The First 72 Hours: A Woman’s Experience With Alcohol Withdrawal Treatment in Rhode Island

When Melissa decided to stop drinking, she didn’t picture herself in treatment.

She pictured just stopping!

She was a married mother of two. She managed school drop-offs, dinner, work emails, and weekend soccer games. Her drinking didn’t look dramatic; it was usually one glass at night, sometimes more, and sometimes way more than she planned!

For years, she told herself it was stress relief, something to take the edge off, something she deserved.

Until it wasn’t working anymore!

The Night She Tried to Quit on Her Own

Melissa had tried cutting back before. She made rules:

• Only weekends
• Only 2 glasses
• No drinking before 8 pm

The rules never lasted.

One Sunday night, after finishing a bottle she didn’t intend to open, she decided she was done. No tapering, no plan. Just done!

By Monday afternoon, she felt anxious, restless, and sweaty. Her heart felt like it was beating harder than usual.

By that night, her hands were trembling!

She didn’t tell her husband at first. She thought it would pass.

However, it didn’t! 

When Withdrawal Became Real

By the next morning, Melissa couldn’t focus. She felt nauseated, she couldn’t sleep, and her anxiety was sharp and constant.

What scared her most was how quickly it escalated.

She had no idea that alcohol withdrawal symptoms could be like this. She assumed detox meant discomfort, or maybe a little bit of irritability. What she didn’t expect were physical symptoms that felt unpredictable.

That’s when she realized quitting alone might not be safe.

Why Alcohol Withdrawal Can Be Dangerous?

Many people don’t realize that alcohol withdrawal can be quite serious, especially if you’ve been drinking for a long time or consume alcohol daily.

Symptoms can include:

• Severe anxiety
• Tremors
• High blood pressure
• Hallucinations
• Seizures
• Delirium tremens (DTs)

Not everyone experiences severe withdrawal, but there’s no sure-shot way of knowing who will.

For Melissa, this uncertainty became more frightening than asking for help.

Reaching Out for Alcohol Withdrawal Treatment in Rhode Island

Telling her husband was harder than making the call. She expected him to be angry. Instead, he showed genuine concern.

Soon, they reached out to Rhode Island Addiction Treatment Centers and spoke with a professional about alcohol withdrawal treatment in Rhode Island.

She learned that detox doesn’t mean suffering, as you face the symptoms. It’s about medical monitoring, stabilization, and safety.

At RIATC, we medically supervise alcohol withdrawal treatment. We monitor the symptoms closely and manage them as they develop.

That reassurance mattered a lot to Melissa.

The First 24 Hours: Stabilization

The first day at women’s rehab wasn’t dramatic. It was structured.

• Melissa underwent a medical evaluation. 
• Her vital signs were checked regularly. 
• She was given medication to reduce anxiety and the risk of severe complications.

She expected judgment, but instead, she experienced routine.

There was something grounding about knowing professionals were watching her symptoms and adjusting care in real time.

For the first time in months, she felt like she didn’t have to manage everything alone.

Hours 24 – 48: The Peak

The second day was harder.

• Her anxiety spiked.
• She felt restless and emotionally raw. 
• Sleep came in short stretches. 
• She cried unexpectedly.

But this time the symptoms were expected.

Nurses explained what was happening and why. They adjusted her medication and monitored her blood pressure. When her tremors increased, our staff was already aware.

Instead of panic, there was supervision.

Hours 48 – 72: The Shift

By the third day, something began to change.

• The physical intensity decreased. 
• Her thinking felt clearer. 
• The fog that had followed her for years started to lift.

Emotionally, she felt exposed. Without alcohol numbing her stress, she felt everything more sharply.

But she also felt steady.

That steadiness came from knowing she had gotten through the hardest part safely.

What Surprised Her Most

Melissa expected detox to feel like a punishment.

Instead, it felt like stabilization.

She wasn’t pressured into therapy immediately. She wasn’t expected to solve her entire life in 3 days. 

The focus was simply on:

• Safety
• Comfort
• Monitoring
• Gradual adjustment

That foundation made continuing treatment feel possible.

Why Medical Alcohol Withdrawal Treatment Matters?

Trying to detox on your own can be a risky situation. Even people who have done it before experience severe withdrawal symptoms later.

Medical alcohol withdrawal treatment in Rhode Island reduces:

• The risk of seizures
• Dangerous blood pressure spikes
• Dehydration
• Relapse during withdrawal
• Panic during symptom escalation

After the First 72 Hours

Detox wasn’t the end of her story.

Once her condition and symptoms stabilized, Melissa transitioned into continued treatment. She began therapy to understand why alcohol had become her coping strategy.

She worked on stress management, boundaries, and communication. She learned to sit with discomfort without reaching for a bottle.

But none of that would have been possible if she hadn’t sought medical supervision in those first 72 hours!

A Final Reflection

Melissa’s story isn’t unusual. Many women try to quit drinking quietly, hoping it won’t be that hard. Some get through mild symptoms, while others experience withdrawal that becomes overwhelming faster than expected.

Alcohol withdrawal can affect you severely, even if you appear normal on the outside. And being a parent, a spouse, or a working person doesn’t reduce the risks.

If you’re thinking about stepping away from drinking but aren’t sure how to go about it, medical support can make a frightening experience into a safe one.

At Rhode Island Addiction Treatment Centers, we closely monitor alcohol withdrawal treatment in Rhode Island and make sure it is structured and safe from the very first hour. 

You don’t have to guess what will happen. And you certainly don’t have to go through the symptoms on your own.

If you are considering detox, give us a call today. 

A confidential conversation can help you understand your options and take the next step safely!