People who are addicted to drugs or alcohol become accustomed to having these substances in their bodies. When the people who abuse substances become addicted to them, they can experience withdrawal symptoms if they suddenly cease consuming them. Withdrawal’s effects on your body and mind can be nasty and detrimental. This is where detox comes into the picture.
Trying to detox on your own is seldom successful, and numerous failed efforts are likely to result in unwanted withdrawal symptoms and demotivation. Detoxification and managed withdrawal under medical supervision can be a safe and effective method to start your recovery from drug or alcohol issues.
Let us understand the detoxification process and what happens when a person undergoes detoxification.
What is detox?
Detox is an initial process of a rehabilitation program performed to make the person sober. But before beginning the rehab process, it is necessary to remove the addictive substance from the body, which helps make the recovery process smooth. Hence, Detox is the process of removing or cleaning all the remnants of alcohol or drugs from a person’s body, and beginning the therapy by being physically stable.
A professional drug detox program, also known as “medically managed withdrawal,” is a series of arbitrations that are used to carefully manage the negative effects of discontinuing drugs. Prescriptions for drugs that alleviate the physical and psychological symptoms of withdrawal are frequently utilized in this procedure, which helps the person stay focused on the therapeutic recovery process and avoid relapse.
Only trained experts like healthcare professionals, doctors, nurses, and other medical experts can perform the detox well in a detox treatment center.
Alcohol or drugs detox process
Going cold turkey with drugs or alcohol after its long-term use can be dangerous as it can cause delirium, seizures, anxiety, heart strokes, and even death in some cases. Hence it is advisable to go for a medical detox process with the help of clinical professionals. In detoxification, the following things happen:
Medical Assessment:
A thorough medical history, addiction history, and other details of the patients are needed for a doctor or a therapist to start the detoxification process. The patient will undergo a full medical assessment procedure which will help the doctors to understand their requirements and prepare a personalized detox plan according.
Tapering:
Tapering is the practice of gradually lowering the dosage of any substance with time. This procedure allows the body to slowly acclimate to the absence of the drug, reducing its desire to consume and withdrawal symptoms. This technique can be used for substance abuse like alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepine, etc. When it comes to tapering, healthcare practitioners in a drug detox center must use their best judgment as well as tools and guidelines when making decisions.
Withdrawal:
The brain will have to amend to the rapid decline in these chemicals when the substance use is gradually lowered and eliminated during detox. People usually endure a set of unpleasant symptoms known as withdrawal symptoms as a result of this. It is necessary to keep in mind that everyone goes through the detox process differently, and each fresh detox is completely distinct, regardless of whether someone has gone through detox before. The mind reacts in the absence of the substance and withdrawal symptoms can begin after 24-48 hours of the last dose, depending on the substance. Some general withdrawal symptoms are as follows:
Critical withdrawal symptoms:
- Rapid breathing
- Increased or irregular heartbeat
- Seizures
- Delirium Tremens
- Hallucinations
Physical withdrawal symptoms:
- Shaking, shivering, and sweating
- Nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting
- Fatigue and physical weakness
- Loss of appetite
- High temperature/chill and high blood pressure
Psychological withdrawal symptoms:
- Anxiety, nervousness, tension, or worry
- Depression
- Strong cravings for the substance
- Major mood swings
- Insomnia
Other symptoms can be extremely unpleasant and even hazardous, which is why medical supervision is essential during detox.
Withdrawal symptoms vary from person to person and depend upon the period of addiction, type of addictive substance, the consumption amount of the substance, and also their general mental and physical health.
Medications:
If some prescribed drugs can assist with any of the physical or mental symptoms of withdrawal, medical experts recommend them and keep the track of the patient to ensure the meds are working. Therapists can also support the psychological signs of withdrawal, such as anxiety and substance cravings. There is no exact medication that can prevent all types of symptoms but some controlled quantity can be given to help the patient sleep properly, avoid anxiety and depression, and many other problems.
Detoxification period:
How much time the detox process will last depends upon the amount of drug or alcohol consumed by the patient, their physical and mental functioning, and the seriousness of their withdrawal symptoms. It generally lasts for about 7-10 days.
Thus after these steps, the detox is completed and the person is ready to go to the rehab programs to receive the psychological therapy.
Finishing Up:
The person with substance abuse or addiction requires assistance in determining the causes of their addictions, including what led to the first substance usage and what contributes to the ongoing addiction. To properly overcome an addiction, the best course of action is to enroll in a comprehensive rehabilitation program that covers all processes to make the person sober again. Alcohol detox treatment and drug detox treatments are provided accurately by the drug and alcohol detox center which further helps with the rehab process. It is repeatedly advisable not to detox yourself on your own, instead, get the help of medical experts to avoid any unusual circumstances.
