For many people, detox is where the attempt to break the cycle of addiction begins and ends. It is sad to say, but the withdrawal symptoms that accompany detoxification often prove to be too much for an individual to take – causing them to relapse into the drug abuse behavior. It should come as no surprise then, that when drug abuse professionals began offering a fast alternative to traditional detox, many individuals would be attracted to it.
But is rapid drug abuse detox the answer for everyone? Or does the negative outweigh the potential benefits of such a program? Read on to learn more about this sometimes-controversial new procedure.
What is Rapid Detox?
Rapid detox is a significant departure from traditional detox processes that take weeks to complete and include the individual having to deal with withdrawal symptoms. In a rapid detox program, the individual is placed under general anesthesia and given a mixture of drugs that – taken together – accelerate the detoxification process. If the individual was awake during this procedure, they would experience high levels of pain, but under the influence of the anesthetic, they feel nothing – and awake with no memory of the process…and most importantly, their physical addiction to opiate-based drugs gone.
The Benefits of Rapid Detox
Obviously, the chief potential “selling point” of a rapid detox program is diminished withdrawal symptoms. The less time an individual spends detoxifying, the fewer opportunities there will be for mental and physical withdrawal to take hold.
The Potential Downside of Rapid Detoxification
Although the individual is “under” during the rapid detox process, and cannot feel what is happening to them, that does not mean that it doesn’t take a significant toll on the body. In the most extreme cases, individuals have died during the procedure – and a number of rapid detox centers have been closed over public health concerns. To proponents of rapid detox, the reward far outweighs the risk. A life of addiction, these professionals argue, is a far greater risk to an individual’s health than the small chance something negative will occur during the rapid detox process.
Currently, the jury is still out on rapid detox. Many people believe that it is nothing more than a passing fad (and a potentially dangerous one at that). Those who have had success with the process however, report that they did indeed overcome their physical addiction to drugs without withdrawal symptoms or the occurrence of relapse.
