Medical drug detoxification is a vital first step in recovering from drug abuse. Medical detox is usually conducted in a facility under the supervision and guidance of medical professionals, and is the process by which the substance is eliminated from the body. Granite Recovery Centers provides medical detoxification for people who do not need immediate medical intervention, are not a danger to themselves and are capable of self-evacuation in the event of an emergency. How does medical detox work:
Evaluation
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) identifies three broad steps of detox care, the first being “evaluation.”
Before medical detox commences, care providers must understand which drugs and substances the patient has in their system and are seeking to stop abusing. They should also be made aware of any co-occurring mental disorders and any other relevant patient history. This gives the staff an idea of what treatments may be appropriate, as well as which withdrawal effects to expect. The patient is familiarized with the detox process, its general timeline, and the side effects to expect throughout. These can vary significantly with the individual’s history and the severity of drug abuse.
Stabilization
The next phase of medical drug detox, identified by SAMHSA as “stabilization,” consists of managing patient symptoms and keeping them comfortable once they stop drug use.
When drug or alcohol abusers discontinue use, uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms usually arise which can vary in intensity and duration with the drug being discontinued. Withdrawal can provoke extreme emotional reactions in patients, including anxiety, depression, and sometimes even suicidal ideation.
The job of medical staff is to monitor the patient’s physical, emotional and mental well-being, and to ensure that difficult emotional states do not turn into self- harm. This is accomplished through an environment that is built to prevent relapse, keep patients from acting out towards themselves or others, and give them viable tools with which to deal with the discomfort of withdrawal.
Medical drug detoxification takes the guesswork out of stopping drug use, since patients are provided with nutritious food, hydration, a bed, counseling, and relevant medication to ease their symptoms. Visitation by family and friends may be appropriate during this stage in order to help support the patient. The stabilization phase of detox typically lasts anywhere from 3 to 7 days.
How Does Medical Detox Work
The final stage of drug detox involves direction towards further treatment, since detox is only the first step in substance abuse recovery care. SAMHSA notes that a written commitment to enter treatment post-detox may help in encouraging reluctant patients to follow through with rehab care.
It is important to help patients understand that detox alone is almost never enough to ensure lasting recovery. Instead, they need to confront the reasons behind their substance abuse and develop healthy emotional tools to deal with them. This is best accomplished with the guidance of a treatment professional, often via dedicated rehab in moderate to severe cases of substance abuse.
Which Drugs Require Medical Detox?
Generally, medical detox is appropriate when a person is unable to safely stop using drugs by themselves. This can apply to any addictive drug. The most common drugs requiring medical drug detoxification care tend to be highly addictive, presenting strong withdrawal symptoms which can make it too difficult or dangerous to quit alone. Here, we look at which drugs are recommended for medical detox.
Detox from Heroin or Cocaine
“Hard” drugs, like heroin or cocaine, often provoke strong withdrawal reactions in users. These can include anxiety, depression, fatigue, muscle pains and aches, insomnia, cramping, and nausea. The symptoms of withdrawing from opioids and stimulants can often be eased with the use of medication. “Hard” drugs are not always the most difficult to quit.
Detox from Benzos
Benzodiazepines – often thought of by the general public as softer or less serious drugs – can cause some of the fiercest withdrawal symptoms in addicted users and can result in the most difficult detox experiences. With severe benzodiazepine withdrawal presenting symptoms like panic attacks, heart palpitations, seizures or psychotic reactions in extreme cases, medical supervision and intervention is often crucial for patient safety.
Detox from Alcohol
In addition to addictive substances like benzodiazepines or opioids, regular alcohol abuse can also require medical detox. Many people with a mild Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) can cut back on their alcohol consumption and eliminate drinking with proper treatment and guidance, without having to rely on professional medical detox. However, those with more moderate to severe cases of AUD can find that trying to quit alcohol can be incredibly difficult, or even hazardous, to their health if one goes “cold turkey” without the proper environment or support.
Serious alcohol withdrawal can occur, in which users experience symptoms like anxiety, shakiness, headaches, and even hallucinations or seizures. Those with severe AUD can experience delirium tremens – prolonged hallucinations and delusions that are accompanied by a host of severe, urgent medical issues that require immediate medical intervention. 4
In many cases, a user’s relationship to a given substance can have just as much bearing on the need for medical detox as the substance itself. Not everyone who uses “hard” drugs will become addicted, so medical detox may not be necessary in all cases. Similarly, people with addictive tendencies and a history of continued misuse may benefit from medical detox even if they do not use something like cocaine or heroin. It is always best to consult a medical professional in order to determine if medical detox is an appropriate beginning to treatment for one’s unique case.
If you or a loved one is struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, please call (855) 712-7784. We can help.
