# Alcohol Detox-What's It Like? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 19, 2009, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323 "2009-10-19T13:34:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/21 "2009-10-19T20:11:31Z")
Since this is asking for advice, it is better suited for IMHO than GQ. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/22 "2009-10-19T20:54:02Z")
> [@sleestak](#): > > \*The first center I went to was a government run program that wasn’t very good. It was meant to get people detoxed, not to tackle the underlying problems of alcoholism. The second was a world renown center for addiction. Those guys were good. Sometimes distinguished by the terms 7-day program (a purely medical detox program, lasting, you guessed, 7 days) and a 28-day program (month long comprehensive inpatient rehab). ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/23 "2009-10-19T20:59:24Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > **FoieGrasIsEvil** , congratulations. Do you have a plan for dealing with rehab and recovery after detox? Without one, you’re liable to just start drinking again. > > And once you’ve given up the booze and the cigs, will you still be able to stay off the foie gras? That stuff is really addictive. 😉 I haven’t been able to afford foie gras in forever. It cuts too deeply into my beer money… > [@Bad\_Astronaut](#): > > Good luck FoieGras. > > I just wanted to pass on a piece of info that is often repeated by addiction-medicine specialist Dr. Drew (of Loveline fame): Detox is the easiest part of recovery, and can be made fairly painless in an inpatient program. The real work is staying clean. Yeah, I kind of figured. As others have alluded to, I’ll need some counselling and group therapy to try to dig out the reason(s) why I started drinking in the first place. I started when I was a teenager, drinking vodka before school in the morning. I still don’t know why I was doing that. > [@sleestak](#): > > I would suggest, if possible, getting into a treatment center. Usually they run 4 weeks. They can handle the detox. They can also handle the emotional baggage. > > When I did it\*, the detox was pretty bad but they gave me the proper meds and made sure I wouldn’t keel over and die. The detox was bad but the emotional issues were more complex. > > Once you get the alcohol out of your system you then have to deal with two major things, the reason you drink and the problems your drinking caused. > > These are huge. If you do not tackle these problems, IMHO, you will likely be back to drinking in a short period of time. I quit drinking a bunch of times (usually making it a month or so) but it didn’t last because I did not have the support that allowed me to get to the cause of my drinking. Drinking is the symptom of the problem, not the cause. > > There will be, as you likely know, many issues that you will need to work out with your family and friends. It is painful, I’ve been there. However, the other side is freaking amazing. My worst day sober is better than my best day drunk. > > If you do go to a treatment center you can probably expect to be in A.A. meetings. If you have any concerns about A.A PM me and I will answer any question you might have. You will also have therapy. At the one of the treatment centers I went to there was A.A. in the evening and daily individual and group therapy. This one helped a huge amount. It lasted for four weeks. The other treatment center I went to did just the detox for two days IIRC, two days of therapy and then sent me on my merry way. I bought a case of beer on the way home from that treatment center. > > A big thing to understand is that this is _scary_. I’ve been there and done that. It is scary because you are giving up something that you have come to rely upon. At the same time, there are a lot of people who understand that fear and are \*\*willing \*\*to help you with this problem. Additionally, if you are like me, you probably have tons of unresolved feelings that you used drinking to hide. I buried my feelings under booze for years. When I stopped drinking all these emotions that I didn’t know how to handle came out. I am still learning how to deal with these after 5.5 years. > > Since you asked what to expect. > > When I went into both treatment centers they first did an intake to figure out physically where I was at. Once they did that they decided upon which meds I needed. After that, they put me in a room and I slept. And slept. And slept some more. Passing out doesn’t give you the rest you get from a good nights sleep. After that they did daily monitoring of my general health. The good treatment center had a daily plan for each patient. You woke up, ate, went to therapy for a while, did some outdoor type activity, more therapy after lunch, dinner then a group meeting then A.A. at night. > > Smoking was allowed outside. Most treatment centers I know of do not expect alkies to quit smoking at the same time. In fact it is usually frowned upon. Quiting drinking is hard enough, doing two things at once can be too much. > > Slee > > \*The first center I went to was a government run program that wasn’t very good. It was meant to get people detoxed, not to tackle the underlying problems of alcoholism. The second was a world renown center for addiction. Those guys were good. Thank you very much for the helpful advice. My first step is a visit to my doctor on Wednesday to help facilitate this process ahead of time so I can plan my stay around my work schedule, etc. Sincerest gratitude to all whom have helpfully responded. I really appreciate it and I will likely need some more advice going forward. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/24 "2009-10-19T21:05:20Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > How bad are the alcohol cravings after the medical detox? I imagine they are pretty bad during it, but once all that booze is completely out of your system, is the addiction now purely mental? > > Edit: Falls Church, eh? I used to live in Pimmit Hills… You should probably start thinking of how you’re going to fill your ex-drinking hours. Habit will affect your cravings. If you don’t have something you enjoy doing, you should start looking for a pasttime, a hobby, a forgotten passion. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/25 "2009-10-19T21:32:32Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > You should probably start thinking of how you’re going to fill your ex-drinking hours. Habit will affect your cravings. If you don’t have something you enjoy doing, you should start looking for a pasttime, a hobby, a forgotten passion. Funny thing…I am so used to getting half-plowed during football games on Sundays (I watch them at home) that one of my fears is that I will no longer be able to watch the games for fear of association, or, that I won’t enjoy the games as much. I plan on trying to fill as much time as possible by spending as much time as I can with my children. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/26 "2009-10-19T22:02:53Z")
I’m certainly not a doctor, but if I were you I would talk to one. From my experience you don’t need detox. Again, I’m not a doctor, but the main thing that detox does for you is provide nutrition and medical supervision as your body comes off of alcohol. It sounds to me like you’ve just been self-medicating for sleep. You eat regular meals, I assume? The hardest part will be a few months from now when it hits you out of nowhere “A cold beer would taste GREAT right now!” And it will be on a day where you can sleep in the next morning and you will tell yourself that it is under control because, after all, you just went a few months without it. And bam, right back to it. Best of luck to you. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/27 "2009-10-19T22:05:58Z")
I checked into rehab on the Saturday before Memorial Day. From what I can gather, facilities/hospitals/institutions vary considerably. I was at a private hospital that handled folks with chemical dependence and/or psychological issues. Patients were segregated by gender. Serious psych patients and those in serious withdrawal were further segregated into their own ward where they had closer supervision. I shared a room with a heroin addcit, a crackhead, and an old guy who cried alot. I had a single bed that sat on what can best be described as a box. I was given a small square that was a suggestion of a pillow. My clothes were tucked into a cubby beneath my nightstand. We were doped up at night to sleep - I started refusing this pretty early - and our vitals were checked every four hours. The time we weren’t in group therapy or meeting with a doctor we whiled away playing cards, smoking, watching tv, smoking, eating, smoking and smoking. If you smoke, I would advise that you take a carton. They’ll probably confiscate your lighter. The hospital probably has a website that will have a packing list and a list of contraband (contraband in this case = 1. stuff that can get you high; 2. stuff that can kill or hurt you; 2. stuff that can kill or hurt others). For clothing think comfortable - they’ll probably confiscate your shoe laces and belt, so keep that in mind when deciding on shoes and pants. Food was great, but if you’re a soft drink drinker, bring some change - otherwise it’s nothing but apple juice and water. If I had to do it over, I would make sure I had plenty of cigs, change for the drink machine and a couple of my own pillows from home. As for everything else - like planning out how you’re going to stay sober - there will be plenty of time for that in there. Right now, concentrate on getting checked in. I don’t know you, where you come from, what you’ve been through, what you have going for you or what you’ve got stacked against you. I have no idea what you’re going to face when you get home, or what home is like. But, I bet I have a pretty good idea how you feel. I drank for 17 years. I drank HARD for ten. I would have nine to 12 drinks between six and eight o’clock every night. I drank every chane I could on the weekends (up to 30, 35 drinks a day). On occasion, I even left work ealry (like 3 o’clock) to get started. I tried counting drinks, I tried skipping days, I tried quitting on my own. Never could (or at least never did). I was convinced I would die from alcohol related complications. I checked into a facility five months ago, and I haven’t had a drink since. It’s fucking awesome. You can figure all of the other shit out (like whether you’re into AA or something else) after you get sober. Just get sober. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/28 "2009-10-19T22:10:08Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Funny thing…I am so used to getting half-plowed during football games on Sundays (I watch them at home) that one of my fears is that I will no longer be able to watch the games for fear of association, or, that I won’t enjoy the games as much. > > I plan on trying to fill as much time as possible by spending as much time as I can with my children. I am a big football fan too (college moreso than pro). I shared your fear. I find I enjoy the games more now. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/29 "2009-10-19T22:18:51Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > From my experience you don’t need detox. And your experience with detox is? In my experience (which frankly is lengthy when it comes to acute alcohol detox, alcohol withdrawal with and without seizures and/or hallucinations), a patient whose drinking history and associated symptoms are consistent with that described by the OP could be at significant risk for acute alcohol withdrawal, which could be fatal. Heavy drinkers are at risk for fatal alcohol withdrawal. And the OP fits that description as defined by number of drinks per week. So I respectfully request you stop telling the OP what he does or doesn’t need when it comes to a potentially life-threatening state. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/30 "2009-10-19T22:19:03Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > the main thing that detox does for you is provide nutrition and medical supervision as your body comes off of alcohol. It also keeps you out of the liquor store for a few days ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/31 "2009-10-19T22:24:29Z")
> [@whole\_bean](#): > > I am a big football fan too (college moreso than pro). I shared your fear. I find I enjoy the games more now. But you’re not a Bengals fan! Never experienced detox but good luck **FoieGrasIsEvil**. You won’t stop watching football because you’ll miss the witty repartee with all the Steelers fans. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/32 "2009-10-19T22:34:13Z")
Others have already said the same in this thread, but: 1. Great move! Ending your alcohol use will have tremendous benefits to your physical and emotional health. 2. As you seem to know, medical supervision of your detoxification is critical. A full on rehab program is not a strict necessity, but detoxing cold-turkey without medical supervision has significant immediate health risks. Best of luck and congratulations on your determination to quit drinking. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/33 "2009-10-19T23:18:38Z")
> [@whole\_bean](#): > > I am a big football fan too (college moreso than pro). I shared your fear. I find I enjoy the games more now. It’s likely my recollection of games will be a lot less hazy! > [@HongKongFooey](#): > > But you’re not a Bengals fan! > > Never experienced detox but good luck **FoieGrasIsEvil**. You won’t stop watching football because you’ll miss the witty repartee with all the Steelers fans. 😃 Wonderful…the Bengals had better straighten out their woes or I’ll be doubly depressed on Sundays! > [@threemae](#): > > Others have already said the same in this thread, but: > > 1. Great move! Ending your alcohol use will have tremendous benefits to your physical and emotional health. > > 2. As you seem to know, medical supervision of your detoxification is critical. A full on rehab program is not a strict necessity, but detoxing cold-turkey without medical supervision has significant immediate health risks. > > Best of luck and congratulations on your determination to quit drinking. Thank you very much. I hope this works out for me. I don’t want to be a drunk forever. It’s like I never grew out of my binge-drinking college days. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/34 "2009-10-20T00:47:49Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > And your experience with detox is? > > In my experience (which frankly is lengthy when it comes to acute alcohol detox, alcohol withdrawal with and without seizures and/or hallucinations), a patient whose drinking history and associated symptoms are consistent with that described by the OP could be at significant risk for acute alcohol withdrawal, which could be fatal. > > Heavy drinkers are at risk for fatal alcohol withdrawal. And the OP fits that description as defined by number of drinks per week. > > So I respectfully request you stop telling the OP what he does or doesn’t need when it comes to a potentially life-threatening state. I specifically recommended that he contact a doctor. Other than that, I was giving my opinion. Feel free to disagree, but it is out line to ask me to refrain from giving my humble opinion in a forum entitled “In My Humble Opinion”. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/35 "2009-10-20T00:53:11Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I specifically recommended that he contact a doctor. Other than that, I was giving my opinion. Feel free to disagree, but it is out line to ask me to refrain from giving my humble opinion in a forum entitled “In My Humble Opinion”. It’s all good guys. I am meeting with my physician on Wednesday afternoon to set the wheels in motion. I want him on board with this, so he can help me when I need it. He also can set up a timeframe for me so I can plan my work and family life around an inpatient stay. I don’t just want to show up at the hospital unannounced and go straight into rehab without rescheduling my life first to accomodate it. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/36 "2009-10-20T01:10:58Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I specifically recommended that he contact a doctor. Other than that, I was giving my opinion. Feel free to disagree, but it is out line to ask me to refrain from giving my humble opinion in a forum entitled “In My Humble Opinion”. I feel it’s out of line for you to tell a person who states he’s an alcoholic who drinks 8-10 beers a night for decades that he doesn’t need detox. You imply to him that you have experience in these issues. Not being properly detoxed could kill him. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/37 "2009-10-20T01:21:12Z")
Since the OP is consulting a medical professional(always a good idea), I’m going to go ahead and close this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/38 "2009-10-20T13:50:51Z")
Reopening. This thread is for giving personal experiences about detox. It is not for giving medical advice or attacking the experiences of other posters. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/39 "2009-10-20T15:11:37Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Reopening. > This thread is for giving personal experiences about detox. It is not for giving medical advice or attacking the experiences of other posters. Thank you, **Czarcasm**. Truly. ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-detox-whats-it-like/514323/40 "2009-10-20T15:12:49Z")
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