Many people research how to detox themselves from alcohol.  Keep in mind that there is a huge difference between occasional or sporadic alcohol abuse and true alcohol dependence.  If you abuse alcohol occasionally you can sometime just quit drinking, survive the hangover and recover without any medical intervention.  If you have become alcohol dependent, it is a totally different story.  Alcohol Dependence is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which is the American handbook for medical professionals, as meeting at least three of seven criteria within a twelve month period. The criteria are:

1.      Narrowing of the drinking repertoire.

2.      Increased salience of the need for alcohol over competing needs and responsibilities.

3.      An acquired tolerance to alcohol.

4.      Withdrawal symptoms.

5.      Relief or avoidance of withdrawal symptoms by further drinking.

6.      Subjective awareness of compulsion to drink.

7.      Reinstatement after abstinence. 

If three of these criteria are met, you have become alcohol dependent and it is unsafe and potentially life threatening to detox yourself.  Many things happen when alcohol is withheld from a dependent person.  The degree of withdrawal problems will vary for each individual but the common problems incurred will include; dramatic increases in blood pressure, nausea, tremors, headache, dementia and hallucinations, seizures, heart failure and strokes.

Most good intentioned alcohol dependent people swear off alcohol many times and are determined to quit drinking on a daily basis.  Within hours of abstinence, symptoms begin to occur.  The person will have a splitting headache, be sick to their stomach and begin to tremble.  The great majority of these people are unsuccessful in there attempts to quit.  They decide to have one drink to feel better and they are off to the races again.  When the alcohol dependent person has this “one drink” their symptoms abate very rapidly.  The shaking stops, the headache goes away and they feel better.

There was an article in yesterday’s paper about a woman who died while in custody of the Phoenix Airport Police Department.  She was on a flight from New York to Arizona where she planned to enter an alcohol treatment program in Tucson.  She was arrested for disorderly conduct and unfortunately died in a holding cell.  The article was not specific about the cause of death but it was undoubtedly alcohol related.  I suspect that her disorderly conduct arrest was probably due in fact to alcohol induced dementia or delirious tremens (DT’s) which are usually interpreted as extreme intoxication.  When symptoms such as these accompany withdrawal, a stroke or seizure is almost inevitable without medical intervention.  This is a very common story and it often ends in death.

Alcohol detox must be done under medical supervision.  There are two basic types of detox methods ambulatory detox and outpatient detox.  Ambulatory detox can be safely accomplished when done under medical supervision and administration of appropriate detox drugs.  Vital signs must be taken and dosing must be done frequently to safely detox in an outpatient setting.  The alcohol dependent person must be monitored at all times during the detox and cannot be left alone.  The other detox method is done in a hospital setting.  Hospitalized detox is necessary when there is a history of DT’s or in cases where other medical problems are present.Medical protocols for detox patients will vary depending on the person’s specific medical history and severity of dependence.  In all cases, anti-seizure drugs are induced to mitigate the risk.  A variety of other medications will be used to treat symptomatic problems such as nausea, insomnia and anxiety.

In short, there is no way to safely detox yourself from alcohol if you are alcohol dependent.  Do not be fooled by advertising claims or holistic remedies.  It is a life and death situation and cannot be done safely without medical intervention.

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