Drug and Alcohol Detox
The first step of most drug rehab centers is often a
detox program. Most programs consider detoxification to simply be drying out,
or withdrawing from the current substances. In most cases, a drug-free social
detox or withdrawal is safe and effective when monitored by trained personnel
in a quality drug rehab program.
Withdrawal from any drug can bring uncomfortable symptoms. Drugs like cocaine, crack, meth or other amphetamines can often be the easiest to initially withdraw from, as it mainly requires a lot of sleep, and then some nutrition. Some delayed symptoms can include anxiety and depression, but they can go away with the proper help, and we do not advise the use of drugs to treat these symptoms.
Opiates like heroin, methadone and other prescription painkillers can be very difficult to withdraw from. Opiate withdrawal is very often accompanied by severe flu-like symptoms, such as muscle and joint pain, nausea and vomiting and an inability to sleep. Sometimes a medical detox facility is used to help ease the withdrawal symptoms, where drugs are administered in a gradually lessening amount until completely tapered off. This is usually done in a hospital type setting and can be accomplished in a few days to two weeks, depending on the drug, the amount taken and how long it has been taken.
There are other drug withdrawals that can be even more severe and possibly life-threatening, calling for a medical detox environment so that other drugs can be administered to offset the possibility of a seizure. Extreme daily alcohol intake often necessitates medical detox, as well as heavy use of benzodiazapines (such as Valium or Xanax), and many psychotropic medication. With some of the latter drugs, the mental withdrawal symptoms can be as severe as the physical, and therefore a gradual decrease in a medically-monitored environment is usually best. The doctor at the rehabilitation facility can determine, usually in advance, whether or not a medical detox will be necessary.
Probably the most important thing to remember is that withdrawal or detox is only the first phase of a successful rehabilitation program. Just drying out rarely solves the entire problem, which is why a longer-term residential drug rehab program is recommended. In addition, there are still toxic residues stored in the tissue, and a regular detox doesn't handle this, so a biophysical program is suggested to be able to completely detoxify the whole body, not just what's floating in the system.
Drug Rehab Resources
NEW! - Listen to the Drug Rehab
Podcast
Push Play Now!