Chronic drug and alcohol abuse and addiction eventually results in harmful consequences to your physical and psychological health. Addiction does not discriminate and knows no barriers, striking anyone at any time. Deciding to seek addiction treatment at a medically-assisted detox in Northern California may be one of the most difficult challenges someone with a drug or alcohol addiction will voluntarily confront. Detox and withdrawal are challenging and often have potentially dangerous medical and mental health effects. The potential severity of withdrawal symptoms and the unpredictability of detox underscore the importance of avoiding detoxing alone or “cold turkey.”
What is Medically-Assisted Detox?
When you are ready to enter addiction treatment, detox is often the first step on your journey to achieving lasting recovery. Detox is a necessary step required to cleanse your body of any toxic substance that may remain since you last drank or used. Detox is essential to successful recovery because you cannot fully immerse yourself successfully in a drug or alcohol addiction treatment program if you are still under the influence of your substance of choice.
These types of detox programs are just as they sound. During the detox process, medical staff is present to monitor withdrawal symptoms and other crucial health indicators such as your blood pressure, heart rate, and other pertinent vital signs that could signal distress while you are detoxing. Mental health providers are also on hand in a medical detox program to provide support in managing the challenging emotional symptoms that can accompany withdrawal from certain substances.
What are the Benefits of Medically-Assisted Detox?
The detox process involves you deciding that it is time to stop drinking or using drugs. During detox, your body must learn how to carry out day-to-day functions without substances. For many, detoxing, whether from drugs or alcohol, can be scary, unpleasant, and sometimes dangerous as it requires you to experience a full range of withdrawal symptoms ranging from mild to severe.
While using or drinking, your body and brain become accustomed to functioning with a certain amount of an addictive substance in your body. When levels of drugs or alcohol decline, cravings occur as the body or brain demands more, eventually leading you to believe that you need to use substances again to “feel good.” During detox, the body is not getting these substances, no matter how intense the cravings may be.
During medical detox, you can focus on healing, knowing that you will receive around-the-clock monitoring and support from caring, experienced medical professionals. Not only are your vital signs monitored, but trained medical staff is standing by to administer safe medications to ease withdrawal symptoms or to intervene in the case of a medical emergency such as a heart attack or seizure. These medications are considered safe and are chosen and administered according to factors unique to your treatment needs, including length of abuse, type of drug abused, and other important factors that influence treatment.
In almost every case, the process of detoxing the body from drugs and alcohol will result in intensely uncomfortable symptoms, including tremors, fevers, and vomiting. It is not abnormal for these symptoms to be medically life-threatening (such as seizures, heart attacks, and strokes). A medically-assisted detox program ensures you have the appropriate level of medical and mental health support to manage your symptoms.
How to Find Medically-Assisted Detox in Northern California
Medically supervised detox programs offer the best and most successful path to achieving lasting sobriety. In a medically supervised detox program in Northern California, detoxing from drugs or alcohol can be more comfortable and successful than would (likely) be possible if trying to “cold turkey” the detox process.
At Northern California detox centers, like Mariana Harbor Detox, we combine medically assisted treatment with counseling and relapse prevention measures to ensure continued success as you begin your journey to recovery from addiction. Each treatment plan is created to suit your individual needs.
Each of our detox programs is designed to assist you in building awareness around your addiction and understanding how your addiction impacts both your physical and emotional well-being. If you are searching drug or alcohol detox in San Francisco, there is no better option than Marina Harbor Detox. Therapy sessions may focus on identifying triggers or feelings associated with stressors that may lead you to relapse in the future.
Contact a member of our admissions team today to learn more about medically-assisted detox in Northern California.
