5 Signs Inpatient Drug Detox is Right for You

According to SAMHSA, inpatient drug detox is the highest level of care for those who need “24-hour care in an acute care inpatient setting.” If you are wondering if inpatient drug detox is right for you, here are five signs that you should consider this type of care.

For more information about inpatient detox, or for help finding a facility that meets your needs, call 800-996-6135(Who Answers?) today!

1. No Support System

If you do not have a strong support system, you may need to go into inpatient detox, as you will be dealing with many problematic symptoms and (likely) cravings as well. When an individual does not have a strong support system to back them up, it can be harder to get through this difficult time, and a trained medical staff caring for you around the clock can help with this.

2. Specific Symptoms

Those struggling with addiction and emotional disorders should seek inpatient drug detox.

Going through detox can be very difficult, and your symptoms will vary depending on the drug you were taking. For example, those who abused meth and other stimulants will experience depression and possibly even suicidal thoughts. Those dependent on opioids will be in constant pain for at least several days, making it difficult to do anything.

If you believe you can handle your symptoms on your own, you may want to rethink it. If you have been abusing drugs for a long time, withdrawal symptoms can be very strong and painful. You may want to consider inpatient treatment, especially if you are withdrawing from a substance like alcohol where symptoms can be deadly.

3. High Psychiatric Severity

According to the The Psychiatric Quarterly, “Patients with high psychiatric severity… are predicted to have a better outcome in inpatient treatment.” It is common for drug abusers and addicts to suffer from other mental disorders such as:

• Bipolar disorder
• Depression
• Anxiety disorder
• Schizophrenia

If you suffer from one of these disorders, you might want to consider inpatient detox so that you can be cared for and treated for all possible issues. Detox will be a difficult time, and the correct treatment of all potential psychiatric issues will be important to your eventual recovery.

4. Problems at Home

Does being at home make it difficult for you to quit? Perhaps you live with another individual who abuses drugs or know that you would be tempted to relapse if you attended outpatient drug detox. If this is the case, inpatient detox may be necessary to help keep you away from triggers during this time. As stated by Harvard Medical School, “No single approach to detoxification is guaranteed to be the best for all [individuals].”

5. Transitioning into Drug Addiction Treatment

For many individuals, detox is not the end of treatment. While the program can be beneficial toward “managing acute intoxication and withdrawal,” it is not a treatment for addiction (SAMHSA). If you have tried to attend addiction treatment in the past and not been successful, it might be helpful if you attend inpatient detox and transition straight into inpatient drug addiction treatment afterward. This could make it less likely that you leave treatment early and may help you stay on the path to recovery.

Find inpatient detox centers across the country by searching our directory, or call us at 800-996-6135(Who Answers?) to speak with a treatment specialist. 

Sources

1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2006). Quick Guide for Administrators Based on TIP 45: Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment.
2. The Psychiatric Quarterly. (1993). Inpatient vs outpatient treatment for substance dependence revisited.
3. Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School. (2005). Treating opiate addiction, Part I: Detoxification and maintenance.
4. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2006). Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment- 1 Overview, Essential Concepts, and Definitions in Detoxification.