Drug Detox

Drug detox (or "detoxification") is the process of allowing the harmful toxins associated with drug abuse to exit the body. Drug detox can be achieved when an individual stops taking the drug and enters into a period of abstinence. Drug detox should be done in the professional setting of a drug rehab facility because during drug detox, the individual is going to experience uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. The staff at a drug treatment center has the knowledge and tools to help to make the addict more comfortable during the drug detox process. The severity of the drug detox and the withdrawal symptoms can vary greatly depending on the particular illicit drug or prescription drugs that the individual has used as well as the frequency of use. It is very common to see individuals in drug detox that are addicted to multiple chemical substances. An example of these various combinations includes alcohol and marijuana, or alcohol and prescription medication. Rehab programs use various drug detox methods, depending on where an individual decides to go for treatment. Most drug detox centers simply provide treatment to avoid physical withdrawal symptoms that occur during the detox process. Ideally, the detox facility will incorporate counseling and therapy during detox to help with the psychological distress that the individual may experience because of the drug withdrawal symptoms.

While withdrawal symptoms vary according to the types of drugs that have been abused, the following is a list of some of the most common:

• Anxiety – The thought of not having a drug fix causes significant amounts of anxiety and nervousness for the individual.
  Paranoia – This particular withdrawal symptom can be more common for some drugs than others. Misfiring of the brain during detox is the cause of this symptom.
• Sleeplessness – This symptom is especially associated with opiate drugs such as heroin, Vicodin or OxyContin, the individual going through withdrawal may have a very difficult time sleeping through the night for some time.
• Weight loss – When an individual is craving a drug fix, this craving for the substance will be stronger than the hunger for food. Thus, many individuals in detox will become extremely thin, because they simply do not care about eating, and sometimes cannot even tolerate food.
• Suicidal thoughts – One of the most dangerous and extreme withdrawal symptoms, suicidal thoughts often accompany the detoxification process. This is one of many reasons why detox should always be performed under the supervision of drug rehab staff professionals.
• Depression – Many drugs will take control of the pleasure centers of the brain. When the drugs are cut off, the brain has many times forgotten how to produce pleasurable feelings on its own without the drug. This can lead to depression and a number of other negative emotions.

There are several different types of drug detox as listed below:

Residential Inpatient Drug Detox

Inpatient drug detox is usually a structured program where the individual resides at the treatment center. When an individual has become addicted to drugs that are powerful enough to have uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms they usually require more than a day or two of detox. For example, a person detoxing from heroin or a powerful prescription drugs can be in withdrawal for several days to a week before they feel better. In most cases, an individual cannot go through that type of stress without round-the-clock support and supervision.

Outpatient Drug Detox

An outpatient drug detox clinic is not as common, because an individual going through withdrawal from drugs will usually need a high degree of supervision and support for optimal results. An individual that chooses this type of drug detox program will generally attend classes at the clinic for a few hours at a time. This type of drug detox may be acceptable if you are fairly stable individual or you are detoxing from a more moderate drug addiction, and a drug treatment program is applied directly after.

Most drug rehab programs now offer detox onsite at the treatment center. This allows a seamless transition from the detox component of rehab into the drug treatment portion of the program, such as counseling or group sessions, and all of the other elements that make up the biggest share of the process. Some facilities do not have a detox program onsite and will ask the individual to complete the process elsewhere before their admittance into rehab. The time it takes to complete drug detox varies according to the individual and how long they have been addicted. Generally, the detox process can take anywhere from seven days to up to two weeks, or as long as it takes for the drug toxins to safely leave the individual's body.

There are several reasons why drug detox is such an important part of the drug rehab recovery process. First, it is important to view drug rehab as a two-part process, the process involves both physical and psychological. Drug detox helps to address the physical component of the drug rehab process. When the detox is complete, the person is no longer physically addicted to drugs. While detox alone does not represent a complete recovery, it paves the way for the other components of the drug rehab program, which usually consists of individual and group counseling and therapy. The reason that drug treatment programs require the individual to complete detox before the drug treatment program begins is because counseling is just not going to be effective as long as the individual has drugs in their system, especially if they are still experiencing drug withdrawal symptoms. As long as the drug toxins are in the individual's bloodstream, they will not be able to be fully present in the treatment process.

The road to recovery from a drug addiction usually begins when the addict admits to having a drug addiction. Many times, loved ones may be forced to intervene before this time, as the addict may be in such bad shape that it cannot go unnoticed, and they fear that something really bad will happen is treatment is delayed, Drug rehab treatment is the first step on the road to freedom from drug addiction.