How to Prepare for Your First Detox Appointment

You’ve decided to seek help in overcoming your addiction to drugs or alcohol. What comes next? Logic would seem to dictate that you need to attend a rehab, receive counseling, or join a 12 step group. Do you need to do anything else? Discover how to prepare for your first detox appointment, and begin the recovery journey.

Understand the Detox Process

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the first step in the addiction treatment process is detox. In order to prepare for your first detox appointment, you need to understand detox, the means by which drugs or alcohol are removed from your system and their lingering effects are eliminated.

Its purpose is to remove your dependence on these harmful substances, allowing you to continue with treatment for the underlying causes of your addiction. Detox may be assisted by medications or may need to simply run its course. Regardless of the method used, detox always comes with withdrawal symptoms that can range from mild to severe and must be closely monitored and treated when necessary.

Ask Questions

Asking questions is the best way to get information. You cannot be too well informed, especially about something as important as your health. Some of the questions you should ask before your first detox appointment are:

You can learn more about detox and find the best facility for your needs by calling our helpline.

• What should I bring?
• How long is the detox process expected to last?
• What withdrawal symptoms should I expect?
• What will you do to minimize withdrawal symptoms?
• What, if any, medications will I need to take?
• Do you provide 24-hour monitoring of patients?
• Do you provide counseling during the detox process?

You should not hesitate to ask any other questions that you may have. Being informed will allow you to have realistic goals and maintain optimism leading up to detox.

Keep a Positive Outlook

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, hope is the foundation of recovery. Doing your best to remain optimistic about your treatment and focusing on why you chose to seek help for your addiction can mean the difference between success and failure. Anyone is capable of overcoming addiction if they choose to do so. It is not easy, but it can be done if you remain determined to do so.

Manage Expectations

While it is important to remain positive about your detox, it can be damaging to have exceedingly high expectations. After all, detox is merely the first step in recovering from addiction. It is not recovery, itself.

By asking the right questions about what to expect from detox and setting realistic goals for yourself, you can manage your expectations and avoid disappointment and loss of motivation when you are not miraculously cured of your addiction after detox.

Find a Detox Center

In order to safely detox, it is important that you find a detox center that understands what you need and is able to provide it. Actually finding such a place can be a daunting task. However, calling us at 800-996-6135(Who Answers?) can make the process much easier. Let us help you find a detox center that can start you down the road to a successful recovery.