Alcohol Use Disorder
Alcohol Facts
In 2018, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) found that 14.4 million American adults had alcohol use disorder (AUD). They also found that 400,000 adolescents between the ages of 12-17 suffered from AUD. They define AUD as “a chronic relapsing brain disease characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences.” The scary part of this is that only 7.9% of adults and 5% of children received any form of treatment in that year. The NIAAA also discovered that approximately 88,000 American’s die every year due to alcohol abuse. This is the third leading cause of preventable death in our country.
Dangers of Alcohol Abuse
As with any disorder, Alcohol Use Disorder can range from mild to extreme cases. Typically, one of the main determining factors about severity involves the user drinking to the point that their behaviors cause distress or harm to the drinker or others. While it is never wise to abuse any toxic substance, overconsumption of alcohol can lead to more health concerns than most other drugs. Alcohol can affect the brain, heart, liver, pancreas, and immune system. Alcoholism can also increase the risk of developing certain cancers, including mouth, esophageal, throat, liver, and breast cancer. In fact, alcohol abuse can be linked to over 60 different diseases.
The most common ailment caused by alcohol addiction may be cirrhosis of the liver: a critical medical condition that leads to liver scarring and ultimately, liver failure. Cirrhosis is treatable, but not curable. If left untreated, Cirrhosis could lead to serious medical issues, or even death. Though alcoholism is highly treatable, fewer than 10% of people with the disease seek treatment.
Should I Get Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder?
Overcoming an alcohol use disorder can be extremely difficult on your own. For most individuals, treatment is highly necessary. Without the medical supervision and the assistance of a certified and accredited detox facility, withdrawal from alcohol, especially prolonged misuse, may prove fatal. In fact, alcohol is the most difficult and dangerous drug to detox from. Because We Care, Sound Recovery is committed to providing the safest, most affordable and most effective medically assisted alcohol detox program available. This is followed by carefully structured, individualized medical regiments, an intensive therapy program, and extensive aftercare options. If you or someone you love is suffering the grips of alcoholism, it is imperative that you seek professional assistance – before it is too late.
Signs of an Alcohol Use Disorder:
- Drinking alone and/or to de-stress
- Craving alcohol
- Inability to stop drinking once you start
- Prioritizing drinking over other things
- Continuing to drink despite causing health or relationship issues
- Withdrawal symptoms when you don’t drink
- Using alcohol in unsafe situations, such as driving
- Developing a tolerance to the effects of alcohol
- Alcohol use causing financial burden
If you or someone you love is showing these behaviors, there is a reasonable chance that there is an alcohol addiction present. Considering taking the next steps toward treatment can help you safely transition to a life of sobriety. It is very important that if you are making this decision, that you do so under medical supervision because of how lethal alcohol withdrawal can be.
Alcohol Withdrawal
Withdrawal from alcohol, like any chemical dependence, is physically and emotionally taxing on anyone involved. Withdrawal symptoms vary in severity depending on your age, alcohol and other substance use, past history of withdrawal, and peak blood alcohol levels. Due to the seizures that can come from cold-turkey alcohol withdrawal, we recommend always getting medical assistance in ending your addiction. Our goal at Sound Recovery is to make the alcohol detoxification process as smooth and comfortable as possible. Our guests are monitored through and after detox, and medical staff are on site 24/7 to ensure safety and comfort. Because it is such an intense process, it is broken out into different stages to help understand the experience.
Alcohol Use Disorder Detox
Alcohol use disorder detox is typically broken down into three stages, each characterized by a particular set of symptoms.
First stage (8 hours after last drink):
- Anxiety
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Insomnia
Second stage (24-72 hours of last drink):
- Rise in blood pressure and body temperature
- Quickening of heartbeat
- Reduced mental acuity
Third stage:
- Hallucinations
- Fever
- Seizures
- Agitation
- Risk of death
If you recognize any of these signs in yourself or others after not drinking for any period of time, you may have an alcohol dependence and require medical detox. It is very important that if you are choosing to end a dependency to alcohol, you do so safely and with professional assistance. Withdrawal from alcohol can be extremely dangerous or even fatal.
What Happens After Medically Assisted Alcohol Use Disorder Detox?
After completing a medical detox from alcohol use disorder at Sound Recovery, our guests will begin a comprehensive, collaborative approach to treatment. We have designed this program to support physical and mental wellness and promote a lasting, sober lifestyle. All of our addiction specialists, from our therapists and case managers to our facility staff, are dedicated to providing the best care and support available. Our holistic, research-based approach to psychotherapy and healing incorporates individual and group sessions as well as activity, movement, and adventure therapies to create one program that treats mind, body, and spirit. We encourage you to reach out to one of our caring and compassionate admissions coordinators to learn more about your journey toward sobriety and beyond.
Guests are encouraged to begin their recovery journey in our residential inpatient program and continue with us through PHP, IOP, OP, and sober living at our beautiful and comfortable graduate housing residences. At Sound Recovery, our guests are always our top priority. We consistently do all we can to inspire lasting change, so that they might continue to lead healthy, sober lives long after they have left our care. It is not just our goal, but it is also our mission to provide the best care possible, to save lives. Because We Care.
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