LGBT Drug Treatment Blog

Drug detox is an integral part of drug and alcohol rehab since it is the process of physical withdrawal from the substance of abuse under medical monitoring.  In order to begin the rehab process, the physical symptoms of drug and alcohol abuse must first be addressed and this is done through the process of detox.  We will discuss the details of the drug detox process and how medical detox makes up the entire methodology of a  drug rehab program.

 In most drug and alcohol rehab, detox is a prerequisite to addiction treatment.  Depending on the drug or substance of abuse, medical detox can range from very mild to severe and life-threatening.  Drug and alcohol abuse do extensive damage to the human body and brain, and drug detoxification is designed to help with the damage done to the body, and this process can last from approximately 3-10 days, depending on the addiction and its severity.  The nature of addiction is a dependence which can be physical as well as psychological.  Certain drugs such as alcohol and opiates create a physical addiction that can be very uncomfortable and dangerous during the drug detoxification process, requiring the presence of qualified medical staff to oversee adverse physical effects of withdrawal.  Some symptoms of drug detox from substances such as opiates include vomiting, nausea, headaches, abdominal pains, sweating, and high fever, among other similar symptoms.  For alcohol. the symptoms can be far more severe and life-threatening such as sweating, nausea, vomiting, delirium tremors (DT), black outs and seizures.  Many times in addiction, it is the fear of these withdrawal symptoms that will continue abuse of these substances.  For drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamines, the symptoms of withdrawal are less physically grueling and have more adverse psychological effects such as agitation, severe cravings, headache and extreme fatigue.
 
While drug detox is very common in drug rehab, it is generally considered to be a beginning part of the drug rehabilitation process and not the entire drug rehab process itself.  Despite this widespread opinion that drug detox alone is not enough, there are several drug rehab centers that use the methodology of drug detoxification as the only therapy included in the recovery process.  This methodology is based on the idea that once the physical dependence of drug and alcohol addiction is overcome, the rest is a matter of strong will and dedication to recovery and sobriety.  Often, this methodology is looked at suspiciously given the idea behind drug rehab is to gain the tools to remain sober after addiction treatment and not just the physical withdrawal.  However, this method has worked for millions of addicts over recent years who have found that all they needed was detox treatment.  This can be a particularly difficult part of deciding on drug rehab methodology because it is very hard to assess what addictions need therapy versus which can be overcome through detox treatment alone.  The assessment for how comprehensive drug rehab needs to be for addiction treatment is something that needs very careful consideration as there is no set formula for which addiction cases do and do not require more treatment than detox alone.  Althoug many cases of addiction require therapy and treatment beyond drug detox with the very nature of addiction being defined as a brain disease which does not have a quick and easy treatment.

Although it is not generally recommended, drug detox alone may be a good choice for cessation of prescription medication that has been legitimately prescribed.  Many prescription medications are extremely addictive and dangerous, but the difference between taking them responsibly for legitimate reasons versus recreational purposes is a deciding factor in whether or not they have been abused and require drug rehab after detox treatment.  It is imperative to remember that drug rehab is a process of more than just physical healing after drug or alcohol abuse.  Drug rehab takes a deeper look into the addiction itself, as well as the emotional, mental, and psychological healing.  If there has not been any damage done to the mental, emotional, or psychological aspects of an individual’s life, medical detox alone may be a better fit.  However, when dealing with substance abuse and addiction, very rarely is there a case of addiction without some mental and emotional trauma needing drug rehab.

Depending on the situation and the substance abuse, medical detox may or may not be necessary and should be assessed prior to admission to a drug rehab facility.  While medical detox is an essential part of drug rehab, it is often not enough to be the only part.  Once each individual addiction situation has been assessed to determine the best course of action for recovery, it is only a matter of finding the right drug rehab based on individual philosophies, methodologies, and services offered.

To locate a drug detox program youcan go to www.99detox.com or call 1-800-99-DETOX and someone will be there to assist you day or night.