Drug Detox Secrets I Wish I Had Known Sooner
Addiction to drugs and alcohol deteriorates health, wrecks emotional havoc and tears families apart. Most addiction specialists agree that alcoholics and addicts must have no lurking notion that they can ever drink or use safely again in order to attain lasting recovery from addiction.
For the person ready to get clean once and for all, the journey into sobriety can be riddled with trials and challenges. However, there are many simple secrets to make drug detox easier. The easier it is to get clean, the more likely it is a person can maintain long-term sobriety.
For help finding a treatment program that will make the detox process easier for you, call 800-315-1376 (Who Answers?).
How Do I Know If I Require Detox?
Quitting alcohol or other substances can be tricky business. In fact, in some cases, detoxification can be deadly without the proper treatment. Because of the way certain chemicals work in the body, great care should be taken before stopping any substance cold turkey once a dependence has been identified. Look for these signs:
- Getting drunk or high daily
- Difficulty in limiting the amount used
- Hangovers or drug sickness
- Craving alcohol or drugs
- Developing a tolerance and requiring more drugs or alcohol
- Withdrawal symptoms like nausea, shaking and sweating
- Mood swings
Types of Detoxification Facilities
Coloring can help distract your mind from drug cravings.
Depending upon symptoms and comorbid conditions, different settings for treatment are available. Doctors or addiction specialists should recommend the least restrictive setting appropriate to provide proper detoxification care. The following are viable options:
- Doctor’s Office
- Emergency or Urgent Care Center
- Substance Abuse Treatment Center or Mental Health Facility
- Intensive Outpatient and Partial Hospitalization Programs
- Inpatient Hospitalization
Which Option Is Right for Me?
Choosing the right detoxification option to begin recovery is very important. Finding the correct detox program is dependent upon the type of substance to which the addict is abusing, the age of onset of drug or alcohol abuse and physiological factors. Consulting with a doctor or addiction specialist is always the best option to determine whether outpatient or inpatient care is the optimum choice.
How to Ease the Detox Process
No matter the treatment option, detoxifying from chemicals is difficult. Drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms can make the process physically and emotionally hard. For opioid addiction, buprenorphine or morphine are often prescribed to help taper usage and lessen withdrawal symptoms. For other addictions, including alcohol, medications like lithium, thorazine, clonidine, valium and similar medications are generally prescribed.
Can I Detox from Drugs without Taking More Drugs?
Sometimes it is possible to detox without pharmacological intervention; however, great care must be taken. Depending up the chemical, withdrawal can cause extreme illness and sometimes death. However if an addict is sure medical intervention is unnecessary, the following hints and suggestions can help with drug craving and withdrawal:
- Eat chocolate when cravings hit. Drug cravings are part mental and part physiological. Chocolate regulates sugar imbalances and activates the pleasure center in the brain.
- Exercise. Physical activity has been shown to reduce stress and promote the production of endorphins.
- Sweat. Sweating through exercise or via heat cleanses the body and purges systems of toxic impurities.
- Drink a lot of water. Flushing the system is important to regulate body systems.
- Meditate through repetitive actions. Walking, coloring, waxing a car, and painting a house are all actions that use repetitive motion and can help calm a racing addict’s mind.
- Talk to people. Having people to talk with is important to purging negative emotions that may be bottled up.
Will I Need Therapy or Other Treatment After Detox?
Recovery is an individual journey. Detox, however, should be seen as the beginning of a life-long journey. Getting off drugs and alcohol is the single most important step in achieving a happy, sane life. We can help you start the journey; call 800-315-1376 (Who Answers?) now.
Resources
Gould, T. J. (2010, December). Addiction and Cognition. Retrieved October 28, 2016, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3120118/
Treatment, C. F. (1970, January 01). Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment – NCBI Bookshelf. Retrieved October 28, 2016, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64115/
H.(n.d.). Principles of Effective Treatment. Retrieved October 28, 2016, from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/principles-effective-treatment
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