The Dangers Of Alcohol Home Detox In The UK
If you’re thinking about doing an alcohol home detox in the UK by yourself, you need to be aware of what can go wrong. In this blog, we look at the risks of doing a home alcohol detox without professional guidance and also let you know how these risks can be mitigated.
If you would like more information on alcohol home detox UK, or would like to speak with one of our team on how we can help you quit drinking, contact us today on 0800 002 5397.
Dangers Of Unsupported Alcohol Home Detox In The UK
There are many risks of attempting to go through withdrawal by yourself. These range from unpleasant to life-threatening.
Death From Alcohol Withdrawal
While withdrawal from all substances is difficult, alcohol is one of the few substances that can cause death if it is stopped abruptly. Detox medications can keep you safe, but they must be administered while you are under the care of a detox professional.
Delirium Tremens
The DTs are a severe form of alcohol withdrawal which cause confusion, hallucinations and severe agitation. Rapid onset of DTs can lead to dangerous changes in heart rate and blood pressure, increasing the risk of death.
Seizures
Alcohol withdrawal can trigger seizures in some people. If these seizures are prolonged, they can result in oxygen deprivation and life-threatening complications.
Cardiovascular Complications
Alcohol withdrawal can cause a sudden increase in blood pressure and heart rate, which may lead to heart attacks, arrhythmias and other cardiovascular issues, increasing the risk of death.
Pneumonia
Alcohol withdrawal can lead to pneumonia, particularly if the person in withdrawal inhales vomit while they are sleeping.
The risks of death during withdrawal are increased if you have any underlying health problems such as liver disease, cardiovascular disease, respiratory conditions, epilepsy and diabetes.
The Risks Of Relapse During An Unsupported Alcohol Home Detox
The chance of a relapse occurring during a home detox you attempt alone is unfortunately high. When you are trying to quit alcohol withdrawal symptoms are severe, and the desire to stop these severe withdrawal symptoms lead many to drink again.
Even once withdrawal is over cravings for alcohol can be intense, which is why you should continue working on recovery once your detox is over. Sobriety and Wellbeing offers extensive aftercare as part of its detox package, to make sure you can sober after detox.
Why Do Alcohol Home Detoxes Fail?
Here are some of the most common reasons that an alcohol home detox in the UK can fail. Be mindful of these before you start your detox.
Lack of Social Support
Having someone to support you through the worst of your home alcohol detox is absolutely crucial. You will be in a severely weakened state, and may be unable to cook for yourself, go to the bathroom or take care of basic hygiene. Having a person with you who can help you with all of these things is invaluable.
Your sober buddy can also keep you motivated when your alcohol withdrawal is getting tough, reminding you why you are doing it while helping you to stay positive. Our experience shows that having a detox buddy decreases the risk of a home detox failing.
Your detox buddy can also help make sure you are safe during your detox, should you begin to feel unwell. But unless your detox companion is medically trained, you should have a detox professional on standby to make sure the alcohol home detox is progressing well.
Inadequate Medication Management
Having alcohol detox medication is a crucial part of detox as alcohol withdrawal can be fatal without medication. This medication is not available over the counter, which leads some alcoholics to attempt to buy it illicitly. When you obtain drugs illegally, you risk buying medicines that contain a different amount of the substance to the one displayed on the label, or even a different substance entirely. This places you at enormous risk.
Even if you are able to buy legitimate medication, it is impossible to gauge the doses you should take without having the guidance of a professional. The amount you require depends on your alcohol history and any underlying health conditions, and the medication must be tapered following a set schedule.
Lack Of Professional Guidance
Having someone with you who can support you during your detox is a step in the right direction, but you should still not try to do an alcohol home detox in the UK without guidance from a detox professional. Not only can this person tell you how to use detox medications safely and effectively, they can also give you the additional moral support needed to get through a difficult withdrawal.
If you have attempted alcohol detox unsuccessfully in the past, having expert support and advice on your side can significantly increase your chance of a successful detox.
Failure To Address Underlying Issues
Getting through alcohol withdrawal is an enormous achievement, and anyone who does this should be proud of themselves. But detox is only the first step of your recovery journey. To stay sober, you need to discover why you use alcohol, and work on these issues.
The most common ways of addressing these problems are with 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and psychotherapy. Being a part of AA means going to AA meetings and going through “the steps”, a program that systematically allows you to work on the issues that were causing you to drink. Alcoholics Anonymous also provides you with the benefit of giving you access to a sober community who will support you in your recovery from alcohol.
Psychotherapy can help you to deal with any mental health problems or trauma that you may have. Often, these problems only become apparent once you have stopped drinking.
Sobriety And Wellbeing helps you to connect with recovery communities as part of your detox package. We also have a team of psychotherapists who can support you during and after your alcohol home detox in the UK.
Sobriety And Wellbeing – Safe And Effective Alcohol Home Detox In The UK
Doing an alcohol home detox in the UK without the guidance of a detox professional can be risky. Alcohol detoxes can be fatal, and there is a high possibility of relapse.
At Sobriety And Wellbeing, we have developed a program designed to ensure your safety while giving you the best long-term treatment outcomes.
We have a trained medical professional on call who can gauge your needs over the phone, and detox professionals ready to support you throughout the entire process. It is important that you have a detox buddy throughout, to give your detox an additional layer of safety.
If you would like more information on how Sobriety and Wellbeing can help you get sober, please call us on 0800 002 5397. This could be the first step of the rest of your life.