Alcohol Recovery Timeline: How Long Does It Take to Recover?

Alcoholism is an exhausting way of life.

Waking up hungover gets old. Working really hard to just keep your head above water begins to wear you down. Realizing your family and loved ones are suffering from your addictive habit weighs heavy on your heart. Knowing every single morning that you don’t control your own life (because alcohol does) does you in.

And, because of these difficult realities, you’ve tried to swear off drinking countless times. But to no avail.

That is, until now.

With the right support, you can get sober. You’ve long been ready to forge a thriving, sober life.

Recovery starts by preparing your mind for what’s to come. Learn what an average alcoholism recovery timeline looks like and why inpatient alcohol recovery is safer and more successful than trying to detox alone.

Words of Encouragement as You Embark on Alcohol Recovery

As you may have learned from a source or a sober confidant, detoxing from alcohol can be a grueling task. During the entire withdrawal, detoxification and sobriety process, it’s incredibly common for recovering addicts to feel lost, emotional, frustrated, confused and insecure about their ability to lead a clean life.

Before we discuss the alcohol recovery timeline, it’s important to note that every addict will experience withdrawal and alcohol detox symptoms differently.

As you review the timeline, remember that all you need to do to achieve sobriety is to continue to put one foot in front of the other. Take the process hour by hour if you have to; focus on making it through each 24-hour cycle without a drink.

Once you arrive at the better end of a week or two, you will undoubtedly begin to feel mentally, emotionally and physically better. Use these newfound feelings as motivation to keep going.

Alcoholism Recovery Timeline

The alcohol recovery timeline can give you a general sense of when alcohol withdrawal symptoms develop and how long they can last:

Your last drink was 6-12 hours ago:

Depending on the severity of your addiction – how much you drank and for how long – mild withdrawal symptoms can start to emerge after just six hours, such as:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Shaking
• Insomnia

Your last drink was 24 hours ago:

After remaining abstinent from alcohol for an entire day, withdrawal symptoms can become more intense, such as:

• Hand tremors
• Disorientation
• Seizures

Your last drink was 48 hours ago:

Day two of alcohol detox can still deliver powerful, painful symptoms, such as:

• Panic attacks
• Hallucinations

Your last drink was 3-7 days ago:

While some individuals may start to notice withdrawal symptoms subsiding, symptoms can also become life-threatening. For example, delirium tremens (DTs) can emerge throughout the first week of alcohol detoxification.

DTs typically occur in alcohol addicts who abruptly stop drinking after a long period of excessive alcohol use. Delirium tremens symptoms include:

• Severe hallucinations
• Body tremors
• Disorientation
• Seizures
• Death, in extreme cases

Your last drink was 7+ days ago:

For most recovering alcoholics, alcohol withdrawal symptoms can begin to ease off. Mild symptoms can stick around for one to four additional weeks.

What Happens After All Symptoms Dissipate?

While in the thick of detoxification, it can seem like this is the hardest work you will ever do in your life. For most, however, remaining committed to a sober tomorrow can prove to be harder.

Once you become sober, your triggers and temptations, unfortunately, do not disappear. But enlisting the support of trained detox professionals can help you not only detox safely and as comfortably as possible, but also learn how to deal with triggers and manage toxic situations without turning to alcohol to get away from every problem.

Alcohol Recovery at an Established Addiction Treatment Facility

Alcohol recovery is never a one-size-fits-all process. Because several alcohol withdrawal symptoms can become life-threatening medical situations, there is certainly a level of unpredictability in the
detox process. This is why trying to detox at home without detox management and medical professionals is not recommended.

Entering addiction rehab at a prominent treatment center is the safest, most advantageous route.

Since alcohol has fundamentally altered your brain’s chemistry and ceasing all alcohol consumption can cause the mind and body to exhibit erratic, detrimental symptoms, a medically supervised detox is imperative.

Here’s how your alcohol recovery journey will be supported at an addiction treatment facility:

• You will receive 24/7 medical attention and care. Since most withdrawal symptoms can easily be managed with medication, your recovery will be made as comfortable as possible.
• Your alcohol recovery plan will be personalized to fit your exact needs. Additionally, as you continue to progress through treatment, your recovery plan will be revised and updated to ensure you’re receiving the most tailored treatment.
• You will enter into individualized and group (gender-specific) therapy sessions that will teach you to identify self-destructive behavioral patterns, thoughts, beliefs and emotions; you will also learn critical life skills, like how to restructure your mind to ward off triggers and replace negative thoughts and actions with positive ones.
• You will be mentored by inspiring coaches to dig deep, soul search, establish new goals and find the divine presence in your life.

In addition, attending an inpatient alcohol recovery program delivers an unparalleled opportunity to step away from negative people and influences while completing addiction rehab distraction-free.

Alcoholism Addiction Treatment at Covenant Hills

Getting sober is a life-altering event. It takes an all-encompassing approach to navigate the entire detox process and arrive at a healthy, sober mental and physical state.

At Covenant Hills, we believe that addiction is a symptom of a deeper issue that is best addressed in the context of relationship and grace.

At our treatment facility, your whole person health will be addressed through our faith-based alcoholism treatment program. You mind, body, soul and spirit will be met with expert, compassionate care and support that can help you reclaim overall health that not only benefits you, but also your entire family.

In addition to our detox assistance, we also offer world-class therapy and unparalleled relapse prevention curriculum.

Learn about our gender-specific, faith-based alcohol addiction treatment programs, or contact us for a free and confidential assessment.