What to Expect During Detox

Detox is easily the most frightening part of the recovery process. After all, this is when addicts experience the physical and emotional symptoms of withdrawal. If you’ve ever attempted to detox on your own by going “cold turkey”, making it through this essential stage may seem downright impossible. Fortunately, detoxing with support is far different.

With medically managed detox, you’re never on your own. You won’t have to deal with uncontrollable cravings or physical symptoms that leave you feeling near-death. In fact, most people discover that medically managed detox is easy, comfortable, and relatively quick. In medically managed detox, your body is given the support that it needs for effectively rebounding from drug abuse. Licensed medical professionals make sure that you’re getting adequate nutritional support and that you’re never dehydrated.

They offer sleep support, targeted mental health services, and various medications and other interventions for minimizing your withdrawal symptoms. In professional detox, many patients are able to avoid severe withdrawal symptoms entirely. This expedites the recovery process and makes it far less challenging for people to stay on course. Best of all, as you’re ready, you can begin participating in other onsite rehab activities. Services like dual diagnosis treatment and behavioral therapy will help set the stage for long-term success in recovery even as your body works to rid itself of your substance of choice.

You’ll Get Targeted Support From the Moment You Walk Through the Door

When entering rehab facilities to start detox, many people worry that they’ll have to wait for medical support while they complete the check-in process. However, rehab professionals understand that this is a highly emotional and difficult time for new patients. Thus, they start leveraging medical and mental health interventions right away.

The overarching goal of medically assisted detox is to ensure that withdrawal is both safe and comfortable from end-to-end. One of the first things that rehab professionals do is to perform a thorough medical examination. This helps treatment facilities streamline their care to suit the unique needs of the individual. You’ll be asked about:

  • Your history of substance abuse
  • Medication allergies
  • General health
  • Any chronic health issues that you’ve been diagnosed with

To provide a more comprehensive understanding of your needs, you’ll also receive a mental health evaluation. This is performed to identify issues with extreme anxiety, depression, or other forms of detox-related distress so that the right interventions can be made right away. Your initial mental health evaluation will also let rehab professionals know whether you may be living with a co-occurring mental health disorder such as:

  • General anxiety disorder
  • Schizophrenia
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Obsessive-compulsive behavior
  • Major depressive disorder
  • Bipolar disorder

Receiving treatment for co-occurring disorders in rehab increases patients’ likelihood of experiencing successful outcomes. It also makes detox easier by limiting the amount of mental and emotional anguish that they must contend with while withdrawing. Throughout the entirety of your detox, you’ll be carefully monitored. Onsite medical staff will regularly check your vital signs and assess your pain levels. If you have a hard time sleeping, eating, drinking sufficient water, or maintaining an acceptable level of mood balance, you’ll be offered a variety of natural, medical, and therapeutic strategies for promoting relief.

For some people, detox entails complete abstinence from all mind-altering substances. For others, it may include a targeted and needs-specific weaning program that gradually lowers their dose of the substance they’ve been using. There are also a number of highly effective withdrawal medications that can be used in place of illicit substances. With these, withdrawal symptoms and cravings are eliminated even as physical dependence is overcome.

For many substances, physical detox lasts just several days. Some people may experience physical withdrawal symptoms for up to two weeks. For other substances, physical detox can last one full month or even longer. During the time of your check-in, you’ll have the chance to review your detox plan with onsite staff. This will give you a clear understanding of the expected time frame for your detox and the different medications or other interventions that may be used.

The road to recovery always starts with detox. Luckily, this doesn’t have to be a physically dangerous or painful experience. With professional monitoring and support, you can complete your detox incident-free, and you can begin taking progressive steps to reclaim your health and life. If you’re looking for a medically assisted detox program, call 833-497-3812 now to speak with one of our counselors.