Medical Detox
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Medical detox is the process of cleansing your body from drugs. The key to a successful medical detox is to surround yourself with a supportive group in a safe location.
Typically, your friends aren’t able to provide this level of support. Many of them mean well but don’t understand what you are going through. Even your family isn’t fully aware of what is going through your mind.
As a result, the key to your medical detox is surrounding yourself with people who have been there before. Your best transition comes through going through Real Deal Sober Living.
Knowing who to turn is is a good start, but it is also essential to understand when you need a detox. Let’s get into the details below.
What is Detox?
Medical detox is the process of waiting for the drugs in your body to wear off. It is the first step to ending addiction, which will lead you to a life of sobriety.
Medical detox does not treat addiction’s underlying causes, including trauma, stress, depression, and anxiety. Medical detox is usually a short-term issue, so it’s important to plan for long-term solutions for your recovery. These long-term solutions include attending meetings, outpatient therapy, and sober living.
How we can help
Hundreds of people have recovered from addiction and alcoholism through Real Deal. If they can do it, so can you.
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Detox FAQ's
Below are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding detox. If you are currently struggling, you can call us anytime and we will help answer any questions you may have.
It is safe to assume that your medical detox will be up to two weeks. During this time, you can find yourself going to a treatment facility. After the treatment facility, you find yourself at a sober home, such as the ones at Real Deal Sober Living.
Most medical detoxes are inpatient procedures, meaning that you will stay at the facility until you are clear of the drug. Some people choose outpatient procedures, but there are much higher success rates for someone who can stay.
Most detox periods involve 24-hour care, meaning that you cannot leave if you want to complete the treatment fully. But with freedom, nobody can hold you hostage.
Medical detox is an intense physical experience. The first 24 hours to two weeks may be very intensive, depending upon the addiction’s severity.
Expect the following symptoms:
- Irritability
- Difficulty sleeping & fatigue
- Headaches
- Strong drug cravings
- Stomach issues including diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea
- Fever
- Chills
- Nausea
- Mental anguish including depression, stress, and anxiety
The first two weeks will see the most incredible intensity of these symptoms. You may think it will be easy just to go back to your drug habit, as that will stop the pain.
However, doing so will often cause a high chance of overdose. Overdose from detox will lead to permanent loss of mental or physical functions, potentially leading to death.
Insurance typically pays for your medical detox. Much like therapy, insurance companies often offer different upfront payment options depending on their inpatient or outpatient situation. There are various copays depending upon what you choose, so be sure to read your insurance information carefully.
The detox process typically begins by questioning you on your drug habits. Common questions include the following:
- What drugs have you taken?
- When was the last time you have (drug)?
- How much do you take?
- How long have you been taking (drug)?
- Have you tried getting sober in the past?
The questions will also come with a physical and mental evaluation to see your mental state. It will provide them with a better understanding of how to meet your unique needs.
Most medical detox centers provide you with medication-assisted treatment to help dampen the severity of the symptoms. Quitting cold turkey is considered unsafe, as it will result in many of the most severe withdrawal symptoms to ramp up.
The most extreme situations involve tapering, slowly weaning the person off the drug with supplemental other medicines. The slow approach will allow for a more comfortable return to normalcy. A study also provides evidence that this reduces the chance of relapse.
Doctors will heavily recommend that you include your family member as well. Having some support from your ordinary life will encourage you to do better.
Some people have found success in detoxing at home, but this doesn’t work for everyone. Also, at-home detox kits are not appropriate for more potent drugs: like heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine.
If you are to choose this route, be sure to have a good friend available. Going through any detox alone is impossible; try and make it as easy as possible on yourself.
No, rapid detox provides you with drugs that offer temporary nullification of symptoms. Rapid detox does not work to handle any of the underlying symptoms. Also, the lack of commitment means that people are very likely to relapse.
They are also known to be more likely to suffer from life-threatening complications. It is a short term solution that doesn’t work from a long-term perspective.