Alcohol is a serious problem in America. A legal substance, it affects different sectors of the population without discrimination. Rich and poor, educated and illiterate, it does not care. Alcohol destroys lives and families. Treatment, however, is possible. In Fort Lauderdale, treatment centers work with patients and families addressing the emotional, psychological and physical manifestations including alcohol withdrawal.
Alcohol Withdrawal
Alcohol is common in modern society. It falls into different categories, some acceptable, most not. While casual alcohol use raises no alarms, two other manifestations do:
1. Alcohol Abuse
2. Alcohol Dependency: A severe form of alcohol abuse – a disorder
In the latter, particularly, when the drinker ceases to ingest alcohol, withdrawal symptoms occur. Professional clinics and treatment centers in cities across the United States, including San Francisco, Toledo and Fort Lauderdale, have a number of options on how to address this. The two most common methods, past and present are:
- Cold Turkey – no longer a popular method as perceived to be too harsh on the body
- Pharmacological – The WHO recommends the use of Benzodiazepines are to alleviate withdrawal discomfort and prevent both seizures and delirium tremors (commonly known as the DTs)
For those who suffer from delirium when of withdrawing from alcohol, its sudden removal can result in severe consequences. In fact, those who suffer from the DTs have a high mortality rate (approximately 8%). The result is an abandonment by reputable facilities of all but those methods that reflect a humanitarian, medically sound and safe means of helping people withdraw from this substance.
Alcohol Withdrawal
Management of alcohol withdrawal is not something medical professionals should undertake without careful consideration given to each patient’s past and current medical status. Questions about whether the patient will suffer from seizures or delirium is an essential component of assessing the right method. Without a close examination of a patient’s history, the wrong treatment is possible. This, in turn, could result in severe and long-lasting consequences.
