Across the United States, there are a number of different drug rehab programs helping individuals break the cycle of addiction. Each one of these facilities has their own treatment styles and philosophies. What an individual experiences at one, may be vastly different from a recovering drug addict’s experience elsewhere. That being said, there is one process common to almost every drug addiction treatment program in the country: drug detoxification.
What is Drug Detoxification?
Drug detoxification (or “detox”) is the process of allowing the body to cleanse itself of the harmful toxins found in drugs. Different drugs contain different toxins and therefore the experience of detox may differ depending on the type of addiction in question.
Withdrawal Symptoms Associated with Drug Addition Detox
There are a number of intense withdrawal symptoms that individuals report experiencing when they go through the detox process. These symptoms can be either physical or psychological in nature, and vary according to a number of different factors including:
- How long the individual has been addicted to the drug
- Whether or not the individual was addicted to more than one drug
- The amount of drugs that the individual used per day
- The physiological makeup of the individual
Among the most common physical detox withdrawal symptoms are:
- Achiness (aching joints or extremities)
- Chills and sweats (the individual feels as if he or she has the flu)
- Nausea (another flu-like symptoms)
- Restless leg syndrome
- Sleeplessness
In addition to these physical conditions, there are also a number of psychological withdrawal symptoms associated with detoxification, including:
- Irritability and mood swings
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Nervousness
Why do These Detox Withdrawal Symptoms Occur?
Drugs (especially opiates such as heroin or Vicodin) play a cruel joke on the human body. To put it simply, when an individual uses drugs, the substance helps create additional “good feelings” in the body. Over time, the human body recognizes this fact and stops making these “good feelings” on its own. By the time detox rolls around, and there are no more drugs in the system, the body has temporarily “forgotten” how to produce positive sensations. As a result, the individual experiences uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms (above).
How long do Drug Detoxification Withdrawal Symptoms Last?
The length and intensity of detox withdrawal depends a lot on the individual and the seriousness of their condition. For most people, withdrawal symptoms have their onset 24-48 hours after the last time the individual has used drugs. From there, symptoms can last anywhere from two days to two weeks. Again, this depends upon how long the individual has been abusing drugs and how much of the substance they ingested in a given day.
Natural Detoxification from Drug Addiction
Natural detox is still the most popular form of overcoming one’s physical addiction to drug. Natural means “going cold turkey” and completely ceasing the use of drugs. This is a cleansing experience to be sure, but one that is also accompanied by intense withdrawal symptoms such as those listed above.
Medical Drug Detox Programs
Many individuals simply cannot or will not deal with the withdrawal symptoms associated with natural detox. For these men and women, medical detoxification is a more attractive option. With medical detox (used most commonly with opiate addiction to heroin, Vicodin or OxyContin) the individuals takes regular doses of a synthetic opiate. This substance mimics many of the effects of the actual drug, but is much safer because dosage is closely monitored by a medical professional.
Over time, the individual takes smaller and smaller doses of the drug until they have completed the detox process.
Currently, the two most common forms of medical detox are Methadone treatment and Suboxone treatment. With Methadone, the individual travels daily to a clinic where they receive their carefully measured dosage. Suboxone represents a breakthrough in medical detox as the individual receives the drug as a prescription – and can take it in the privacy of their own home.
The Challenges of Medical Detoxification Treatment
While it would seem like medical detoxification is the most attractive choice for everyone, there are a number of issues that may keep people from pursuing this path to recovery. For one thing, a small but significant number of people actually become addicted to Methadone or Suboxone while they are trying to detoxify. Instead of completing the important step of detox, these individuals find themselves now addicted to two drugs instead of just one.
Also, there is still a social stigma attached to Methadone clinics that keep men and women from signing up for treatment there. The lack of privacy, and required mingling with other recovering addicts is anathema to those who wish to keep their condition private.
The Importance of Drug Detoxification
So important is drug detox that many rehab centers will not allow the individual to enter the main portion of the program until after it is complete. An individual who has NOT completed drug detox is simply too great a risk for relapse – or is still in a fragile enough state to where the lessons of drug addiction counseling will not make an impact with them. Drug detoxification represents the defeat of the physical addiction to drugs – and anyone who completes the process is to be commended on the achievement.
A Common Myth about Detox
Sadly, there are a number of false promises floating around the addiction treatment industry. One of the most prominent of them is that “Detox = Recovery from Drug Addiction”. As important as detox is, it is only ONE piece of the puzzle. An individual must take part in a comprehensive drug rehab program to both achieve and maintain sobriety. Detox address the physical component to addiction, but drug rehab counseling addresses the important psychological aspect of the disease. It is only when BOTH of these components have been spoken to that the individual can move forward and live a happy, fulfilling life – maintaining their sobriety in the months and years after rehab.
