By We Level Up NJ Treatment Center | Editor Yamilla Francese | Clinically Reviewed By Lauren Barry, LMFT, MCAP, QS, Director of Quality Assurance | Editorial Policy | Research Policy | Last Updated: February 16, 2023

Alcohol Detox Statistics

In 2019, of the 85,688 liver disease deaths among individuals ages 12 and older, 43.1 percent involved alcohol. Among males, 53,486 liver disease deaths occurred, and 45.6 percent involved alcohol. Among females, 32,202 liver disease deaths occurred, and 39.0 percent involved alcohol.

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Alcohol Detox Symptoms

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms may vary significantly from one person to another but may include any of the following physical and psychological symptoms

How Long Does It Take To Detox From Alcohol

People who decide to quit drinking may undergo painful, uncomfortable, or even dangerous symptoms, and those symptoms may be experienced from hours to days. Although there is not a specific alcohol withdrawal timeline, as symptoms and length will differ based on different factors such as the simultaneous presence of mental and physical health issues, average amount and duration of heavy drinking behavior [3].

So how long does alcohol withdrawal last? Exactly how your detox progresses will be influenced by many factors, so it’s difficult to determine with accuracy what course your detox may take. However, it is possible to get a general time frame for the detox process, complete with the progression of symptoms.

Alcohol detox timeline

A typical alcohol detox timeline for alcohol withdrawal symptoms may look something like this:

6-12 hours: Following the last drink, the first withdrawal symptoms, which may be mild, begins. These may include headache, mild anxiety, small tremors, insomnia, and stomach upset.

12-24 hours: Some people may encounter visual, auditory, or tactile hallucinations.

24-72 hours: Different symptoms may have peaked and begun to level off or resolve (although some more protracted symptoms may last for weeks or longer).

24-28 hours: Seizure risks may be highest from 24-48 hours after the last drink, requiring close monitoring and seizure prophylaxis.

48-72 hours: Withdrawal delirium (such as, DTs) may show from 48-72 hours after drinking has stopped.

Occasionally, some individuals may experience continous withdrawal related symptoms that last for months. Symptoms may include sleep disturbances, fatigue, and changes in mood. However, most individuals who encounter these extended symptoms fully recover with medical detox and withdrawal management.

Side Effects of Alcohol Detox

For many individuals struggling with alcoholism, the detox process can be overwhelming and frightening. When you stop drinking alcohol, your body will go through withdrawal. Unfortunately, alcohol withdrawal symptoms are usually intense enough to turn individuals fall back to drinking.

What Is Alcohol Withdrawal?

Just like with any addictive substance, if you drink alcohol heavily for weeks, months, or years, you will inevitably develop a mental and physical dependence on it. You will need to have more drinks and drink more often in order to get drunk, and you will need to drink to prevent the body’s physical cravings from arising.

If you abruptly quit this habit of heavy drinking, you will likely experience withdrawal ranging somewhere from moderate to severe. Alcohol depresses your central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), slowing cerebral messaging and altering the way signals are sent and received.

Eventually, the central nervous system adapts to the alcohol’s presence, and it becomes its new normal. The body functions on overdrive to fight the depressant effect of the alcohol and to keep neurotransmitters firing clearly. When alcohol suddenly is no longer present, the brain basically overheats causing symptoms of withdrawal to set in.

Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can occur when you suddenly quit drinking alcohol after regular excessive drinking and can range from severe to mild. Severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be quite serious, and in some situations, they can actually be deadly.

Because they can worsen over time, it’s important to know whether your symptoms are getting more severe so you can seek help. The most severe symptoms usually arise between two and five days after you quit drinking, which means that the first day or two may not be a good indicator of your risk of serious problems.

Though alcohol withdrawal symptoms generally begin within eight hours after your last drink, you may not experience any until several days later. These symptoms tend to spike around 24 to 72 hours after your last drink, though milder ones may persist for much longer in some people.

Common alcohol withdrawal symptoms include:

Severe Withdrawal Symptoms

One of the most extreme effects of alcohol withdrawal is called delirium tremens, or “the DTs.” About 3% to 5% of individuals who withdraw from heavy alcohol consumption experience delirium tremens. This condition can become life-threatening if it’s left untreated, so if you or a loved one show any symptoms of the DTs, seek emergency treatment because symptoms can get worse.

Symptoms of delirium tremens include:

Alcohol Withdrawal Timeline

While alcohol withdrawal is quite unpleasant, alcohol is a fast-acting substance that the body metabolizes fairly quickly. The onset of alcohol withdrawal symptoms will normally start between 4 and 12 hours after taking the last drink. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms are usually the worst when they peak around the second day without a drink. However, since alcohol clears the body quickly, most withdrawal symptoms subside by day 4 or 5. In extreme cases, some less severe symptoms can last from one week to a month. A person may experience a longer withdrawal period if they combine alcohol with other drugs, have another serious health condition, have a family history of alcoholism, or have experienced alcohol withdrawal in the past.

Treatments For Alcohol Withdrawal

Alcohol detox should not be administered lightly because the withdrawal may involve a lоt оf аgоnу аnd раіn.  For instance that if detox is done without medical detox supervision, the untrеаtеd аnd unmanaged ѕуmрtоmѕ саn bе lіfе-thrеаtеnіng.  To emphasize, the treatment process should not be hurried as each person’s symptoms subside at their rate because other complications may arise that need to be addressed.  Generally, inpatient alcohol detox ranges from 3-7 days before transition into inpatient or outpatient treatment [5].

Multiple approaches can be taken to treat alcohol withdrawal.  This can vary from a medicalized approach to a more alternative approach.  With a holistic view of addiction treatment, our detox facilities provide various therapies from one end to the other.  This allows us to provide each client with the best treatment possible.

Benefits Of Medically-Assisted Detox Treatment

Medically assisted detox has proven to be beneficial for those who are struggling with alcoholism. Obviously, the most important benefit is enhanced physical health, but this crucial first step in recovery has other benefits, such as:

Medications Used During Alcohol Detox

When alcohol detox is treated in an inpatient rehab facility, different medications may be used to help reduce uncomfortable alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Medications can also help keep a person’s body chemicals in balance, lowering the risk for severe complications. In rehab, a medical professional will administer the medication and monitor its effects. If the medication begins to cause unwanted side effects or interferes with the detox process, another remedy can be used.

Treating Alcoholism In Alcohol Detox NJ Center

How to detox from alcohol? Alcohol detox can be dangerous, mainly if it is done without the help of a professional. Delirium tremens and other withdrawal symptoms that may afflict the detoxing patient are hazardous and may even be fatal. Delirium tremens usually start two to five days after the last drink. Shaking, confusion, high blood pressure, fever, and hallucinations are some symptoms. Therefore, it is advisable to detox in a rehab center to access qualified professionals who can manage comfortable alcohol detox and withdrawal complexities.