Medical detox is designed for serious forms of drug addiction. It is required for those who may have been addicted to specific drugs such as opioids. This guide will go over what to expect if your treatment plan includes a medical detox.
It’s important to note that an in-home detox should never be done. That’s because it can lead to severe, if not, fatal consequences. For more information on whether medical detox is the best option for you, Gallus Detox will have what you need.
Let’s take a look now at this in-depth guide on medical detox for drug addiction and what will be done when someone undergoes it.
You will undergo a medical assessment
In the beginning, you will undergo a medical assessment that will be thorough and accurate. This will ensure that you will have a treatment plan that will be designed to take care of you during the process. Your medical history and the details regarding your addiction will also be useful information to put it all together.
Please note that not all treatment plans are created equal. Each one is personalized to fit you and your needs. These assessments are required before you move on to the next phase of your detox and treatment.
You may deal with withdrawal symptoms
The detox process will feature withdrawal symptoms. Most of the time, they will be mild to moderate. However, some of them can be severe if they are not treated properly.
This is why medically supervised detox is needed over in-home detox every time. Because these severe withdrawals can be fatal. Depending on the substance you were addicted to, you may suffer symptoms such as:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Sweating
- Increased heart rate
- Increased blood pressure
- Seizures
- Bone and muscle pain
- Exhaustion
- High body temperature
- Shivering or shaking
- Irritability
- Confusion
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Paranoia
- Concentration issues
- Mood swings that are extreme
- Intense craving
This may not be the complete list, but these are the most common signs that someone may experience during drug withdrawals. Medications used to reduce the withdrawal symptoms are often administered.
This is what is known as medication assisted treatments (or MATs). This will feature the use of medications such as suboxone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone. Methadone may be used as well, if recommended by a medical professional.
The medication assisted treatment will last weeks or even months. Some may last as long as a year. This will depend on the treatment plan for the patient and at the doctor’s discretion.
However, most MAT doses will run for 90 days. After which, the dosage is reduced. It can be reduced sooner if there are little to no occurrences of withdrawal symptoms.
You get around the clock medical support
One of the perks of getting inpatient treatment for drug addiction is the medical support. You will get this 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You’ll never know if and when it’s needed.
Yet, you can have peace of mind knowing that you have a staff that will be on standby when things might take a turn for the worse. Your rates of survival do increase when you’re under medical supervision and you won’t have to wait for it.
In-home detox can mean long wait times for medical support. That’s why you want to make the life saving decision to choose inpatient care if your treatment recommends it. This also includes detox under a medical setting.
For as long as you are undergoing such treatment, you will have medical staff checking on you regularly. The care you get will be compassionate and more focused towards a healthy recovery. It’s one of the major elements for drug addiction recovery aside from regular counseling.
You will have counseling begin during detox
The sooner your counseling begins, the better. It’s part of the treatment plan aside from dealing with the physical recovery of drug addiction. You will have someone on staff during normal day hours or whenever needed.
Having someone to talk to during the recovery process is key. You can have one-on-one sessions with your counselor. You also have the opportunity to attend group sessions with others who are recovering from addiction.
These people will become part of your support system along with your family. The more your support system grows, the better. You also have the confidence in getting through the treatment from start to finish.
You will also have counseling services available to you after the treatment process is complete. That’s because it will be part of your aftercare services. You’ll have access to a person who may understand the situation you may be in (such as a potential relapse).
Detox can take over a week
The detox process can last about a week. However, the period of time can vary from one person to the other. The factors involved include the severity of the withdrawal symptoms they are dealing with, how much of the substance they had last consumed, and their overall functioning.
Once the detox is complete, they will be able to continue on with the next phase of their treatment. The next phase can last days or even weeks. Again, various factors will play a role in how long it will last.
No matter what, it’s important to focus on the process as you begin your treatment. In the end, it will be worthwhile focusing on building a life afterwards. And you can look at addiction in the rear view mirror.
Final Thoughts
Medical detox is a plus for those dealing with drug addiction. It will be a good idea to use this to your advantage. Because in-home detox is not the kind of option you want for recovering from a serious addiction.
Don’t take any chances. You’ll want to begin your treatment with a medical assessment. From there, you can start your treatment with a detox that will last days. Then you can continue onward and the path to recovery will soon end with you beating addiction.