Detox

Detox for drug and alcohol abuse is a vital part of addiction recovery and treatment. This process helps you overcome the symptoms of dependence and withdrawal. However, it’s important to never tackle this step on your own. No matter what kind of addiction you’re facing, it’s safest to start your recovery at a licensed detox center or rehab facility near you.

What Is Detox?

Detoxification is the process of eliminating a drug from your body while managing the physical symptoms of withdrawal. When a person chooses to be admitted into a detox program, they will receive treatments for their withdrawal symptoms as they transition into recovery and put an end to their dependence on drugs.

Withdrawal is often uncomfortable, painful, and in some cases, even life-threatening. Medically-supervised detox can help people get through the process safely and more easily than if they tried to go through it on their own.

What Happens in Detox?

Detox center staff work hard to provide effective medical treatment.

In a detox treatment center, you may receive medications to treat your withdrawal symptoms. These medications are FDA approved to ease the severity of your physical symptoms, curb drug cravings, and lower your risk of relapse as you progress through recovery.

Depending on the drug used and the severity of your symptoms, a detox could take anywhere from a few days to a week, a month, or even longer. You must be allowed to go through the process at your own pace, depending on your specific situation.

What Medications Are Used in Detox?

Different medications are used to treat different withdrawal syndromes created by different drugs.

Stimulants

Anticraving agents, antipsychotics, and antidepressants may all be necessary for treating stimulant withdrawal.

Opioids

Methadone and buprenorphine are often used to treat opioid withdrawal, and the individual may choose to stay maintained on these drugs afterward. Sometimes the drug clonidine is used as an opioid detox drug as well.

Central Nervous System (CNS) depressants

Usually, other CNS depressants are used to treat withdrawal symptoms. You may be weaned off them slowly because of the severity of the symptoms.

Alcohol

Benzodiazepines are often used to treat alcohol withdrawal symptoms, allowing the individual to be sedated during their detox.

Types of Detox Centers

There are two different types of detox centers: outpatient and inpatient. When a person chooses outpatient care, they will usually go to a facility several times a week (sometimes more) to receive their medication and be checked up on by a doctor. When their session is finished, they’ll go back home. In contrast, individuals who choose inpatient care will receive treatment in a 24-hour facility.

Individuals who require inpatient detox often have more severe issues than those who only require outpatient care.

• Many times, the symptoms of withdrawal can be extremely severe, even deadly. Those recovering from alcohol, benzodiazepine, and barbiturate addiction often need to be in 24-hour care because of the intensity of the symptoms.
• Cocaine and other types of stimulants can cause severe psychological effects during withdrawal, an issue known as toxic psychosis. After a person has abused the drug for a long time, they may experience delirium, hallucinations, and homicidal/suicidal thoughts. This syndrome needs to be treated in an inpatient center.
• People who don’t have extensive social support may also need inpatient treatment during early recovery. When an individual does not have people to watch over them while they’re going through withdrawal, they should be in a 24-hour facility.

Depending on the severity of your withdrawal symptoms, your needs as a client, and your home situation, one of these choices is likely to be more suitable for your needs. In general, outpatient care is usually less expensive, but you can find inpatient centers that will fit your budget if you require this type of care.

Will I Be Cured After Going Through Detox?

No. Detox treats one’s dependence on drugs and alcohol but does not treat addiction. Therefore, it is only the beginning stage of addiction treatment. When a person is no longer dependent on the drug they were abusing, they may still be addicted to it and will require additional treatment. If you choose detox as a safe way to start your recovery, as many people do, you will still need to follow up your treatment with time in rehab.

Transitioning from Detox to Rehab

It’s important to continue on to rehab after completing detox.

Many rehab centers start the process of recovery with detox. This makes the transition easier for the client and helps them stay in the same facility for the duration of their treatment plan. This is often done to protect individuals from leaving detox believing they do not require extra treatment. Those who do often relapse and could even overdose.

If you choose to seek help from a facility specifically designed to provide detox services only, you will need to find a rehab center to attend afterward for addiction treatment. The staff at your detox center will likely help you with this to help you safely make the transition.

Addiction Treatment After Detox

When you begin addiction treatment, you might continue taking the same medications you did in detox. For example, some individuals choose to stay on methadone maintenance during addiction treatment. You may also choose to go on a different medication or be weaned off pharmacological treatments altogether as you move forward in your recovery. In rehab, you will also receive access to behavioral therapies that will help change your beliefs and attitudes toward substance abuse.