Detox, short for detoxification, is the deliberate flushing of toxic substances from the body. Detoxification is a full process of cleansing the body during addiction recovery. Detoxification should not be considered simply one action. After substance abuse has created a chemical dependency on drugs or alcohol, the body requires time to eliminate these toxins and restructure its metabolism and mental processes. Only after eliminating toxic substances can a patient begin to heal from the damages that their substance abuse has caused.

People who go to a detoxification center can either be full addicts or individuals aware of their prolonged dependency on specific drugs. Those who register as a patient in a detoxification center understand that they have a problem and that they need help. Patients entering Marina Harbor check in to receive medical attention in addition to psychological support and counseling during the detox process. Depending upon level of addiction, detoxification can trigger additional side effects and withdrawal symptoms in the body. Receiving support from a detoxification center grants patients immediate access to medical staff and services during this challenging time. Furthermore, upon full removal of the substance from the body, detoxification centers can provide individuals with additional resources to help with their addiction and facilitate recovery. Continued services after detoxification can include counseling, therapy, and access to recovery support groups.

The detox process can vary based on the substance abused and the level of addiction of each patient. Individuals with an unhealthy dependency on drugs rather than an acute physical addiction tend to recover more quickly. In some cases, a detoxification period can last a few days. In other instances, a complete detox can last several weeks. Regardless of the duration of the detox period, detoxification is an ongoing process. Detoxification must be maintained by establishing healthy new habits to repair the damages caused by substance abuse in addition to restructuring one’s lifestyle to prevent a relapse. Is detox the same for alcohol and other drugs? The concept of detoxification and the goals that it strives to achieve are essentially the same for patients recovering from alcohol or other drugs. However, due to the chemical changes in the body and the psychological effects of extended drug abuse, withdrawal symptoms during detoxification can be much more intense for patients recovering from harder drugs or abuse of multiple substances. As a result, the recovery period varies. Detoxification can be much more challenging and longer lasting for certain patients.

Detoxification by oneself can be a very dangerous choice. For many patients, detoxing should not be an abrupt change and requires gradual tapering off of the substance abused. Detoxification can cause intense physical and psychological reactions including unhealthy changes in blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. In severe cases, detoxification can cause hallucinations, fainting, psychosis, and even coma and death. If you feel you need to detox from a drug addiction, seeking medical support is your best option to ensure proper, guided recovery from your substance abuse.

You should go to a detox facility if your substance abuse has placed aspects of your personal life, your professional life, or your health in jeopardy. Going to a detox facility means that you recognize that you have a problem that requires intervention. Marina Harbor will properly prepare you for what withdrawal symptoms to expect in addition to offering medical services and interventions to facilitate the process. Furthermore, detox facilities will establish a network of support in your recovery. Physicians, therapists, counseling services, and even other patients who are undergoing the same process will be there alongside you for assistance. Receiving help will also empower you to continue your recovery upon release from your treatments.

During detoxification, a range of medications can be implemented in order to assist a patient in his or her recovery. Typically, benzodiazepines, anti-convulsants, barbiturates’ and sleep meds are used to help a patient combat common withdrawal symptoms. These medications can lessen the severity of nausea and vomiting, alleviate headaches, decrease rapid heart rate, and lower a fever. For patients with severe withdrawal, these medications can also reduce the risk of hallucinations, convulsions, and delirium tremens. Opioid agonists and antagonists can also be used for patients recovering from abuse of narcotics. These medications can lessen the pain induced during detox and prevent a patient’s brain from being able to achieve a high from the substances abused.

Depending on your recovery plan, seeking further services from a rehabilitation facility may be required to fully recover from drug addiction. Rehabilitation facilities are specifically designed to provide patients with the proper environment and training to return to their daily lives with the skills necessary to avoid a relapse. Rehabilitation facilities can help patients establish new, healthy routines, recognize patterns that trigger substance abuse, and work toward mending relationships that drug abuse may have damaged. Patients who attend rehab facilities after detoxification receive strategies to stay clean and sober for life.

Each situation is addressed individually. Although we do permit patients to use personal devices during detoxification, they are generally viewed as a distraction from the primary objective of recovery. However much personal devices can grant patients access to support from family and friends outside of the facility, they can also place additional stressors on a recovering addict. Detoxification and recovery requires full patient attention and participation. If a patient uses his or her personal device while detoxing, he or she may be perceived as being inattentive to medical staff, withdrawn from the overall process, and thus not fully dedicated to his or her recovery.

Of course, payment for detoxification centers can be paid out of pocket by the patient for the services rendered. However, because it is considered a legitimate medical condition, drug addiction can be covered by health insurance. Patients seeking drug detoxification should review their individual health insurance plans and discuss with their providers what services are covered and to what extent. It may be that a provider covers specific inpatient or outpatient treatments; however, comforts and amenities at luxury detoxification centers will likely not be covered by insurance.

As mentioned previously, detox costs can vary depending on insurance aid. The degree to which the detox center offers additional amenities to patients can influence cost.

Upon successful detoxification, an ongoing treatment plan can be discussed with your physician to alleviate additional withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Antidepressants are commonly prescribed for patients recovering from addiction to lessen anxiety and malaise. Vivitrol is a common injection available for patients recovering from alcohol and opioid abuse. Vivitrol is an antagonist medication that prevents the brain from feeling the positive effects of a drug. In the case of those recovering from heroin or other narcotics, Methadone is a common medication used to combat withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Patients should openly discuss with their doctors their specific concerns to create an ongoing treatment plan after detoxification.

Detoxing from substance abuse with the goal of becoming sober cannot be perceived as a one and done event. Detoxification is an ongoing process that also includes establishing new, healthy habits and avoiding the situations that were triggers for your substance abuse in the past. Statistics show that patients who enter a detoxification facility have a 40% better chance at fully recovering from their addiction in comparison to those that do not. Nevertheless, the risks of everyday life are always out there, and some patients who detox do, in fact, relapse into addiction and have to start the entire process over again.

Detoxification is a shock to your system that causes a major interruption to your body’s continued exposure to a toxic substance. As such, there are many common withdrawal symptoms that patients can experience while undergoing detoxification. Symptoms can vary in intensity based on the severity of a patient’s addiction in addition to the number of substances abused. Common withdrawal symptoms include nausea, increased heart rate, sleep disturbances, anxiety and depression, headaches, and fever. In the case of severe withdrawal symptoms, panic attacks, hallucinations, psychosis, and loss of consciousness can occur.

In some cases, detoxification can cause physical pain and discomfort in addition to the symptoms addressed in the previous question. Pain can be mild, including muscle soreness, cramping, and chills. Pain, however, can be more intense for those recovering from opiate and narcotic abuse. Detoxification from these drugs can cause intense headaches, abdominal cramps, and even full-body muscle spasms and convulsions.