Well, what does detoxing from alcohol feel like?
Have you ever had your guts pulled out while you are alive?
This is just a tiny part of it really.
What is alcohol detox
Alcohol detox is a potentially life-threatening condition that can occur in people who have been drinking
heavily for weeks, months, or years and then either stop or significantly reduce their alcohol consumption.
That about wraps that up…
But, there is much much more to it then that.
Some people are lucky like myself who did not die from it! But it makes you feel like you are dying.
Seriously, there are some major things that can happen during this process and depending on how much and for how long, it can be a dangerous
thing for your body to endure.
Some have to be rushed to the hospital, some don’t make it, and for some of us like my story about alcohol detox is that we went at it alone not
knowing the exact dangers associated with rapid detox also known as “cold turkey“.
What does detoxing from alcohol feel like
Well, it is different for everyone but I am sure most can relate to what I am about to talk about that
has gone through this.
For me the first three days were the toughest but that first day, I will never forget that!
It truly felt like someone was ripping my guts out!
Not only my stomach being messed up but every joint in my body had felt like it was fused together, every muscle in my body was screaming,
forget food at that point as well and even drinking water was something that was less desirable.
Drinking water or holding something in my hands was the most difficult.
The “shakes” better know as Delirium Tremens or the most commonly known word is, the DT’s.
Raising the cup to my mouth was an effort to say the least.
If you can drink a cup of water on a roller coaster then you would have no problems with the DT’s but that is what it seemed like.
Not only the shakes but some other things that go with it like:
- Severe diarrhea
- Headaches
- Back aches
- Everything aches
- Fever
- Nausea
- Fast heartbeat
- Confusion
- Sometimes even hallucinations
I don’t remember ever hallucinating but I did have a difficult time with sunlight or bright lights.
I also remember spending every waking moment in bed as I found it difficult to even move let alone stand up!
This went on for a whopping three days I believe, it all is a little blurry even after so many years.
At the time I was awaiting a spot in the alcohol detox center down the road, they had no spot available when I first called.
Later when I did finally make it into the facility they told me I should have just showed up as when quitting cold turkey can be extremely dangerous
when doing it by yourself without proper medical attention.
And they were amazed that I went through it without.
But my time in the alcohol detox facility is for another post…
The hell and agony I endured for the first few days was enough almost to get me to drink again, just to get rid of the pain but, it was the alcohol
that I was in pain from and that is where that *snap* happens I believe.
You’re either going to get straight or relapse and start all over again. 🙁
I am happy that I choose the correct path!!
It gets better, I swear
After a week or so, when you finally calm the shakes down and are able to hold solid food in, that is when
your sobriety is known to your body and it is your brain that you must train not to think about taking
another drink.
Sleeping, now that is something I did one night after the hell and I had the best sleep.
Like the kind of sleep when you are a baby.
Everything around you seems clearer and smells and tastes come back.
It really is life a new start on life!
This is about the time I went into the detox facility and shortly after that I started going to AA.
Now, this is still a dangerous part of you sobriety journey as it is at this point in time when the alcohol is out of your system and your body starts to
feel better is when you are in the worst danger of falling off the wagon or relapsing.
We don’t want that!
We don’t need that!
You and I have been through a battle that when you emerge (if you do) you feel like another chance has been given to you and it is your responsibility
to carry out your actions and keep head strong with them to stay on the path of sobriety.
After a month is when the DT’s will start to wain if you have not done to much damage to yourself.
Mine come and go and I started noticing it was when I had no food in my stomach, funny how that works.
There are so many pages upon pages about this subject and I just wanted to let you into what does detoxing from alcohol feel like.
I did talk about what I went through before and you can read about it here.
Stay safe and please stay or get sober, you will love the new you! 🙂
One Day At A Time
