Why prefer Medical Detox at Rehabs?

Medical detox is an important step in addiction treatment programs and aftercare. There are varying types of detoxification services available at rehab centres to help addicts manage withdrawal symptoms well. These detox services would generally be a part of larger rehab program.

What is Detox?

Detox is the process of safe elimination of drugs, alcohol and other toxic material from a person’s body. Medically managed detox is an essential procedure for treatment and recovery to progress in every drug/alcohol de-addiction program under a qualified medical officer’s supervision. The detox process commonly lasts anywhere between a few days to a few weeks depending on the substance of abuse.

Why is a supervised, medical detox being important?

When abruptly quitting substances such as Opioids or Alcohol after developing severe physiological substance dependence, many people will experience characteristic symptoms of physical withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, nausea, vomiting, and tremors. The symptoms could sometimes be severe and complicated such as marked agitation and seizures and fatalities that are rare.

In medical detox programs, medically equipped rehabs help restraining addicts with medications to help control the severity of withdrawal symptoms and minimise cravings to use. While many rehabs may offer a supportive or social detox setting, unfortunately, not all facilities are equipped to medically manage certain types of withdrawals. Choosing the right rehab is vital for they may also offer extensive medical monitoring in case you experience complications from withdrawal.

The Detoxification Process

There are three important aspects of a professional detox program as described below.

Evaluation

The initial step in a drug detoxification program would be evaluation of various drugs that are present in the patient’s system through complete mental and medical health assessment. These tests help evaluate the level of medical intervention and supervision required for the concerned patient.

Stabilisation

Stabilisation is a process in which a person is brought into a substance free state safely and comfortably using several strategies. These strategies involve administration of medications, various psychosocial interventions, and involving a patient’s family in the treatment process to help motivate the patient. Thereafter, staff members educate the client about the things to expect in the next stages of the treatment. 

Transition to Treatment

Professional detoxification programs are aimed at admission into rehabs for complete recovery. Therefore, transition is the final stage of detoxification that facilitates transition into additional rehabilitation or substance use disorder treatment because eliminating the drugs or alcohol out of a person’s body is not the end of the program. And detox does not guarantee recovery or sobriety.

Detox Side Effects

When a person is going through detox, he/she may experience very unpleasant symptoms. The severity of the symptoms also varies from person to person and also depends on the type of drugs they are withdrawing. Some of signs and symptoms them include

• Anxiety
• Diarrhoea
• Agitation
• Sleep problems (hypersomnia or insomnia)
• Impaired cognition
• Bone and body aches
• Increased appetite
• Poor concentration
• Insomnia
• Sweating
• Runny nose
• Vomiting
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Slowed speech
• Decreased movement
• Paranoia
• Intense drug cravings

Why prefer Medical Detox?

Medically supervised detox comes with the advantage of 24/7 monitoring and care from nurses, doctors, and other staff of the treatment program. The detox programs at rehabs are specifically designed to keep people safe and also minimise the risk of withdrawal complications.