Drug and alcohol detox is the process of clearing an addictive substance from your body by abstaining from use for an extended period of time. During this time, many people experience physical and mental withdrawal symptoms as the body adjusts to a lack of the substance that had previously been present.
Medically-assisted detox is always the safest way to rid your body of an addictive substance, whether you’ve been using a substance for a few days or several years. Withdrawal can be unpredictable and clinical monitoring ensures that you’ll have access to medical treatment in the event of a serious health issue or medical emergency.
But before you or a loved one can even be admitted to a drug and alcohol detox center, you must first recognize that there is a substance abuse problem.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse defines drug dependence as “a state in which an organism functions normally only in the presence of a drug.” In your everyday life, drug dependence may present itself as the inability to get through the day without using a drug or feeling unable to complete normal, daily tasks without it. If you have become dependent on a drug, you might feel fearful about the idea of not using it because you dread the uncomfortable physical effects you experience when you stop.
Addiction is defined by the American Society of Addiction Medicine as “a primary chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry.” To put it plainly, addiction is a disease of the brain that is characterized by the inability to control a certain action or behavior despite negative physical, emotional and relational consequences.
The American Psychiatric Association publishes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to determine the severity of a person’s addiction. This criterion includes:
If you find that you or a loved one meet two or more of the criteria listed above, you may have a serious substance abuse problem and should consider seeking professional detox and addiction rehabilitation.
Addiction can affect anyone. This disease does not discriminate based on age, ethnicity, sex, economic status, or any other factor. In any case, it can be very difficult to identify your own addiction and admit that you need help. If you’re still unsure about your need for detox, ask yourself the following questions:
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may need to consider a detox treatment plan, medical monitoring in a detox facility or an intensive drug rehab program.
Detox is just the first phase of recovery. It is a gateway into long-term addiction treatment that will address deeply-rooted issues that caused the addiction in the first place. Detoxification addresses your current needs, helping you process withdrawal and all the physical, mental and emotional changes that come with it. Rehab provides ongoing therapy, coping mechanisms and life skills for people who need to learn how to live a life without substance abuse.
While a detox program at Hill Country Detox will prepare you for ongoing treatment, it is certainly not a substitute for it. For this reason, we recommend completing detox before entering an inpatient or outpatient rehab program.
References:
Image used under license from Shutterstock.com