Detoxification in Alcohol Rehab, Erie: Inpatient or Outpatient

People with alcohol problems in Erie need not despair. Alcohol rehabs in Erie are ready to help such individuals who cannot stop drinking on their own.

There are several steps of alcohol rehab in Erie and detoxification is one of them. Detoxification of alcoholism or detox as it is known, is done in conjunction with alcohol recovery treatment. Detoxification should never be carried out by uncertified people and only certified doctors should perform detoxification. First, alcohol rehab patients are tested for general health condition. Doctors keep patients under close observation during detox for signs of withdrawal that might create complications.

A study conducted in 1995 reported that only 20 percent of the alcoholics would require inpatient detoxification. Further, 50 percent of the outpatient detoxification patients continue with the alcohol rehab program. These are encouraging facts for an alcoholic to join alcohol rehab, Erie.

Patients stay in a completely new surrounding where there is no chance of getting alcohol and there is support from every quarter to quit alcohol drinking.

Let the Doctor Decide

If the withdrawal symptoms are mild to moderate and there is someone to take care of the patient at home then the patient is advised outpatient detoxification. Mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms would mean that the patient has no major health problems or withdrawal symptoms such as seizures or delirium tremens etc. when deprived of alcohol for any length of time. There should not be any history of psychiatric illnesses, seizures or other serious illnesses. Severe withdrawal symptoms could be life threatening. The decision for inpatient or outpatient rehab should be taken only by the doctor at the alcohol rehab, Erie, and not by the patient. The doctor would do so after a through examination and evaluation of the patients case history.

Moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms require hospitalization or admission to the rehab clinic where doctors and trained nurses observe the patient during withdrawal phases and give suitable treatment. Doctors also usually would advise inpatient treatment if the patient has no one to take care of him at home. A potential rehab patient may get full clarifications from the clinic.

Inpatient detoxification may require patients to be admitted to an emergency room at times. However, the presence of doctors and nurses can control withdrawal symptoms before they get aggravated. In inpatient detoxification, despite supportive care, patients may have to be admitted to the emergency room. Supportive care aims at improving the general health condition of the patient. However, it cannot stop withdrawal related seizures and severe symptoms. This is likely to happen in cases of severe and chronic alcoholism.

In one study, nearly two third of outpatients, completed detoxification with social support. Eight percent of them had to be admitted to emergency care. Two percent of the outpatient cases had to be converted to inpatient cases due to deterioration in their conditions.

It is never advisable to judge by yourself about inpatient or outpatient detoxification. If you are an alcoholic neither decide by yourself nor allow a friend or family member to decide for you about detoxification. Let the doctor at alcohol rehab, Erie, take charge and decide what is best for you. Anyone who has been drinking in large quantities for a long period of time is going to face severe withdrawal symptoms needing medical supervision so it is best to insist on inpatient care. Besides, in such an intensive inpatient care facility it is unlikely the alcoholic will be able to gain access to alcohol should the craving ever arise. It is very likely that at home an alcoholic will give way to craving and go back to drinking rendering the detox null and void.