Drug/alcohol medical detox involves treatment to wean the person off drug and alcohol use and eliminate the toxins accumulated in the body due to the addictive substance. A medical detox program breaks the body’s dependence on drugs and/or alcohol. This is a controlled and medically supervised in-patient treatment. The first step in medical detox is drug withdrawal or the discontinuation of the use of the addictive substance. This can lead to physical and behavioral withdrawal symptoms. A professional detox program also helps the individual deal with the withdrawal symptoms. In residential medical detox centers, the patient is gradually detoxified from drugs or alcohol by tapering off, with measures to minimize painful withdrawal symptoms. The patient’s physical and mental condition will be carefully monitored throughout the process. If you or a loved one are seeking treatment for an addiction to drugs or alcohol and need detox, contact Drug Rehabs in San Diego at (833) 324-0298.Natural detox: This involves simply stopping the intake of the addictive substance. The person will experience the full effect of the withdrawal symptoms Medicated detox: Non-addictive medications are administered to manage symptoms. For instance, sleep medication is prescribed if the problem has insomnia. This type of detox is slower and withdrawal effects are easier to bear.
Seeking Professional Detox Care
Quitting all at once ‘cold turkey’ is not recommended as withdrawal can prove dangerous and fatal. People should never attempt to detox at home. Withdrawal symptoms can include high fever, convulsions, seizures, hallucinations and cardiac arrest which need immediate medical attention. Many people who undertake their own detoxification process often relapse quickly. During detox, the cravings to use the drug of choice in order to stop the withdrawal symptoms are strong. Only medically-assisted detoxification at a professional drug treatment center can deal with these issues.Types of Medical Detox
There are different types of drug and alcohol detoxes:Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawal occurs because drugs and alcohol are brain depressants that suppress the brain’s production of neurotransmitters like noradrenaline. When the use of these substances is stopped, the brain rebounds by producing a surge of adrenaline that causes withdrawal symptoms.- Alcohol: Withdrawal symptoms include tremors, nausea, depression, and later, hallucinations and delirium tremens (DTs), which can be fatal. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and cutting off supply entirely can make a person a nervous wreck.
- Meth: A highly-addictive neurotoxic stimulant, methamphetamine or “meth” detox causes symptoms such as deep, dark depression, night sweats, irritability, and suicidal tendencies. As the withdrawal is extremely painful, users may revert.
- OxyContin: Withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, nausea, stomach cramps and blurred vision. Symptoms are not life threatening but can cause discomfort.
- Heroin: Abdominal cramping, restless leg syndrome or unpleasant sensations in the legs and muscle aches are the withdrawal symptoms associated with this drug.