Detoxification is a process by which a drug-addicted patient withdraws from any substance his body has become dependent upon. During detox, which is best done under medical supervision, you will gradually reduce the amount of drugs you take until your body no longer needs them. This process can take anywhere from three to seven days, depending on the drug and severity of your addiction.
How It Works
Detox involves the systematic withdrawal from drugs. This can be done on an inpatient as well as an outpatient basis, depending on the severity of your addiction. Addiction to drugs such as opiates, alcohol and benzodiazepines poses a higher risk for dangerous withdrawal symptoms compared to marijuana or occasional drug abuse.
Inpatient Detox
In inpatient detox, an addiction specialist will gather information on what drugs you take as well as the frequency and length of abuse. These questions will determine what your withdrawal symptoms will be, how long it will take to detox and what kind of medications, if any, you will need to ease symptoms of withdrawal, or stave off dangerous symptoms such as seizures, rapid heart beat and palpitations.
In an inpatient setting, you are monitored on a 24-hour basis. You will also have support from other recovering drug addicts who will be in different phases of their own recovery. The benefits you will experience in inpatient detox include being removed from an environment in which you can easily acquire drugs, separation from friends who pose a negative influence and freedom from an environment that reminds you of using.
Outpatient Detox
Outpatient detox begins on the same trajectory as inpatient detox. You're evaluated by an addiction specialist and enrolled in a program that could involve being weaned off of drugs while taking medications to ease withdrawal symptoms and minimize associated anxiety. Unlike in an inpatient setting, you won't have the security of being in an environment void of triggers that feed your addictions.
Methods
In 2005, the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy outlined a list of scientifically based approaches to drug-addiction treatment. Agonist maintenance treatment for opiate addicts uses a long-acting synthetic medication, such as methadone, to prevent opiate withdrawal, block the effects opiate abuse and decrease craving. Medical detoxification is a distinct treatment method designed to minimize the acute physiological effects of stopping addiction. Medications such as benzodiazepines and sedatives may be used for medical necessity, especially when withdrawal poses dangerous or even fatal risks.
The First Step
Drug addiction is a chronic disease. The Caron Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers reports that relapse rates in addiction vary from about 50 percent to 90 percent. Relapse can be triggered by anger, frustration, despair, hopelessness and even positive emotional states. Detox is only the first step in recovery. Getting off drugs is not equivalent to staying drug-free. Still, the risk of relapse decreases significantly if you participate in a drug addiction program, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse
