Worldwide, as many as 35 million people suffer from drug abuse. Drug abuse is a disorder that is hard to stop. Many addicts don’t have the opportunity to get proper treatment either.
Medical detox is arguably one of the best methods to stop drug addiction in its tracks. But what is medical detox and how does it work? How effective is it?
Keep reading and learn more about the process of medical detox from drugs and why it’s important.
What You Need to Know About Medical Detox
You likely have heard the word detox before. People casually use this word to describe a variety of practices. You can go through a diet detox to rid your body of bad food.
You can also go through detox to rid yourself of harmful drugs. The idea of getting sober can be intimidating for some people. Some may think that it is an impossible, ongoing task.
While getting sober can be very difficult, it isn’t impossible. The first step is to go through the detox process. There are different ways in which you can detox.
The word detox insinuates that you will remove toxins from your body. This is essentially what you do when you take the first step toward getting sober. When your body is full of addictive drugs, your body will continue craving those drugs to function.
This is because your body will be accustomed to the presence of those drugs. Without your addictive substance of choice, your body will start to experience an array of negative symptoms. These are known as withdrawal symptoms.
Depending on the severity of your addiction, the withdrawal symptoms can be very severe. These symptoms are your body’s way of reacting to the lack of the drugs that it relied on for so long. After the withdrawal symptoms are over, your body will calm down again.
The Details
It is at that point after the withdrawal symptoms that your body can start functioning normally without the presence of addictive drugs. This process may sound straightforward, but it is different for everyone. The point of the detox process is to get any harmful substances out of your system.
It is possible to do this on your own, but it is not recommended. Detoxing alone without any support can be dangerous. This is especially true if you have been addicted to a hard drug for a long time.
Your body will have a harder time adjusting to the lack of the drug. Some withdrawal symptoms can be fatal if you don’t have the right support. This is why medical detox is so important.
Medical detox takes place in a detox center filled with professionals. These professionals help you to get through the detox process as safely as possible. This will reduce any risks that may occur during the detox process.
Inpatient detox allows you to stay at the center for several days or weeks. You will have the opportunity to rest your body and recuperate while you’re there. You can also get evidence-based addiction treatment to stop your addiction in its tracks.
This should also help you keep from relapsing in the future. But what is the detox process like and how can you prepare yourself?
For any other questions regarding treatment duration, pricing information, or facility locations, you can simply call their helplines to get all the information you need in one call.
What to Expect From the Medical Detox Process
A medical detox center can help manage your withdrawal symptoms. This will help ensure that the medical detox process is not too severe. You might wonder if medical detox is necessary for your substance abuse problem.
There are several signs that this treatment might be the best choice. One of the major signs is dependence. Dependence is when you are unable to function without abusing a particular substance.
Going without the substance for even a short period may make you feel uncomfortable or in pain. You may not be able to think straight without consuming that substance. These are all signs that you are dependent on a substance.
Medical detox can fix the problem.
The detox process will remove the substance from your system over time. Once the substance is out of your system, you should start to feel much better. This is sometimes done in the cold turkey style.
This is when you suddenly stop taking the addictive substance. This is a dangerous method and is not done very often. The better option is to take less and less of the addictive substance.
Certain medications can help you with this. This slight decrease is safer because it won’t shock the system as the cold turkey method would. The detox process will still be unpleasant because your body will still crave the addictive drug.
What You Need to Know
As your body is exposed to smaller amounts of the drug, large quantities of it will leave your system over several days. Sometimes, it takes several weeks before your body is completely clear of the drug. During medical detox, your detox process is closely monitored by professionals.
If the professionals see that you are at risk of experiencing dangerous detox symptoms, they may provide medication to make it easier. The detox process is the hardest part of the entire process of getting sober. This is because it is the most physically unpleasant.
Many people attempt to quit the process when they’re getting started. This is because the withdrawal symptoms are so severe and painful. It is necessary to push past this discomfort if you want to get sober.
When you’re under the care of trained medical professionals, you will have all the support you need to get through it. Detoxing with these professionals will make it far more likely for the detox process to work. If you try to do it on your own, it will likely fail.
This is because you will be too tempted to get more drugs to make the withdrawal symptoms stop. Failing the detox process can make you depressed. It may cause you to give up on the idea of getting sober.
With proper medical detoxing, you will be one step closer to getting sober and improving your life.
Understanding the Withdrawal Symptoms
You now know the basics of the medical detox process. But what kind of symptoms will you experience during this process? Withdrawal symptoms are different for everyone.
The severity of the symptoms correlates with the severity of your addiction. If you were addicted to meth for many years, your withdrawal symptoms will be severe. If you only recently got addicted to a drug, your withdrawal symptoms will not be as serious.
This is because your body hasn’t yet had the time to develop a serious reliance on the drug. It also has not become accustomed to the presence of the drug for many years. Common withdrawal symptoms involve mood changes such as agitation, anger, anxiety, fear, and paranoia.
A person going through withdrawals may become violent or suicidal. This is one of the many reasons why it is necessary to have a staff of trained professionals on hand. If the patient becomes a danger to themselves or others, the professionals can take care of the issue.
There are also many physical symptoms that you may experience. Muscle pain, chills, fatigue, thirst, and excessive hunger are all common. The person may experience a severe craving for addictive drugs.
What to Know
This is the body’s way of reacting to the lack of these drugs. The brain’s normal rhythms won’t be able to function properly again until the drugs are out of your system. Only then can the brain start producing hormones and other chemicals as usual.
Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, cramping, and diarrhea. The symptoms tend to be similar to a bad case of the flu. In more severe cases, some of the symptoms may be very dangerous.
Seizures can occur in some people. This is more likely to happen if the addict stopped taking a substance suddenly. This would shock the system and make it more likely for dangerous symptoms to occur.
Withdrawal symptoms can persist for several days. After a week, the worst of the symptoms should be over. After a few more weeks, the substance should be out of the person’s system.
All About Medical Detox
Medical detox is a necessary process that helps drug addicts get sober. It involves being supported by medical professionals as you go through withdrawal symptoms. After going through withdrawals, your body should be detoxed and cleared of the harmful substance.
To learn more about it, explore more content on our site.
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