If it feels like alcohol or drugs have taken over your life and you’re considering detoxing, asking for professional help is a critical step in beginning your recovery.
Detoxification is defined as “a set of interventions aimed at managing acute intoxication and withdrawal.” by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services. They add that “Supervised detoxification may prevent potentially life-threatening complications that might appear if the patient is left untreated.”
Since drug withdrawal symptoms can be extremely painful and hard to endure, patients should seek professional medical help during the process. Going cold turkey alone may seem like a quick way to get clean, but it can often lead to medical problems or a relapse, especially if a patient is addicted to opoid drugs.
The three main steps involved in detoxification are evaluation, stabilization, and transfer to treatment programs or rehab detox centers. Additional treatment techniques vary from center to center and can include therapy and medical treatment. Patients are supported throughout their recovery and are often taught ways to manage their addiction after the end of the program.
There are a variety of detox centers out there that offer different treatment plans like alcohol detox centers and rapid detox centers, so be sure to choose the one that will help you the most. Consider the quality of the program, the distance from your home, the rate of success, and the services offered.
Everyone’s recovery is different and you need to find the program that will help your specific case of addiction. Alcohol detox centers may not be suited to handle someone with an opiate addiction, for instance, because the approaches are quite different.
Take the first step in your recovery and find a drug or alcohol detox center that will help you start a new life.
