When someone has an addiction to drugs or alcohol, more often than not they are going to need a detoxification (detox) program. This is the first step to recovery. Detox is the belief that a person that is not well is going to struggle to work through mental health concerns. During detox, the individual goes through the physical aspects of addiction as a first step to working through their addiction. Once the individual works through the physical aspects, they must tackle the psychological aspects. However, the physical aspects must always come before the mental aspects.
During detox, all traces of any kinds of drugs as well as alcohol get removed from the body. This puts the individual in a stable place where they are able to begin the therapy process and work towards recovery. Addiction occurs when an individual’s body gets used to having these types of substances in their body. As the substances in the body slowly reduce until they are completely gone, the brain has to adjust to the change in chemicals. This causes withdrawal symptoms and they are not pleasant.
Detox aims to reduce the way these unpleasant symptoms impact the body. Detox allows the individual to go through these symptoms in the safest way possible. The best way to go through detox is to have medical assistance and the support of a specialist who is trained to help during detox. A detox center has doctors, nurses, and other professionals to help individuals through the process. When people try to detox on their own, it does not always yield successful results.
Detox usually takes 7 to 10 days, depending on the individual. There are some factors that make the process differ from person to person. The amount of alcohol or drugs the individual consumed will determine how long detox may take. The more severe the withdrawal symptoms, the longer it will take for the individual to get through the detox. The mental and physical functioning of the individual impacts the length of the detox.
As the levels of drugs in the individual’s system reduces, withdrawal symptoms begin. Every person will experience detox in a unique way. It is not the same for every person. The symptoms will not even be the same if you have been through a detox in the past. The person may experience physical symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. They may also experience shaking, sweating, and shivering. Additional symptoms include raised heart rate and blood pressure, headaches, and cramps. Psychological symptoms include anxiety, confusion, depression, irritability, paranoia, and insomnia. They may also experience mood swings, intense cravings, and lack of concentration. There are more severe symptoms that may include seizures, hallucinations, and delirium. The most important aspect of detox is having support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This can help the person have the most positive outcomes from detox. If you or a loved one has a substance addiction issue and is considering a detox, you should check out infiniterecovery.com.
