DETOX
Detoxification (nicknamed, "Detox") is usually the first necessity in any substance abuse treatment plan. During this stage, substance addicts go through physiological withdrawal in a clinically monitored environment. Medical personnel are on-hand to dispense doctor-prescribed medication designed to lessen the more arduous withdrawal symptoms. Often, groups are offered and staff are available for the beginnings of psychological withdrawal, not only from the substance, itself, but largely from the seeming emotional comfort that it had provided.
Each substance and combination of substances produces varying withdrawal symptoms. For instance, opiate withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, irritability, insomnia, flu-like symptoms, abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Conversely, stimulant withdrawal symptoms are characterized by depression, fatigue and an inability to concentrate.
Alcohol and benzodiazepines, such as Xanex and Klonopin can produce fatal detox symptoms; therefore, extreme caution should be taken in the detoxification phase. The adage, "DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME" applies - the idea of quitting on your own is not recommended, for both immediate and far ranging health reasons. In the short term, self-regulated detox can be exceedingly dangerous, even deadly. In the long term, even rare individuals who do manage to "quit, cold turkey" set themselves up to fail in any attempt to sustain their sobriety, without a viable follow-up treatment structure.
The length of a detox stay may vary, based upon the substance or combination of substances that have been abused. While variables such as individual body weight and history of use can minimally affect detox timelines, most of the withdrawal time allotted for each particular substance correlates with its respective chemical half-life. Generally, inpatient detox can require anywhere from 5 days to 3 weeks.
Detoxification clinics have become quite sophisticated and diverse, in recent years. One can enroll in a very inexpensive yet effective program, whilst high-end programs that anesthetize patients throughout most of the withdrawal process are also available. Regardless of what type of detox one may choose, this is the standard starting point in any treatment process, and it should not be skipped or circumvented in any way.
Each substance and combination of substances produces varying withdrawal symptoms. For instance, opiate withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, irritability, insomnia, flu-like symptoms, abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Conversely, stimulant withdrawal symptoms are characterized by depression, fatigue and an inability to concentrate.
Alcohol and benzodiazepines, such as Xanex and Klonopin can produce fatal detox symptoms; therefore, extreme caution should be taken in the detoxification phase. The adage, "DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME" applies - the idea of quitting on your own is not recommended, for both immediate and far ranging health reasons. In the short term, self-regulated detox can be exceedingly dangerous, even deadly. In the long term, even rare individuals who do manage to "quit, cold turkey" set themselves up to fail in any attempt to sustain their sobriety, without a viable follow-up treatment structure.
The length of a detox stay may vary, based upon the substance or combination of substances that have been abused. While variables such as individual body weight and history of use can minimally affect detox timelines, most of the withdrawal time allotted for each particular substance correlates with its respective chemical half-life. Generally, inpatient detox can require anywhere from 5 days to 3 weeks.
Detoxification clinics have become quite sophisticated and diverse, in recent years. One can enroll in a very inexpensive yet effective program, whilst high-end programs that anesthetize patients throughout most of the withdrawal process are also available. Regardless of what type of detox one may choose, this is the standard starting point in any treatment process, and it should not be skipped or circumvented in any way.