Detoxification, or detox, is the process of removing toxins caused by drugs and alcohol in the body. It also refers to the process by which the body metabolizes and processes intoxicating substances out of its system. The process is designed to clear the toxic influence of these substances from the body.
There are two main types of drug and alcohol detox. The first involves medically supervised, managed, and assisted detox. Through this type of treatment, you will undergo the process under the care of mental health and medical process.
There is also clinically managed or social detox. This is a non-medical strategy that takes place in the short term. Most of the programs that offer this service will offer hands-on treatment services such as professional support and peer encouragement. Others will just provide you with a room in which to clear your body of the toxic influence of drugs and alcohol.
There are three primary stages involved in the detox process. The first revolves around evaluation. The goal of evaluation is to assess the presence and level of drugs and alcohol in the blood stream through blood testing, and other tests involving the urine and the breath.
Evaluation will also assess the state of your mental health as well as uncover any other medical issues that you might also be struggling with. Through this process, the treatment team will be able to create an appropriate recovery strategy for you.
After evaluation, you will go through stabilization, which will take up the greatest amount of time in the detox process. You will be acclimatized to the process as well as receive the psychological and medical services that would be useful in treating your withdrawal symptoms.
Once you have been stabilized, the recovery team will build your motivation for ongoing treatment on an inpatient or outpatient basis. This is because you need more than detox to achieve full recovery from substance abuse and addiction.
The detox process is an important first step on the road to recovery. If you have been abusing drugs or alcohol, you will first need to go through this process before you can overcome your growing substance dependence, tolerance, and addiction.
Dependence refers to the process by which your body would be so used to the presence of addictive substances that it will not be able to function normally unless you use these substances.
If you stop taking the drugs or drinking alcohol after developing dependence, you will experience some adverse effects. These effects are known as withdrawal symptoms. Most of them are painful - and they can be both psychological and physical.
Detox is particularly recommended if you have been abusing drugs that cause negative withdrawal symptoms, such as alcohol, hypnotic and sedative drugs, and opioids - such as prescription pain relief medications.
Due to the adverse effects that arise with withdrawal syndromes, it is recommended that you do not attempt the detox process on your own. Instead, you should check into a licensed and accredited facility that can guide this process on your behalf - which ensuring your health and wellness during the early stages of your recovery from substance abuse and addiction.
Learning what treatment is best for you or your loved one is easy. Speak to one of our trained counselors and let them guide you to the best treatment options available for your specific needs.