Alcohol detox can be tough both on the body and the mind. It is the part of the process that many people dread the most. This is for good reason. It can be absolutely brutal. Convulsions, nausea, throwing up and the shakes are common symptoms. The good news is that it generally only takes about seven days for the alcohol to leave the body. This is approximately one week after your last drink. Though the period of time is actually pretty short, it may seem like an eternity to the alcoholic. Some medical detox programs will offer medication to alcoholics going through this process as to make the withdrawal symptoms tolerable.

You may suspect that you have a physical addiction to alcohol if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms.  They include constant headaches, nausea, fast heartbeats, sweating, dilated or enlarged pupils, hand tremors, the inability to sleep or eat, throwing up and not being able to control in various parts of your body.  The ones just mention are considered moderate.  Severe symptoms may include convulsions, hallucinations, black outs and fevers.

There are also psychological symptoms that may occur when an individual is physically addicted to alcohol. These may include constant feelings of anxiety, depression, feeling tired, nervousness and having nightmares.

When you are considering alcohol detox centers make sure that you choose one that is licensed, safe and professional.  Going through withdrawals can be dangerous and so you need to make sure that there are people available that can treat you or get you help if you need it. There will be or at least should be a nurse or doctor who is supervising you while you are going through the process. You may receive some type of medications to decrease the severity of your withdrawal symptoms.

The cost of detoxification will differ based on where you get treatment.  If you have a job, your company’s insurance may pay for it. However, it may not.  This is information that you will need before you begin a detoxification program so that there will be no problems when it comes time to pay your bill.

Alcohol detox can be very helpful in helping people that are physically addicted to alcohol get sober.  After they go through detoxification, then rehab will likely be necessary so that that individual can successfully deal with the psychological and emotional aspects of their addiction.