Drug Detox Types: Natural & Medical Detoxification

Your treatment depends on the drug used and any related medical or mental health disorders you may have. An assisted detox program can provide a safe space for your body to rid itself of substances while also helping you build your ongoing treatment plan. After completing detox, continuing with comprehensive addiction treatment programs is essential. Detox alone isn’t enough to overcome drug addiction, so it’s crucial to continue further treatment after the initial process. Outpatient care, also called ambulatory care, might include medication-assisted withdrawal to make the process easier. If you’re detoxing from opioids, you might get methadone or buprenorphine.

What is Drug Detox?

It is possible to overdose on heroin, which is when the use of the substance causes a reaction that can be fatal. Completing a full detox is often the toughest step in any journey through substance use recovery. Substances may also be more easily accessed at home than at a facility, so you may have a greater risk of using again with home detox. The length of detox generally depends on the substances, since each substance leaves your system at a different rate.

How do you detox your body from drugs?

• Detox and rehab facilities are located throughout the U.S., and many offer specialized treatment that can cater to individual needs.
• Both methadone and buprenorphine may be used solely as detox medications, or their use may be continued as part of maintenance management to prevent relapse.
• On one hand, addictive substances can cross the placenta and cause birth defects, or worse.
• With sleep deprivation, your body does not have time to perform those functions, so toxins can build up and affect several aspects of health (15).

People undergoing detox treatment, including medication-assisted therapy, have a lower risk of relapse. It also reduces the risk of contracting infectious diseases and overdosing. Most people recover from alcohol withdrawal within a week, but people with severe dependency may experience withdrawal for multiple weeks. Alcohol causes serious changes in the brain, and prolonged symptoms such as sleep problems, mood changes and fatigue may take months to overcome, according to the U.S. When you are detoxing from alcohol at a rehab center, nurses and doctors monitor vital signs, provide adequate nourishment and treat complications if they occur.

Length Of Detox

Detoxing can lead to severe withdrawal symptoms that may require medical supervision, and seeking the input of a doctor is important to ensure your safety. The length of drug or alcohol detox can vary depending on the individual and the substance they are detoxing from. Drug and alcohol detox centers are recommended as part of a comprehensive, individualized addiction recovery plan. Detox is an important first step in recovery, and substance abuse detoxification services help individuals safely eliminate drugs and alcohol from their bodies.

Substance withdrawal—a syndrome with physical, behavioral, and cognitive symptoms that happens when a person stops using a substance after regular use—is one reason people struggle drug detox with this. Detoxing by yourself can sometimes be dangerous and is not generally recommended. Inpatient programs are the most commonly used facilities for medically assisted detox.

Art or music therapy can offer creative outlets for expressing feelings and processing emotions. The right type of alternative therapy will vary based on the individual and their situation. Some prescriptions help alleviate anxiety and depression that occur during this time. Some drugs can be used to treat nausea and diarrhea that occurs with some detoxes, primarily during opioid detox.

• PHP requires more treatment hours each week (on average, 20 hours per week), whereas IOP treatment provides approximately 9 hours of treatment each week.
• Withdrawal from different categories of drugs — such as depressants, stimulants or opioids — produces different side effects and requires different approaches.
• Consuming too much salt can cause your body to retain excess fluid, especially if you have a condition that affects your kidneys or liver — or if you don’t drink enough water.
• Detoxification (detox) is the process of clearing the body of drugs or alcohol that an individual has consumed.

Symptoms of Substance Withdrawal