Alcohol Withdrawal Detox Program in Maine

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a condition in which a person cannot stop using alcohol or reduce the amount of alcohol they drink even though they desperately want to do so. They may want to cease their use of alcohol because they know that it is having harmful consequences in their careers, with their family and friends, and is causing serious issues with their health. AUD is a brain disorder, and it causes lasting changes within the brain. Because of this, they cannot stop using alcohol without the danger of returning to drinking again. Therefore, AUD is known as a “relapsing disease.”

Alcohol use disorder is a very prevalent disorder in the United States with 28.8 million people from the age of 18 and older diagnosed with AUD in 2021, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The issue also plagues teenagers. Approximately 753,000 children from age 12 to age 17 also received a diagnosis of AUD.

The Importance of Alcohol Detox

AUD can be mild or moderate, but if it’s severe, detox is imperative. If you are searching for help for a loved one or you are experiencing the disorder, you may feel as if you need to drink alcohol to be able to function normally. In this case, it would be challenging for you to manage the alcohol detoxification process on your own. Besides that, attempting to stop on your own may lead to serious health consequences, so the medical community does not recommend that you do it alone. Alcohol withdrawal may be hazardous to your health, and even if you have a mild or moderate case, it can still be hard to endure.

Understanding Alcohol Detox

Alcohol detox is the first step in the treatment of this disease. If you were to stop drinking alcohol, you would begin to experience withdrawal symptoms between six and 24 hours after you had your last drink. These symptoms present themselves as a way of preventing you from ceasing your use of alcohol. When you take a drink, the withdrawal symptoms subside. This very quickly ends the quest to reduce alcohol consumption.

This is the reason that you need alcohol detox. You will have support from doctors and nurses throughout the alcohol detoxification process. The staff at Liberty Bay Recovery Center will administer medications that ease alcohol withdrawal symptoms so that you can survive the 24-72 hours you need to complete the process. After you get over this major hurdle, you will be able to continue with your treatment.

The Cold Turkey Method of Alcohol Detoxification

You are free to begin the alcohol detoxification process on your own. This is known as “cold turkey,” but you will not have medical supervision. There is the chance that you may enter into a crisis that will need medical intervention, but if no one with a medical background is around, your life may be in danger. You may experience seizures, hallucinations, a rapid heart rate and other symptoms, so it’s best to enter into the alcohol detox program at Liberty Bay Recovery Center.

Importance of Alcohol Detox

Alcohol detox is so important because of the possibility of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). AWS has serious alcohol withdrawal symptoms, including “delirium tremens,” known as DT. This syndrome afflicts those with the most severe forms of alcohol use disorder, and it can be fatal. The symptoms may appear a couple of hours after your last drink, but they can also appear after several days have passed. The symptoms include the following:

• Tachycardia, or increased heart rate
• Anxiety
• Hypertension
• Headache
• Shaking
• Sensitivity to light
• Nausea
• Confusion

If you were to experience seizures during unsupervised alcohol detox, you could experience physical trauma, which can include low electrolyte levels that lead to arrhythmias and even death from heart attacks. If your phosphate levels drop, this can lead to weakness in your muscles, repressed breathing and coma.

You would be at risk for these very serious complications if you have had an AUD for longer than 10 years, have been in the habit of drinking alcohol very heavily or had a history of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Entering into an alcohol detox program at Liberty Bay Recovery Center reduces these risks because you will receive medication that will reduce the severity of these symptoms. If a serious complication does present itself, the 24-hour supervision that you will have will ensure that these are addressed early.

Alcohol Detoxification Methods

When you enter our program at Liberty Bay Recovery Center, you will stop drinking when you begin the alcohol detoxification process. At this point, the body naturally begins to metabolize any alcohol that is present. Because this also begins the withdrawal process, our staff will administer medication to reduce the discomfort you experience. They will be by your side at all times.

Entering into an inpatient alcohol detox program offers several benefits. First, it’s necessary and the safest way to endure the detoxification process from your AUD. Spending this time in a treatment center also prevents you from having to endure the withdrawal symptoms alone until they stop on their own.

What Are Some Holistic Approaches to Alcohol Detox?

You also have the option of looking into holistic therapies for the treatment of your AUD. Holistic therapies seek to restore the balance of your bodily functions that was lost when you were enduring your substance use disorder. The therapies you may take part in include counseling for substance use, massage therapy and acupuncture. These programs may not focus on alcohol detox and abstinence, so if you want to ensure that you can stop using your substance of choice, the better option will be an alcohol detox program.

Benefits of Alcohol Detox

The main benefit is the ability to allow your body to detoxify without having to take a drink of alcohol. If you do not complete the alcohol detoxification process, you will not be able to move on to alcohol rehab. Rehab teaches you about the addiction process and what you can do to cope with it healthily. You also build a support system that helps you remain sober throughout your lifetime.

As was mentioned above, it’s much safer for you to endure the alcohol detoxification process in a treatment center with medical personnel.

Which Alcohol Detox Program Should You Choose?

The best way to choose an alcohol detoxification program is to ask people you know who have the same issues that you are experiencing. A friend or family member will be able to tell you which programs they tried and whether or not these programs helped them. If you do not know anyone with your substance use issues, you can perform an online search. Also, beware of “patient brokers.” These people get paid a commission for every person they bring to a treatment center. They are not focused on your needs or the type of treatment that you require.

You will want to ask the treatment center if they customize each person’s treatment plan specifically for them. If they are not able to do this, you may be speaking with a treatment center that is interested only in increasing their number of clients and not necessarily interested in the business of helping you overcome your addiction.

A reputable treatment center also must be accredited by an organization that ensures that the center’s personnel has the education and experience to provide the treatment you are seeking. The center also must have a license to provide treatment for substance use disorders.

What to Expect During Alcohol Detox

First, you will undergo an assessment so that the staff can develop the treatment that you need. They will take blood samples and discuss your drinking history. Lastly, they will give you a mental health test and a physical examination.

The second step is to enter the alcohol detoxification process. If needed, the staff will administer medication to relieve the withdrawal symptoms so that you can become stable mentally and physically. The staff will also check your vital signs regularly.

The third step will be to enter the treatment program that will end your alcohol addiction. How long you will need to detoxify will depend on several factors, including if you are also using other drugs, if your sodium or potassium levels are low and if you have brain lesions, for example.

Aftercare and Continued Support

After you complete the alcohol detoxification process, you may decide to enter the residential inpatient program, the partial hospitalization program, the intensive outpatient program or the outpatient program. After you finish treatment for your physical addiction, our treatment programs will help you overcome your mental or psychological addiction. After this treatment is over or if you decide to skip this type of treatment, you will be able to enter the aftercare program.

After you finish alcohol detox and a treatment program, your treatment is not over. That is because AUD is a chronic condition, like diabetes is a chronic condition. With a medical condition like diabetes, you may need to take medication and have your condition monitored for the rest of your life. Substance use disorder must be treated the same way so that the treatment will last for your entire life.

To help you maintain your sobriety, you may decide to have continuous counseling sessions or participate in support groups. Narcotics Anonymous is an example of one of these programs. It was created to be a place where people can receive ongoing help for their substance use disorders.

Get Help for Alcohol Use Disorder

Before you or your loved one tries to stop using alcohol, you must seriously consider alcohol detox in a treatment center. This is especially the case if you are experiencing a moderate to severe AUD. The alcohol withdrawal symptoms will be at their worst after about 72 hours, and then they will begin to subside, but they may be bad enough to prevent you from moving forward in the detoxification process. This is what you want to avoid.

You do not have to do this alone. We are here for you at Liberty Bay Recovery Center. We will help you get through alcohol detox and move you forward into the treatment that best suits your needs.

Contact us today at to get started on your way to a sober life again.