Alcohol dependency is commonly associated with what healthcare professionals now refer to as Alcohol Use Disorder or AUD. NIAAA describes AUD as a medical condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite social, occupational, or health consequences. AUD exists across a spectrum and may be classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on the number of symptoms present.
For someone who has developed physical dependence on alcohol, suddenly stopping or significantly reducing alcohol use can cause withdrawal. Symptoms may include tremors, sweating, increased heart rate or blood pressure, anxiety, insomnia, nausea, vomiting, and, in more severe cases, seizures or delirium tremens.
The severity of withdrawal varies from person to person. NIAAA notes that some individuals can experience withdrawal that requires hospitalization, while a specialized alcohol detox program, like Four Pillars, detoxification may be appropriate for most people at risk for potentially life-threatening withdrawal.
The American Society of Addiction Medicine recommends clinical assessment and appropriate monitoring for individuals experiencing alcohol withdrawal, with more intensive treatment settings indicated when severe or complicated withdrawal is present or anticipated.
Alcohol withdrawal is medically assessed and managed with physician oversight and 24/7 nursing care.
Medications may be used to help manage acute withdrawal symptoms, based on the individual's clinical needs and medical assessment.
Withdrawal symptoms can change over time. Appropriate monitoring allows the clinical team to respond to changes and determine whether the individual's needs remain appropriate for the current level of care.
Alcohol detox is not a one-size-fits-all protocol. Our care team works with each individual to establish a personal plan that considers the individual's unique needs, circumstances, and goals.
Detoxification addresses the acute physiological effects of withdrawal, but it is not, by itself, comprehensive treatment for long-term recovery. Continuing care can address the psychological, behavioral, and emotional aspects of addiction and support ongoing recovery.
Getting Started
Alcohol Detox at Four Pillars is intended to be a clinical intervention, not a standalone treatment for addiction, and serves as the critical first step in treating substance use disorders within a comprehensive, outcome-focused model of care.
Licensed Residential Programs focus on the psychological, behavioral, and emotional aspects of addiction during the individual's first few weeks of treatment. These programs offer 24/7 clinical support to the individual while they remain vulnerable to the behaviors associated with addiction.
Also known as day treatment programs, partial hospitalization programs provide daily therapeutic services to individuals as they begin to reintegrate back into everyday life but require consistent structure. Here, you live independently and attend daily intensive group therapy.
As the individual continues to build their skills and social support, they begin to require less daily structure. Intensive Outpatient is designed to provide a level of therapeutic support that aligns with individuals responsibilities, such as employment, education, or caring for their family.
Licensed sober living communities are not therapeutic in nature but foster a sense of community of shared challenges and goals. Living in a sober living community combines independent living with accountability from peers with first-hand knowledge of what you are working through.
You may need medical detox if you:
If you are unsure whether or not detox is right for you, we are here to help. Contact us today to speak confidentially to one of our admissions counselors and let us help guide you in the right direction.
Withdrawal symptoms vary and depend on the substance and the individual but may include:
Four Pillars Recovery highly discourages detoxing without seeking medical care in advance. Our admissions coordinators are here to help. Contact us today, and let us help you navigate the first steps in a safe, comfortable environment.
Rehab is a widely used word that encompasses the entire continuum of care. However, the individual pathway to recovery is just as unique as the pathway that let to the addiction in the first place.
In general, detox focuses on stabilizing the physiological effects caused by stopping or reducing substance use. Whereas, rehab, in its many intensities, focuses on addressing the psychological, behavioral, and emotional features of addiction. Both are essential parts of the recovery process.
Addiction treatment programs, such as Four Pillars Recovery, are designed to help each individual identify treatment goals and establish a treatment plan that reinforces those goals.
In most cases, health insurance benefits will cover medical detox services, including private/commercial insurance plans, employer-sponsored plans, and medicaid plans, such as Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS).
Contact us today, or complete our verification of benefits form, and let Four Pillars Recovery help you understand what your insurance plan will cover.
Detox alone is not treatment. It is simply the first step. Individuals who complete medical detox at Four Pillars work one on one with a case manager who is there to help coordinate next steps. It is highly encouraged that, upon completion, care is continued in a structured program such as:
These programs address the underlying causes of addiction and support long-term recovery through skills development and reintegration into everyday life.
