April 25th, 2008 by jgold454

Alcohol detox is a very necessary first step of the addiction treatment program for alcoholism patients. In mild cases, alcohol detoxification can be done at home, but if a person is very deeply entrenched into the alcoholism addiction, then it is advisable to get them enrolled in a alcohol rehab center where the right kind of medical attention can be provided to their cause.

There is one general way to remove the alcohol from the body, and that always begins with keeping the person as far away from the alcoholic bottle as possible. Severe restrictions are necessary to be maintained. The whole period of the alcohol detox can last from anywhere between five and six weeks during which period the person will show several withdrawal symptoms. Some of the common withdrawal symptoms that may be felt during an alcohol detoxification program are insomnia and a feeling of anxiety, coupled with headache, wooziness, a nauseous feeling and several specific symptoms.

A proper drug and diet therapy can help the people to overcome their withdrawal pangs. Benzodiazepines are prescribed to the patients, especially diazepam and chlordiazepoxide. However it is necessary that these drugs are never mixed with alcohol. The diet of the person during the detox program needs to be rich in proteins and contain a lot of fiber so that the person is not constipated due to the excessive proteins in the body. The diet must also be rich in fluids to protect the person from getting dehydrated. If there are blood sugar problems, as are often observed in alcoholics, it is necessary to provide them with a low sugar diet.