Even if you haven’t been through it yet, you’ve seen it in movies. The media paint drug withdrawal as a horrific and grueling physical illness and terrifying hallucinations. The truth is, watching a drug detox scene on a screen cannot even begin to depict what the process is truly like. If you are currently considering medical detox, you should be prepared with what to expect.
Surveys say that over 10% of adults in the United States are currently recovering from a substance use disorder. That’s more than 25 million people who have gone through drug or alcohol detox and won. 25 million people have found a way to overcome substance use disorder and live a healthy lifestyle. No matter how hard the journey is, there is a destination in sight. Whether you’re reading this to learn about medical detox for your addiction or someone you know, remember that there is hope. If 25 million people have achieved freedom from addiction in this country alone, so can you.
What Is Medical Detox?
Medical detox, also known as medically assisted treatment or medical intervention, is prescribing specialized medications to ease drug or alcohol withdrawal symptoms and decrease the chances of relapse.
Medical detox can soothe the severity of symptoms, reduce cravings, and minimize the possibility of relapse. Medical detox relies on medications, which can affect each person differently. Side effects and drug interactions with specific medications and dosages will vary greatly from one person to another, so medical professionals must carefully supervise any medically assisted drug treatment plan for your health and safety.
Quitting cold turkey without professional help is incredibly difficult and often less successful. Relapse is much more likely, along with relapse-induced overdose. It is ill-advised to go through drug detox alone when so many other options are available to make the process more bearable.
Choose to undergo drug or alcohol withdrawal under the supervision of a local medical detox and rehab facility. You will have access to a wide range of treatments, counselors, activities, and medications to make the process more comfortable. Some of the treatments and activities offered by a professional medical detox center are:
- Exercise and workouts with a trainer
- Massage
- Art therapy
- Dietary supplements and vitamin replenishment
- Medically assisted treatment
- Yoga
- Meditation and mindfulness
Professional Medical Detox and Rehab Facilities
If other methods haven’t worked for you, medical detox and medically assisted rehab may be the answer that will finally kickoff your recovery journey. A good medical detox center and drug rehab program will provide you with the right tools and mindset to free you from addiction and help you achieve sobriety for the long term.
Professionally supervised rehab programs and detox centers offer numerous benefits to recovering addicts. Studies presented by the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services and Addiction Journal agree that people who complete professional drug or alcohol treatment programs have significantly higher long-term recovery rates.
Professional medical detox and rehab will also offer you:
Dual Diagnosis Treatment
Most high-quality substance abuse treatment programs offer dual diagnosis – the diagnosis of underlying emotional and mental health conditions that contribute to addiction. This type of diagnosis requires a full biosocial and psychological evaluation by a licensed psychiatrist.
Once a dual diagnosis has been made, doctors and counselors can formulate a treatment plan that addresses addiction and co-occurring mental illness. Treating both conditions simultaneously is considerably more effective than treating them separately. Dual diagnosis is also important to medical detox programs since psychiatric medications to treat mental conditions can be important to helping the patient cope with emotional withdrawal symptoms.
Professionally Trained Staff
An experienced and licensed staff is one of the most important benefits of a professional drug detox and rehab center. This assortment of doctors, psychiatrists, nurses, and counselors can help you through every aspect of the detox and rehabilitation process. They can make a diagnosis, prescribe medicines, recommend personalized treatments, and help you sort through all of the baggage and emotion that comes with addiction. Professionals like these can also recognize the danger signs of severe drug or alcohol withdrawal symptoms and prescribe the right treatments to reduce their associated risks. Soliciting the help of trained medical staff will make for a much safer drug or alcohol detox experience.
Transitioning from Detox into Rehab
Drug detox is only a small part of a successful recovery journey. 15% or less of those who go through detox treatment alone attain long-term sobriety, while more than 45% of those who complete rehab continue to a long recovery. These numbers indicate that drug detox only addresses part of the problem.
Detox happens as your body sheds its physical dependency on illicit substances, while drug rehabilitation treats the deeper psychological side of addiction. Addiction is both physical and psychological. On one side, your brain and body become dependent on substances after long-term abuse. Other factors, such as social anxiety or stress, contribute to psychological addictions. It is imperative to go through comprehensive drug or alcohol rehab treatment to explore these psychological components and identify the triggers that go with them.
Under the supervision of a professional substance abuse treatment program, the transition into rehab can begin during the medical detox process so that as drug withdrawal symptoms ebb, rehab treatment can be integrated into your daily activities. The faster you can transition into a rehabilitation schedule, the faster you can begin to understand the psychological factors that underlie your physical addiction.
Once you have completed medically assisted drug or alcohol treatment, there is a wide range of resources in every state to assist recovering addicts in their day-to-day journeys. Your local drug or alcohol rehab center can provide you with a list of support groups and local counseling services so that you have the right resources to continue with your lifelong recovery journey.
Contact Northpoint Seattle Today to Learn More About Medical Detox
Perhaps you have tried some traditional detox or rehab programs but were unable to complete them successfully, or maybe you’re hoping to do it right the first time. Whatever your situation, you must keep in mind that no drug or alcohol treatment program is a quick fix.
Recovery is a lifelong journey that you will have to struggle with and overcome every day. It won’t be easy, and it won’t be quick, but it can be successful. Tens of millions of people around the world are in recovery right now. You can be one of them.
Give us a call today at 425.414.3530 to learn more about medical detox and all of your treatment options.