Addiction is a complex disease that affects both the mind and body. In order to successfully treat addiction, it’s important that the person is in a healthy mental and physical state. The first step in addiction treatment is detoxification, or getting rid of the substance from one’s system. Detox can be painful, and it’s essential that people seek medically supervised detox from experienced and trained professionals to avoid complications like seizures and other serious medical conditions.
Many drug and alcohol use disorders occur alongside co-occurring disorders, such as anxiety or depression. The symptoms of these disorders can complicate drug withdrawal and make it difficult for the individual to stop using drugs or alcohol. In addition, people who have co-occurring disorders may use drugs or alcohol to mask or hide the symptoms of their disorders. Addressing both of these issues in combination can help individuals recover from drug or alcohol abuse and develop long-lasting coping mechanisms.
The most common form of detox is an inpatient program at a rehab center or residential facility. These programs provide a safe and controlled environment where clients can stay for the length of time that is best suited to their needs. This can be as short as a few days, or it may be a week or more. Inpatient detox programs also offer 24/7 medical and therapeutic care. They can also offer amenities like green space, art and music therapy, nutritional and spiritual advice, and more.
A quality inpatient detox program will have experienced and medically trained staff that can help manage withdrawal symptoms and keep the client as comfortable as possible. They will monitor the client’s blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature to ensure that they don’t experience any dangerous side effects. They will also administer medications to ease withdrawal symptoms, such as benzodiazepines to reduce anxiety and clonidine to mitigate the effects of shakiness and nausea.
Some people try to detox at home, but this can be very risky. Not only do people who attempt to detox at home often have difficulty staying sober in a non-clinical setting, but they also may not be able to access the medication that doctors prescribe to ease their withdrawal symptoms. In addition, if an individual has a severe dependence on opioids, they may not be able to withdraw from the drug without going through a withdrawal syndrome that could be fatal.
It is essential to understand that detox is only the beginning of addiction recovery. While it’s an important first step, detoxification by itself is not typically sufficient to address the underlying psychological, social and behavioral issues that cause addiction. If an individual does not follow up on their detox with a treatment program, they will often resume drug or alcohol use after they have successfully withdrawn from the drug or alcohol. For this reason, it’s important that anyone who wants to recover from addiction seek out a comprehensive treatment plan that includes detox and therapy.
