Alcohol Detox and Rehab Program in NJ

Alcoholism afflicts many people, in part because of the wide-spread availability and sociability of alcohol. Many people who begin their alcohol use as a social activity find themselves slowly losing control over how much they drink and their actions while intoxicated.

Left untreated, alcoholism is a devastating illness that harms the alcoholic and all those around them. At Wellness Center NJ, we have walked a great many addicts back from the gates of insanity to happy and productive living.

Alcohol Rehab Treatment

Alcohol rehab treatment is used to treat alcohol abuse.  People who abuse alcohol are often diagnosed with an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), a condition that can be identified  by:

• excessive alcohol consumption
• a loss of control over alcohol consumption or behavior while intoxicated
• a pattern of drinking despite adverse consequences incurred
• one or more failed attempts at quitting drinking.

Clients are often surprised when they learn that alcohol is one of the more dangerous substances to detox from. According to a report from USA Today, “Doctors say alcohol is often the most dangerous substance for the body to withdraw from – and still more so when attempted without medical supervision.” This article states that hundreds of people die in the U.S. each year due to alcohol withdrawal. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 831 deaths in 2016 were characterized as alcohol withdrawal-related.

As alcohol consumption increases, the body begins to fundamentally change itself in response to the toxin alcohol.  Long-term drinking alters your brain’s ability to function properly by suppressing or increasing certain chemicals in the brain and body.  For example, the brain starts to make less of certain neurotransmitters, and the liver and kidneys begin to overproduce some chemicals while underproducing others.  If drinking is stopped and neurotransmitters are allowed to function without the presence of alcohol, the effects are often overwhelmingly uncomfortable until the brain gets used to the new homeostasis. 

Eventually, the body gradually becomes reliant on alcohol consumption for everyday functions, making alcohol a problematic substance to get sober from.

However, despite the damage you may have done and the harm you may have caused, one positive thing is nearly all individuals with a substance abuse disorder, including hardcore alcoholics, have much to gain from counseling and rehabilitation treatments.

Our New Jersey Outpatient Alcohol Detox Program

Alcohol abuse from long-term drinking alters your brain’s ability to properly function by suppressing chemicals. Once these neurotransmitters are allowed to send messages without being hindered by alcohol, the effects can be overwhelming. Symptoms from halting serious alcohol abuse can result in alcohol withdrawal symptoms like insomnia and nightmares, nausea and vomiting, high blood pressure, increased heart rate, and delirium tremens. Our medical detox program at the Wellness Center NJ helps control these symptoms for a safe and successful recovery.

Typical Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

Difficult alcohol withdrawal is more common in older people, although it may also be felt by children and teens with an alcohol abuse condition.

The unexpected lack of alcohol in the body shakes the nerves and muscles; if a person has alcohol dependency, this triggers withdrawal.  Alcoholics and long-term drinkers might experience Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (AWS) if alcohol intake is stopped or reduced. Here are the signs of alcohol withdrawal:

• anxiety
• high blood pressure
• headaches
• nausea
• Tremors (shakes)
• Hallucinations
• Irritability
• Delusions
• Insomnia
• Agitation
• Seizures
• Rapid heart rate
• Nausea/vomiting
• High blood pressure

The Effect of Alcohol Detox on Alcohol Withdrawal

Many of the effects of alcohol withdrawal start within six hours of a person quitting drinking and typically become more serious one to three days later. In total, the detox process lasts about a week. An individual can begin to sweat and become nauseous and irritable within the first twelve hours of withdrawal.

Your blood pressure will increase, and your pulse will speed up. Insomnia and tremors triggered by withdrawal usually occur within the first twelve hours. The fits, shaking, and visions characterizing delirium tremens tend to appear in extreme cases of withdrawal.

One of the things that makes recovery from alcoholism so difficult is how widely available alcohol is. This wide availability of alcohol necessitates a client having a strong skill-set, or ‘tool-box’ as it commonly becomes known to clients during treatment. This is a set of treatment related coping strategies, therapeutic techniques and other skills that will help prevent relapse, and ensure a long and successful recovery.

Alcohol Treatment Program

Treatment for Alcoholism and alcohol abuse can range in severity and duration from a long-term program of 2 years or more to an outpatient alcohol treatment program attended 4-6 hours a week.  Alcohol treatment usually begins with detox. 

Alcohol Detox

Shortly after alcohol consumption is stopped, the body and brain begin going through the changes that will eventually return the body to a state of optimal health.  However, these changes are often extremely uncomfortable at first. Just as one example, while consuming alcohol, the brain produces less of the neurotransmitter GABA.  After alcohol is stopped, anxiety is usually one of the first symptoms because the brain’s chemistry is out of balance.  It takes some time for our bodies to begin functioning optimally.

During alcohol withdrawal, there are some unpleasant side effects.  Alcohol detox may be uncomfortable, disturbing, and risky because a person may undergo a wide variety of withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawal frequently leads to a person’s relapse, but detox and alcoholism treatment allow them to deal with any alcohol cravings that may arise efficiently.  A program like a residential in-patient program or a PHP program can help mitigate cravings, thereby reducing the “phenomenon of craving” described in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.  

Medical support, either as part of 24/7 medical care or more commonly as part of a PHP Program, has been shown to improve clinical outcomes among alcoholics compared to a control group of alcoholics. 

Those who receive medical support during this critical phase of recovery are more likely to progress onto sobriety.  Detox is difficult in any condition; however, some substances make for a more challenging detox than others.  The toxicity of the substance being abused and the length of time the person has been on the substance contribute to the detox’s relative difficulty.  Alcohol is an extremely toxic substance that leads to several withdrawal symptoms when its intake is stopped or limited. 

A detox may not be pleasurable, but it is the initial phase for everyone interested in recovering from alcohol. After detox, it is recommended for a recovering individual to continue therapy through a rehabilitation program.

Alcohol Rehab

Alcohol rehabs are usually 30-60-day programs.  The exact length of time will vary depending on your progress.  Once you are out of detox, you will slowly begin to get your energy back.  Exercise is now an option and a great idea. It’s important to engage yourself in the alcoholism rehab treatment.  Going to the group therapy sessions, sharing about how you feel, and being real with your counselor is all-important. 

At this point in your recovery, the acute physical withdrawals are over.  However, Post-Acute Withdrawal Symptoms begins to kick in at this point, making it vital to be prepared for PAW symptoms and cravings. Having a multi-disciplinary team of treatment professionals enables us to treat the disease of alcoholism with medications like Naltrexone and Vivitrol.

Alcoholism Treatment And Recovery Center

Alcoholism can be defeated with our alcohol detox program in New Jersey.

We have walked many of our patients back from the gates of insanity to productive and joyful living.  Untreated alcoholism is a curse. 

Our drug and alcohol treatment program provides services from Cliffside Park, NJ.  Get the treatment you need to turn your life around today by calling (201) 932-1695 or via our contact form.