Best Alcohol Detox Program in New Jersey | Quantum Behavioral Health

Alcohol Detox Programs in New Jersey

If you have been binge drinking, heavy drinking, or have been using alcohol for a long period of your time, or using alcohol to cope with stress, pain, or anxiety, these behaviors can develop into an alcohol use disorder (alcoholism). What happens is the brain and body begin to make chemical changes that cause you to depend on having alcohol in your system just to be able to function normally, and you will experience physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms when you try to cut back or quit drinking, which reinforces the behaviors.

Physical dependence on alcohol can quickly turn into addiction, as you feel compelled to drink to avoid the symptoms or withdrawal, which then turns into a pattern of behavior that negatively affects your life. Alcohol addiction is characterized by issues such as:

• Beginning to use alcohol in secret, drink in the mornings, or keep stashes of alcohol around
• Constantly thinking about when you can have your next drink
• Being unable to quit drinking even when you really want to due to withdrawal symptoms
• Continuing to drink even when it causes serious health problems, issues at work, or problems with your personal relationships

If you are experiencing these symptoms, or if you are worried about the amount a loved one has been drinking, you may wish to contact the team at Quantum to find out more about our alcohol detox and rehabilitation services. Quitting alcohol is not easy, and it can in fact be very uncomfortable and even dangerous if you try to do so on your own, but we can help you get through this difficult time safely, using a combination of psychological support, medical care, and holistic care.

What is Alcohol Detox Like?

If you were to try and detox from alcohol at home on your own, especially if you try to quit drinking cold turkey after drinking consistently for a long period of time, you would experience a range of withdrawal symptoms that can be mild or severe, and even deadly. These symptoms are unpredictable, as alcohol detoxing can affect every person differently.

You are not likely to succeed on your own, as the symptoms include strong alcohol cravings, along with severe anxiety and agitation, and falling back into old drinking patterns will feel like the best option, resulting in immediate relapse before your body has a chance to clear itself of the toxins.

Going into a professional detox program at a certified and trusted detox facility is a much safer and more effective option. There will be a combination of medical care, therapy, alternative or holistic treatments, all provided within a safe and comfortable, welcoming environment where you can stay until you are through the worst of your detox. You will not suffer in a medical detox program, because there are medications and therapies that can relieve physical and emotional pain and alcohol cravings.

Once you are done your alcohol detoxification plan it will be recommended that you move directly into an inpatient rehab or outpatient rehab program certified by the Joint Commission, where you can continue getting treatment for the underlying behavioral issues that caused your addiction, along with the social, psychological, and emotional issues that come with substance abuse and addiction.

What To Expect During Detox?

A medical detox program (medically assisted treatment in New Jersey) is the best method of detoxing from alcohol. There are several reasons why medical detox from alcohol is better at preventing relapse and keeping patients safe, such as:

• You will move into a residential building that is 100% alcohol-free, and do not leave until the detox is complete. This will keep you away from temptation and enablers. It will also keep you away from stresses and responsibilities in your life that may distract you from your own well-being when you need to concentrate on your own health and healing.
• You will be provided with prescriptions for medications that will help you get through this physically difficult time. This includes medications that will help you avoid the more serious symptoms of withdrawal that can result in injury or death, as well as stop alcohol cravings and keep you comfortable so you can get proper rest, hydration and nutrition as your body purges the toxins.
• Medical care and supervision by licensed doctors and nurses is provided on a 24-hour basis, meaning there will not be one single moment that you are alone. If you need anything, somebody will be there for you. All medical staff are trained in trauma-informed practices so you can feel safe, listened-to, and you will not be pressured to do anything you don’t want to do.
• Counseling and/or therapy is provided while you detox as well. The methods vary from facility to facility, but you may receive one-on-one therapy or group therapy, and get help with the difficult underlying emotional pain and unhelpful thoughts that may come up as you detox.
• Dual diagnosis treatment is often available at the same time as physical detox treatments. This is the treatment of co-occurring mental illness at the same time as a substance use disorder. Many people will use drinking as a coping mechanism for mental health issues like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, attention deficit disorder, mood disorders, etc.  A dual diagnosis is a combination of psychiatric care and sometimes medication that will help you get your mental health under control alongside your physical health in one integrated program.
• Most drug and alcohol treatment facilities that offer medication assisted detox treatments will also offer a full continuum of care. This depends on where you go, but levels of care may include residential rehab programs as well as outpatient treatment.

How Long is Detox?

Detoxing from any substance is a personal experience that is different for every patient. There is a usual range that alcohol detox falls into, taking between three to fourteen days total. Alcohol affects everybody differently because of factors like:

• The amount you were drinking
• How long you have been drinking
• Whether you were mixing drugs and alcohol
• Genetic and metabolic factors
• Your history of alcohol abuse and relapse
• Your physical and mental health when you enter detox

Symptoms of Alcohol Detox

Alcohol detox withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to severe, but quitting “cold turkey” or trying to quit alcohol at home should never be done as it can lead to relapse or it can become extremely dangerous to your health, resulting in death.

The less-severe withdrawal symptoms from alcohol include:

• Headache
• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Mood swings
• Tremors
• Uncontrollable sweating
• Nightmares
• Difficulty sleeping
• Increased heart rate
• Strong cravings for alcohol

If you have been drinking for a long time, have a history of relapse or health issues, or have been a heavy drinker for any amount of time, you may experience dangerous seizures or even delirium tremens (also called “the DTs”). Delirium tremens is a syndrome that comes with withdrawal symptoms like:

• High levels of confusion and agitation
• Hallucinations that can be visual, auditory, or tactile (people report feeling like
• something is crawling under their skin)
• Heart issues
• High fever
• Abnormal brain activity that can result in death

For this reason, the medical staff in a detox unit will be there, monitoring your progress 24/7. You will be provided with medications to reduce the risk of seizures and escalations of your symptoms along with pain relief and help resting. Therapy and counseling will also help you deal with any fear or anxiety you are experiencing, and dual diagnosis treatments will begin to treat any co-occurring mental illness or trauma you may be experiencing.

Acute Detox

Acute detox is for people who have stronger symptoms of alcohol detox. Those with severe addictions will require full-time medical care while they are going through withdrawal. This is a 24-hour-a-day program that integrates medication, therapy, medical interventions, and counseling to ensure you do not experience seizures and delirium tremens, as well as ensuring your body remains hydrated and well-nourished, and you get the psychiatric care you need. Experienced staff and caregivers will be there for you at any time, day or night, making sure you are comfortable and safe.

Sub-Acute Detox

Sub-acute detox is for those who are not suffering with serious withdrawal symptoms from alcohol, and for those who are not experiencing serious physical issues or co-occurring mental health issues. If you have a mild addiction that is mostly psychological in nature, you may not need the full treatment program. A sub-acute detox will give you an appropriate level of care, so you are not forced to endure days or even weeks getting treatments you don’t need.

It may still take days or even weeks to complete, and although sub-acute detox may sometimes be offered as an outpatient program, it is usually recommended that you remain in inpatient care during this time to take away the risk of relapsing.

Why Choose Quantum Behavioral Health for Alcohol Detox Near Me

Quantum Behavioral Health treatment center is a New Jersey-based alcohol rehab center that specializes in outpatient services for alcohol abuse. We belong to a network of treatment centers in the area that provide detox programs that are safe and effective, and we will get you to a place in your recovery journey in which you will be ready to move into outpatient care. Detox is only the first step, and at Quantum, we can help take you further.

Outpatient rehab is an umbrella term for a full continuum of care with several different levels you may enter. At Quantum we offer:

• Partial Care (PC) – This is a program that offers 20 or more hours of services each week, addressing physical, mental, and emotional instability. You will be supported in your addiction issues, as well as mental health issues in this program, with all programming typically occurring in the daytime for the best possible treatments and support.
• Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOPs) – Our IOP programs provide 9 or more hours of treatment, addressing emotional and psychological challenges alongside the physical challenges of dealing with addiction or dual diagnosis as you go about your normal life. Services are often provided before or after the workday, in the evenings and on weekends.
• Outpatient Program (OP) – this is a customizable individualized treatment plan that provides fewer than 9 hours a week of treatment, with therapeutic approaches to recovery given to help you maintain your sobriety, long-term.

Some of the treatment modalities we employ at Quantum include:

• Traditional individual therapy and group therapy
• Meditation and yoga
• Art and music addiction therapies
• Mental health and addiction treatment
• Vivitrol treatments and other evidence-based practices for drug and alcohol rehab
• 12-step program integration (Alcoholics Anonymous)

Contact Quantum rehab center in NJ today for a long-term outpatient Jersey rehab center after alcohol detox. Our team will help you stay in long-term recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, offering care, sober living support, and dual diagnosis treatment that will heal your mind, body and spirit.