Drug addiction is a very dangerous habit that can take over your life. You may be addicted to illicit drugs like heroin or prescribed medications like codeine. You spend your money on these drugs instead of groceries and search for more drugs instead of going to work. Detoxing (treating for drug addiction) off of drugs is no easy task. You can get severe withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, restlessness, excessive sweating and hallucinations. There are specific steps to take to detox off drugs.
Step 1
Go to your family doctor and obtain prescription-strength medication to help you detox off your specific drug addiction. For example, methadone can help treat opioid addiction and naltrexone can help treat alcohol dependence.
Step 2
Obtain outpatient (outside of the hospital) behavioral treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy, multidimensional family therapy, motivational interviewing and motivational incentive therapy. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, cognitive behavioral therapy helps you recognize and avoid your drug abuse. Multidimensional therapy focuses on family dynamics to help you understand the root of your drug abuse. Motivational interviewing is a specific technique that helps motivate and empower you to stop abusing drugs. The motivational incentive technique focuses on the reward system to help you detox off drugs. Discuss with your doctor which behavioral treatment is best for your drug abuse.
Step 3
Join a self-help group. Research the Internet, peruse the phone book or ask your doctor for recommendations. For example, Alcoholics Anonymous is an organization specifically geared to providing support to alcoholics. Narcotics Anonymous is a group that provides support for people addicted to such medications as sedatives and narcotics, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Step 4
Live in a residential community specific to detoxing off of drugs. The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that you will live in a treatment center for about six to 12 months. Here, treatment counselors will help guide you when you have withdrawal symptoms and listen to you when you have cravings. An example of a residential community is a program called Therapeutic Communities of America.
Things You'll Need
- Prescription-strength detox medication such as methadone or naltrexone
