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Drug detoxification
Drug detoxification is used to reduce or relieve withdrawal symptoms while helping the addicted individual adjust to living without drug use; drug detoxification is not meant to treat addiction but rather an early step in long-term treatment. Detoxification may be achieved drug free or may use medications as an aspect of treatment. Often drug detoxification and treatment will occur in a community program that lasts several months and takes place in a residential rather than medical center.
Drug detoxification varies depending on the location of treatment, but most detox centers provide treatment to avoid the symptoms of physical withdrawal to alcohol & other drugs. Most also incorporate counseling and therapy during detox to help with the consequences of withdrawal.
Alcohol detoxification
Alcohol detoxification is a process by which a heavy drinker's system is brought back to normal after being used to having alcohol in the body on a continual basis. Serious alcohol addiction results in a decrease in production of GABA, a reuptake inhibitor, because alcohol acts to replace it. Precipitous withdrawal from long-term alcohol addiction without medical management can cause severe health problems and can be fatal. Alcohol detox is not a treatment for alcoholism. After detoxification, other treatments must be undergone to deal with the underlying addiction that caused the alcohol use.
Different approaches or methods that can be utilized to achieve successful drug detox are:
- Medical Detox is a process that provides gradual, decreased doses of a drug similar to the drug being abused.
- Rapid Detox involves the administration of opiate blockers such as Naloxone, Naltrexone or Methodone while the patient is under general anesthesia. This process usually takes 4 to 8 hours.
- Ultra Rapid Detox is an accelerated process conducted while the patient is under general anesthesia, combined with administration of Naltrexone. Detox can be achieved within 30 minutes, but can be a painful or risky procedure.
- Stepped Rapid Detox is a gradual process of administering oral doses of Naltrexone or subcutaneous administration of Narcan. This method offers a more controlled approach to detox because the patient is awake and communicative.
Drug detox is the first step in addiction treatment and should be followed by enrollment in a professional rehabilitation program that will address the other aspects of addiction such as emotional problems, family dysfunction, behavior issues or physical health problems. Unless all of these psychological factors are also treated, relapse is highly probable.
Drug & Alcohol Detox
It is important to understand that a drug detox or alcohol detox program is only the initial step in the recovery process. Alcohol and drug detox programs provide medical stabilization and should not be viewed as rehabilitation. Rehab programs look to maintain the gains made in detox, while working towards establishing a firm ground upon which future long-term recovery is to be built.
Statistics compiled after years of research have found that the vast majority of people that complete alcohol or drug detox, but fail to continue treatment in a residential addiction treatment center, end up in relapse. Detox is a vital component in the recovery process, but lasting recovery is generally achieved through multidisciplinary protocols that address the root of the addiction and not just its physical effects.
