Some people can drink alcohol and not develop an addiction to it. In fact, drinking alcohol in moderation may even have health benefits – according to some medical experts. However, many people can become heavy drinkers and turn into alcohol addicts. When they get on the road to recovery, going through the alcohol detox timeline can be potentially fatal.
Withdrawal symptoms can start to appear in as little as six hours after someone had their last drink and can last several weeks. For some people working on lifelong sobriety, though, some symptoms still happen well into the first year of their alcohol recovery timeline.
Alcohol withdrawal can be deadly. If you or someone you care about needs professional support during detox and withdrawal, call Midwest Detox Center at 833.647.0392 or contact our team online.
What Is the Alcohol Detox Timeline?
Not all people with a drinking problem will experience withdrawal, and those that do may experience various symptoms at differing severities. Certain symptoms could cause mild discomfort or annoyance, such as tremors. Other symptoms like delirium tremens can be fatal if not treated.
There’s a general alcohol detox timeline. Experts have divided this timeline into four stages:
- Stage one: Withdrawal symptoms will start to manifest at around six to eight hours after a person’s last drink.
- Stage two: This is the peak of the withdrawal period, and it happens between 24 to 72 hours after a person’s last drink.
- Stage three: In general, most people’s withdrawal symptoms taper off between five to seven days after their last drink.
- Stage four: Sometimes, there are lingering withdrawal symptoms that continue beyond one week after a person’s last drink. At this stage, a person could have post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS).
What Happens in Each Stage of the Alcohol Detox Timeline?
At stage one, withdrawal sets in and triggers mostly physical symptoms:
- Anxiety
- Excessive sweating and dehydration
- Headache
- Trembling or tremors, sometimes called the alcohol shakes
- Upset stomach
Hallucinations may also begin and lead to stage two, although this symptom is very rare. Alcoholic hallucinosis can last for 24 hours and even go multiple days – affecting auditory, tactile, and visual senses.
Stage two is when withdrawal peaks and can trigger the most pain. At this stage, a person in detox could experience delirium tremens (DTs) or some of its symptoms:
- Hallucinations
- Restlessness and fearfulness
- Seizures
- Sensitivity to light, sound, and touch
- Severe confusion
- Stupor and sleeping deeply for a day or more
- Sudden mood shifts and periods of agitation or irritability
- Troubles with memory and decision-making
At stage three, most people will start noticing that their withdrawal symptoms are becoming easier to overcome. This happens after a week of detoxing. However, there’s still the last stage.
At stage four, some people will have PAWS long after acute withdrawal fades. Symptoms of PAWS include:
- Anxiety and depression
- Cravings
- Decreased interest in sex and Inability to feel pleasure
- Fatigue and poor concentration
- Pain that can’t be explained
- Sleep problems
- Sudden mood shifts and periods of agitation or irritability
- Troubles with memory and decision-making
Not every person will experience all of these symptoms or even all the stages of the alcohol recovery timeline. Some may see symptoms improve after only a few days, whereas others may get progressively worse and lead to DTs.
How Does Medical Detox Help Deal With the Alcohol Recovery Timeline?
Mild withdrawal symptoms can be successfully managed in an outpatient program or at home. However, more severe cases of alcohol addiction eventually lead to withdrawal symptoms that are best treated in medical detox programs, which are also usually inpatient programs. Going through a medical detox program is also ideal for people with a dual diagnosis and co-occurring disorders.
Medical detox programs deliver round-the-clock care and supervision. The focus is on alleviating or reducing withdrawal symptoms. For some people, various medications—like anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, and more—can be prescribed and then used to help them stabilize and adjust safely to sobriety. In very severe cases of alcohol withdrawal, intravenous (IV) therapy can be used to deliver fluids, medications, and nutrients to a person’s body.
The professional support provided by medical detox can also heavily reduce the stress attached to transitioning from a detox program to an alcohol addiction treatment program.
Learn About Midwest Detox Center’s Alcohol Addiction Treatment Program
Seeking professional guidance before quitting drinking could help reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms and even save a life. If you or someone you care about needs to go through detox and an alcohol addiction treatment program, contact Midwest Detox Center online or give us a call at 833.647.0392.