If you’ve been dealing with an addiction to alcohol, then the first step towards beating it is completing an alcohol detox. Everybody has to complete this regardless of how severe their alcoholism has been.

But if you’re not familiar with this process, it can feel a bit mysterious. That’s why we’ve put together this article. Keep reading to learn everything that you need to know about alcohol detox in Lake Forest, Orange County, California.

What is alcohol detox?

Alcohol detox is the process that your body goes through while it adjusts to no longer receiving regular doses of alcohol.

This happens because when you abuse alcohol, the body starts to become reliant on it. Therefore, it makes sense that your body also has to go through an adjustment period when you quit using alcohol. Detox is when that happens.

Do I really need to complete alcohol detox in a treatment facility?

You may feel like you can get through alcohol detox at home on your own. But doing so isn’t a great idea.

For starters, it’s a lot easier to relapse when you try to complete alcohol detox at home. You will be free to go and grab a drink anytime you want. And it’ll be pretty hard to ignore this impulse when you’re experiencing intense withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

Additionally, some of the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous and potentially life-threatening. You want to make sure that you have a professional watching over you who can respond to those symptoms if any occur during your detox process.

Finally, you’ll likely be a lot more comfortable if you complete your detox in a professional setting. Alcohol detox facilities are carefully designed to make the detox process as comfortable as possible. The same isn’t true of your home.

How long does alcohol detox last?

The amount of time that it takes to detox from alcohol depends on a variety of factors. These include things like:

  • Your age and gender
  • How severe your alcohol problem was
  • Your personal genetic factors
  • And more

That’s why it’s difficult to give an exact timeline for how long you should expect detox to take.

That being said, the average alcohol detox timeline is about 72 hours. Symptoms tend to begin about 6 hours after your last drink and peak within 18 to 24 hours.

Zoe Behavioral Health can get you started with alcohol detox in Lake Forest, Orange County, California

Are you ready to detox from alcohol? If so, you should consider reaching out to an addiction specialist at Zoe Behavioral Health.

An addiction specialist can tell you more about our personalized alcohol detox plans. They can also verify that we accept your insurance and help you decide which type of detox is best for your situation.

Completing alcohol detox is the first step towards beating your addiction and regaining control over your life. So there’s no reason to put it off for another day.