Alcohol detox works, in the respect that it removes the alcohol from the person’s body; thus, alcohol addiction can be defeated. A medically assisted detox will ensure that this process is gradual and therefore reduces the risks of dangerous withdrawal symptoms. This method is also likely to have a higher chance of success due to reduced symptoms, which are often the very thing that can lead someone to seeking relief by taking another drink.
Important Considerations
It is important to remember that an alcohol detox only serves to remove alcohol from the individual’s body, it does not deal with the mind-set that precedes an alcoholic taking the first drink again. It has long since been recognised that the crux of an alcoholic’s problem resides in their mind. Where alcohol is concerned they can often display what can only be described deluded thinking. Often, an alcoholic drinker without alcohol is an intelligent and able person. They can be completely sane and practical with regards to other aspects of their life but what inevitably happens, is that the deluded thinking around alcohol leads them back to taking the first drink. This first drink starts the whole cycle of addiction and dependency.
Other Factors
Without addressing the psychological part of alcoholism, an alcohol detox rarely has a permanent effect on the individuals recovery. For an alcoholic to achieve long term sobriety it is vital that a detox is combined with some form of intensive psychotherapy. A change in thinking must be brought about if an alcoholic is to stand a chance of staying sober. Otherwise, the risk is that their old established deluded thinking patterns will once again lead them back to trying the drinking game once more.
If you are considering detox from alcohol for a family member or loved one, consider the long term results. Have they detoxed before? If they have, and are in need of a further detox? Then the likely hood is that a further detox alone is not sufficient for them to stay sober. At Addiction Helper we believe in treating the root causes of an individual’s addiction, what we are looking for is good quality long term sobriety for our clients. Removing the alcohol is the very start of someone’s rehabilitation from alcoholism, we would strongly suggest combining any detox with intensive specialist therapy from an addiction professional, so that long term sobriety can become achievable.