Article by Randy Kimbrell

Alcohol detox at home can be done, but never by yourself. There must be medical oversight because everyone’s withdrawal symptoms are different and unknown until they are into the process itself. In-home detox is not set up to handle patients who are at risk for seizures or strokes. Most programs will only allow low-risk, relatively healthy patients to attempt detox at home.

All patients are overseen by medical staff. Someone is always at the patient’s home during the detox process, which can last anywhere from three to seven days. Depending on the home detox program, the person who stays with the recovering alcoholic could be a friend or family member, with the medical personnel making daily visits and always available by phone. Other detox programs have the medical personnel staying at your home.

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Withdrawal, in essence is a group of symptoms that happens upon the sudden discontinuation or decrease in intake of a substance (nicotine, caffeine, medications, recreational drugs or alcohol).  In order to experience symptoms of withdrawal, there must first be an established physical (or chemical) dependency to a substance.  Alcoholics who are in the process quitting are susceptible to experience alcohol withdrawal (AW).  Symptoms range from something so minor like insomnia and tremulousness to severe complications such as withdrawal seizures and delirium.  Withdrawal symptoms set in within 8 to 10 hours of their last drink.  This course of action is suggested to those dealing with outpatient treatments of mild alcohol withdrawal.

Fight the urge to drink:  Some alcoholics do not experience withdrawal symptoms after their last drink.  Symptoms set in when they abstain for a few days and resume drinking again.  Stay away from people, places or occasions that will put you in a situation that will require you to drink or will make it difficult for you to say no to a drink.

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An excess of alcohol can have very different results from moderate consumption as we have observed at social gatherings. And a man can start drinking too much to any number of reasons. For instance he may be in the company of friends who habitually drink and this influences him to consume large amounts daily to the point of no return. The person may be mentally weak and unable to resist the pressures of life or cope with them or even think of alternatives and this may lead to a dependency on alcohol. Stresses, strains of a relationship gone awry may lead one to find solace in drink. Failure in business or social circles may lead to addiction. Whichever the approach all paths lead to one end condition: chronic alcoholism with all its side effects on the mind and body.

As a result of which alcoholism treatment centers do not follow a set pattern of treatment for all kinds of alcoholic addicts. The overall idea will by far be the same for any kind of approach. The degree of intensity of alcoholism varies from person to person. In some people the level of alcohol abuse may be extreme wherein any liberal approach will not help in any way.

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Alcohol withdrawal typically occurs when a person who has been drinking for a long duration or a person who drinks frequently or drinks heavily suddenly stops drinking. Not all who stop drinking suffer from alcohol withdrawal and some may even get away with mild and moderate symptoms that can be overcome with a healthy diet and sufficient doses of vitamins. It is the people who suffer from severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal who may require medical attention and sometimes hospitalization.

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In the previous article; Living with an alcoholic – Shame, we talked about the shame and the secrecy that comes from living with an alcoholic and how it leads to isolation.  In this article we will look at ways to start tackling and reducing the shame.

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I’ve been depressed for quite some time now, and I would very much like to not be anymore.
I used to be the person who loves life more than anything else, and the one who counseled others on their problems. I’ve had depressing things happen to me. I’ve seen death on many occassions, and I’ve held dead children in my hands, but after Sept. 1st, I’ve done many many things that have led to a depression that I cannot fight my way out of.
On Sept. 1st, my girlfriend who I loved completely, and learned the true meaning of love, lost her father, leaving her bereft of most of her family. Her mother died when she was young, and most of her aunts and uncles passed away as well. Needless to say, it was a very hard time for her, and very hard for me as well, as I was unable to help her. She began to become distanced from the world, and from me as well, which began to break my heart, but I stayed strong for her, and to give her someone to depend on. However, she eventually told me that she no longer felt the same way about me, and wanted to take a break. Now that was devastating to me, but I still clung to the fact that at least I still had my beloved life to hold onto, my family, and a few close friends to confide in.
Well I began to do things that I greatly regret in an attempt to find something to fill the enormous gap in my life I now had. I drank even more excessively than I already did. I smoked weed for the first time ever, and did so twice. I lost all interest and motivation in college, and as such, my previously good grades plummeted. I betrayed family, and betrayed friends, and every time I did such things, my morale and depresion sank deeper, causing me to do even more things I greatly regret. I used people, and betrayed myself. I lost control of my rage, got into fights, and let loose my rage on people who didn’t deserve it. I distanced myself from family and friends, and even let my emotions affect my job in the Fire Department. I hurt many people, and lost sight of my future.
Now I know the loss of the woman I love in my life is the root cause of my depression, but it is not the MAIN cause of it. The actions I did after the fact are. I went from being the person who’s life was devoted to helping everyone else, to the person who hurts everyone else, and that fact I cannot live with.
Through my depression, I even considered giving up the one thing I held above all else: my life. I just would not consider doing it myself. I began to wish that bad things would happen to me, just so that I wouldn’t have to deal with everything else. I began to imagine myself being in car accidents, dying in fires, and having a bad reaction with medicine and alcohol which would cause me to at least lay in a hospital bed and see who cared enough to come visit. I began to not sleep, and I lost my will to live.
I am beyond all that now, yet my extreme loneliness augmented my depression still exists. I also still cannot sleep.
If you have motivated yourself to read through all of that, then maybe you know of a way to help me, or somewhere I can look for help. Any help on my above situation would be greatly appreciated.
so a few more details. after reading many of these answers, I realized that I left many things out.
1. (I might have included this, but I lack the motivation to check.) It is extremely hard for me to relax. My counselor has told me this, and has tried many things to help me relax, all of which have failed.
2. Megan (the girls name) is transferring to my school next semester, which has the potential to be disastrous.
3. Megan is seeing someone else now. She actually started seeing him 2 months after breaking up with me.
4. I don’t trust any medication that messes with my consciousness or mental facilities. It took me a while before I would trust myself taking nyquil. (When I did, I took excessive amounts, along with many other night time drugs, along with tylenol PM, benedryl, and some alcohol to wash it all down in attempt at relaxation) None of these helped me sleep, but they did make me quite unsteady in the morning…

Product Description
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Do you border about dealing with your anxiety and panic attack once and for all? Do you encounter stuffs like – the feeling that you are able to experience a heart attack, panic when the plane is about to take off, panic when you are driving a vehicle either with turning left or right? Do you encounter shivering, hyperventilation or stiffness in your throat during this period? Do these conditions leave you looking so scary, making it difficult for you to make a move? If you encounter this signs, then know that it is panic disorder. This category of anxiety disorder consists of panic attacks which normally happen regularly.

When it’s left untouched for awhile it could get more complex, as in when you leave it untreated for sometimes it can become complicated. If you do encounter attacks in different circumstances, it’s likely that you may have a phobia as a result of a situation or an object which normally triggers panic attacks. For instance, if you do experience panic attacks while in a lifter, you shouldn’t think twice about finding an alternative route. Nevertheless, you can also see that going to the supermarket might make you feel over anxious and enhances an attack. Even a mere steady look at you by a man looking very scary could trigger an attack.

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