As we discussed in part one, alcoholics brains are rewired and demand the chemical changes caused by drinking alcohol. To achieve long-term sobriety we will need to rewire the brain back to it original state.
Alcohol Detox:
Once someone has been drinking heavily and consistently for a long period of time it is not safe for them to quit drinking without going through detoxification treatment. Without proper detox, symptoms of withdrawal can be quite severe and even can be very dangerous. Before I touch on the severe symptoms of withdrawal I do want to point out that proper detox pretty much eliminates this problem.
Withdrawal Symptoms:
Without proper detox someone going through withdrawal can have some pretty severe symptoms. These symptoms can include the shakes, nausea, anxiety, and high blood pressure. Going for two days or more without proper detox can lead to the DTs or delirium tremors.
The DTs can be dangerous. Starting with hallucinations (PPC) leads to the bosses and grandma seizures even heart attacks. However, I said before property tax treatment can avoid these problems. If someone is only mildly addicted many times just proper diet and vitamins such as Thiamin will prevent many of withdrawal symptoms. For severe addiction a doctor will need to walk the person down by substituting a drug like Valium.
The big thing you want to take away from this is that if you are addicted to alcohol it is not a good idea to try going through withdrawal without the proper medical supervision and help. In some cases withdrawing without medical help can be dangerous or even deadly.
Long-term sobriety:
Getting the physical addiction under control is only one part of the process that leads to long-term sobriety. No one wants to become an alcoholic. In part three I will address rehab and long-term treatment.
Alcoholic
