxification and highly effective when there is no alcoholic intake. Benzodiazepine is suggested for short-term treatment only though as it has a high tendency to become addictive. When taken with alcohol it may lead to a reverse affect and further impose addiction of both the drug and alcohol.

Antipsychotics such as Clozapine are usually paired with Benzodiazepine and control agitation and psychosis. There is a drawback though- antipsychotics lower the seizure threshold and may be the cause of increasing withdrawal symptoms. This alcohol withdrawal treatment is to be highly monitored.

Another form of alcohol withdrawal treatment is to take anticonvulsants. The only downside is that there is not enough research to promote this treatment over the intake of Benzodiazepine. Although, it has been confirmed anticonvulsants such as Carbamazepine has less tendencies for rebound withdrawal symptoms and is alleged to have a higher success rate of alcoholic abstinence after detoxification, higher even than Benzodiazepine.

Ethanol, as in alcohol itself, is also an alcohol withdrawal treatment when taken in small doses and is quite effective in alcohol dependent people. This is because a small dose will still register as alcoholic intake for the patient, thus preventing the severe withdrawal symptoms. Due to this, ethanol is effective for those suffering from insomnia and reduces the time taken for complete treatment.
Due to excessive drinking, an alcoholic is low on various nutrients that the body depends on but this problem is masked by the physical relief when drinking. When withdrawn from intake, the patient must be sustained a daily intake of supplements, especially thiamine and folic acid to prevent other withdrawal symptoms.

Like alcoholism treatment, there are group therapies for alcohol withdrawal treatment that help prevent relapses and to promote mutual coping while healing.

Withdrawal symptoms usually occur six to thirty-five hours after the last drink. These methods of alcohol withdrawal treatment are to be administered immediately, especially if the alcoholic volunteered to be in the treatment program. Lastly the most important factor for complete rehabilitation from alcohol and withdrawal is the desire to be healed.