Alcohol Detox

5 Reasons to come to Inspire Malibu

Inspire Malibu is unique among addiction treatment centers in that we pride ourselves on providing arguably the safest and most comfortable alcohol detox available in the country.

Alcohol Detox Treatment Center Los Angeles

We specialize in alcohol detox in Los Angeles, California, for alcoholism and alcohol use disorder. We offer services for people living near the surrounding areas of Agoura Hills, Malibu, Calabasas, Westlake Village, Woodland Hills, Thousand Oaks, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Oxnard, Ventura, Tarzana, Encino, and Santa Barbara.

Alcohol abuse affects tens of millions of Americans. It’s estimated that 4% of the US population (about 12 million people) suffer from alcoholism, and an additional 4% are alcohol abusers.

The general population is not aware of just how serious the health issues associated with alcohol abuse can be, specifically the dangerous consequences of alcohol withdrawal. Alcoholics themselves underestimate the dangers of alcohol abuse, as only 10% of alcoholics seek any type of treatment.

When an alcoholic stops drinking alcohol heavily, withdrawal sets in. The symptoms of withdrawal are painful and potentially life-threatening. Alcohol Detox rids the body of contaminants; this can be a very difficult process and should be supervised by qualified addiction professionals.

Initial Treatment

Detox patients are looked after thoroughly, with regular readings of vital signs and administering of intravenous fluids if necessary. Multivitamins are often used to compensate for the nutrient deficiencies brought out by alcohol withdrawal.

Those suffering from alcohol withdrawal are also at risk of dehydration, so the caretaker must make sure that the patient is getting their necessary fluids.

Safe and Comfortable Alcohol Detox

Battling the effects of alcohol detox is the scariest part of getting sober. The effort never ends, but it all gets easier from there. At Inspire Malibu, we take pride in providing the safest and most comfortable alcohol detox program in the area.

Our evidence-based alcohol detox treatment programs are closely monitored by addiction specialists who are available during detox whenever necessary.

What are the Physiological Effects of Alcohol Detox and Withdrawal?

Many physiological changes occur when a person stops drinking after a long period of alcohol consumption. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms follow an evidence-based, predictable pattern as follows:

The patient stops using alcohol after prolonged heavy use:

4 to 8 hours after their last drink, the patient experiences shakes, sweats, chills and their heart rate and blood pressure are increased, causing severe anxiety
12 to 48 hours of the last drink, patients may experience a mild seizure (usually multiple mild seizures over a short period of time)
12 to 48 hours after their last drink, the patient may experience a mild seizure (usually multiple seizures over a short period of time)
3 to 5 days after their last drink, the patient may experience Delirium Tremens (DTs), which are a particularly nasty (and sometimes fatal) condition characterized by hallucinations, disorientation, tachycardia, hypertension, hyperthermia, and agitation

About 5% of DT cases are fatal. That figure is a lot better than what it used to be, as back in the 20th century before there was widespread knowledge about the serious health risks of alcohol abuse, it’s estimated that over 30% of DT cases were fatal.

Many people want to tough it out and do their detox at home because they’re concerned about treatment costs and/or they’re simply embarrassed. But without professional management, brain cell death can be irreversible, so a professionally supervised alcohol detoxification treatment center is highly recommended.

Alcoholic Hallucinations

During withdrawals, the patient may experience distinct auditory and/or visual hallucinations. Unlike the hallucinations that occasionally occur during Delirium Tremens, which are reported as being clouded and disorienting, these hallucinations are fairly clear and vivid.

Risk Factors of Alcohol Detox

Certain people are more likely than others to experience withdrawal symptoms than others. Risk factors include:

History of heavy drinking
History of previous Delirium Tremens
30+ years old
Pre-existing pulmonary (lung) disease
Pre-existing liver disease

Alcohol Detox Medications

There are a few medications that are used to immediately treat alcohol withdrawal symptoms, including:

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines (benzos) are used more than any other kind of drug to treat alcohol withdrawal. They’re used to prevent the patient from progressing into a more severe withdrawal.

Short-acting benzos – lorazepam (Ativan) or alprazolam (Xanax) and other similar drugs are used in an inpatient setting (administered onsite) to lessen the initial withdrawal side effects
Long-acting benzos – clonazepam (Klonopin) or diazepam (Valium) and other similar drugs are used in an outpatient setting (prescribed for home use) to help the patient manage the lingering effects of a withdrawal

Anticonvulsants

Involuntary movement due to withdrawal-related seizures can be controlled with divalproex sodium (Depakote) and other similar drugs, either alone or in combination with benzos.

Barbiturates

When benzos and anticonvulsants aren’t enough to reduce the effects of DTs, barbiturates (especially phenobarbital) in addition to benzos are usually enough to get the job done.

Neurontin (Gabapentin)

Clinically proven to be effective for those suffering from alcohol withdrawal. It is also decreases the craving for alcohol.

Beta Blockers (Propranolol)

Can be used if patient’s blood pressure and / or heart rate are high

Antipsychotics

Can be used if patients are experiencing Delirium Tremens or when they are disoriented, seeing things or hearing things.

Neurobiology of Alcohol Use

Large amounts of alcohol consumption can cause blackouts and memory impairment.

This is an especially significant problem with college students, as one survey found that 51% woke up after a night of drinking and had trouble remembering what happened the night before, and 40% had done so within the past year.

Alcohol addiction is associated with the dopamine reward system in the pleasure center of the brain – meaning that alcohol consumption is rewarded with dopamine, thus encouraging further drinking. Alcohol addicts literally have to fight what their brain is telling them to do to stop drinking.

Opioid receptors – the same receptors that make heroin as pleasurable and addicting as it is – have an effect as well, as they’ve been shown to respond to alcohol consumption.

During alcohol use, GABA receptor (inhibitory neurotransmitters) activity is enhanced and NMDA receptors (excitatory neurotransmitters) are blocked. This produces an anti-anxiety effect.

An opposite reaction occurs during alcohol cessation, resulting in low activity of GABA and high activity of NMDA, causing high anxiety, shakes, sweats, increased heart rate, high blood pressure, seizures and DT.

Alcohol cessation also has an effect on amino acids (proteins). Alcohol use inhibits glutamate-induced amino acid excitation, and abruptly stopping that alcohol use leads to unregulated excitation.

There are additional neuroreceptors involved such as serotonin and other neurochemicals in the brain
High NMDA activity is most likely the cause of brain cell death

Health Consequences of Alcohol Abuse

Chronic alcohol abuse and alcoholism affects all organ systems in the body, the most critical of which include the brain, liver and heart, as illustrated below.

Brain

Alcohol abuse has shown to harm parts of the brain that affect memory, movement, judgment, and speech.

One study found in binge-drinking rats, alcohol decreases the amount of neural stem cells, as well as the amount of surviving neurons produced from these stem cells.

Alcohol abuse-related brain complications include:

Liver

The liver is responsible for breaking down alcohol into harmless byproducts, but it can only handle so much.

Alcohol abuse-related liver complications include:

Heart

A history of heavy drinking weakens the heart muscles, which means it isn’t able to pump blood as efficiently.

Alcohol abuse-related heart complications include:

After Alcohol Detox

Exercise: It’s amazing how many health benefits are associated with a simple workout. Just getting your blood flowing and working up a sweat for a half-hour to an hour or so will improve the patient’s mood and promote other healthy habits.
Nutrition: You are what you eat – frequent servings of dishes that have a lot of Vitamin A (carrots, leafy greens), Vitamin D (dairy), and Vitamin E (avocados, almonds, tomato sauce) will help with the recovery process. Also, drink a lot of water, and cut out the refined sugar and caffeine.
Yoga and Mindfulness: Many addiction problems stem from a lack of control and awareness. Practicing yoga and understanding the concept of mindfulness can help patients exert more control and awareness over all areas of their lives.
Individual Therapy: One-on-one sessions with a confidential-by-law professional are an excellent way for patients to work through the deeper motivations behind their addiction. (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivation Enhancement Therapy)
Group Therapy: While group therapy is obviously not as intimate as one on one therapy, it does have the advantage of showing patients that they are not alone. (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Relapse Prevention Therapy)
Stress Management: Chronic stress makes many people turn to escapism and indulge in bad habits. Understanding how to better manage stress is vital to understanding how to better manage addition.
Family Therapy: Very important to engage family or significant others to participate in treatment.