Alcohol Withdrawal: When Quitting at Home Isn't Safe and Medical Detox Is

Deciding to stop drinking is a big step. For many people, the next question is whether they can just stop on their own. For someone who has been drinking heavily and regularly, that can be a dangerous plan, because alcohol withdrawal can turn serious quickly.

This guide covers what withdrawal looks like, when it becomes an emergency, and when medically supervised detox is the safer choice.

What is alcohol withdrawal?

Alcohol withdrawal is the set of symptoms that can happen when someone who has been drinking too much on a regular basis suddenly stops. According to MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine’s health encyclopedia, the more often you drink, the more likely you are to have withdrawal symptoms when you stop.

Other medical problems can make withdrawal more severe. It most often happens in adults, but it can also occur in teenagers.

When is alcohol withdrawal an emergency?

The most severe form of withdrawal is called delirium tremens. MedlinePlus lists its signs as agitation, sudden and severe confusion, fever, hallucinations and seizures, and notes that death is possible, especially if delirium tremens occurs.

Call 911 or go to the emergency room if someone in withdrawal has seizures, a fever, severe confusion, hallucinations or an irregular heartbeat. Do not wait to see if it passes.

MedlinePlus also advises contacting a provider right away, or going to the emergency room, if you think you might be in alcohol withdrawal, especially if you were drinking often and recently stopped.

Can I detox from alcohol at home?

Sometimes, but not alone and not without a medical provider involved. MedlinePlus says people with mild-to-moderate symptoms can often be treated as outpatients. Even then, someone needs to stay with you, and you will likely need daily visits with your provider until you are stable.

People with moderate-to-severe symptoms may need treatment in a hospital or a facility that treats alcohol withdrawal, where staff watch closely for signs of delirium tremens and monitor blood pressure, temperature and heart rate.

Medical detox is usually the safer choice if:

• You drink heavily every day, or have for a long time.
• You have gone through withdrawal before, especially if it was severe.
• You have other health conditions.
• You have tried to stop on your own and could not get through the first few days.
• There is no one who can stay with you while you stop.

Your doctor can help you decide. Our guide on how to talk to your doctor about drinking can help you start that conversation.

What happens after detox?

Detox treats the physical withdrawal. It does not, on its own, treat the drinking. MedlinePlus notes that returning to a living situation that supports not drinking is important, and that some areas have housing designed for that.

At Nova, detox is the first step in a continuum the same organization runs end to end:

• Medical detox, with 24-hour care while withdrawal is managed.
• Residential treatment, a 90-day program on Nova’s campus in Wimberley.
• Intensive outpatient (IOP), structured therapy while you live at home, or online IOP if you cannot attend in person.
• Sober living, substance-free housing, often while you attend outpatient treatment.

Not everyone needs every step. Where you start depends on your health and your drinking.

If you are not sure how serious your drinking has become, Nova’s confidential alcohol self-assessment is a private place to start.

When you are ready to talk

If you or someone you love needs to stop drinking safely, Nova’s admissions team answers 24 hours a day. The first conversation is free and confidential, and the team can help you work out whether detox is the right first step. You can also verify your insurance online in a few minutes.

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