When someone enters a rehabilitation center, detoxification is only the first step in a longer process. The process of detox involves cleaning the system of all alcohol and in general takes about 7-10 days. During this time, there may be a variety of symptoms that arise depending on how bad the dependency on alcohol is. The symptoms can be as mild as headaches and nausea to actually having the DT’s. The detox period is basically the same regardless of the chemical involved in the addiction. How long does it take to detox from alcohol?