Questions to Ask Before Enrolling in a Detox Program

Anyone considering enrolling in a detox program has likely experienced the types of negative consequences that drug abuse and addiction bring. While not everyone will require a detox program those who do have a much better chance of making it through this difficult stage of recovery.

As drug abuse affects different people in different ways, questions to ask before enrolling in a detox program have as much to do with the type(s) of drugs a person uses as it does his or her individual circumstances. Since stopping drug use is the overall objective at this stage of recovery, it’s especially important to ensure any single detox program offers the supports needed to make this possible.

Types of Detox Programs

You may need to ask yourself how often you are abusing drugs.

While detoxing may seem like a fairly straightforward process, there are actually several different types of detox programs, each of which addresses different levels of abuse and addiction. According to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, detox settings can take five different forms:

• Inpatient care
• Physician’s care
• Emergency room
• Detox treatment facility
• Outpatient care

People in the early stages of drug abuse may be able to stop using drugs on their own depending on the type of drug and the frequency of use. What’s most important to keep in mind is each failed attempt only makes it that much harder to follow through.

Questions To Ask

How Long Have I Been Abusing Drugs?

Whether using alcohol or drugs, all addictive substances have a cumulative effect on the brain. Over time, these effects alter and eventually impair the brain’s ability to function normally.

As detox withdrawal symptoms account for why it’s so difficult to make it through this stage, the longer a person abuses drugs the more severe withdrawal symptoms will be. In cases of long-term abuse, a person may well want to consider the more intensive detox programs, such as inpatient care or a detox treatment facility.

How Often Do I Use?

Frequency of use affects how dependent the body becomes on a drug’s effects. It may also indicate an addiction problem is at work.

After so many months of abuse, brain chemical imbalances start to take shape. These imbalances warp the brain’s reward center, which regulates a person’s learning processes, motivations and priorities. Once addiction sets in, withdrawal symptoms become that much more severe.

How Many Time Have I Tried to Quit Using and Failed?

An inability to stop using can be the result of a long drug abuse history or a chronic addiction problem. With each failed attempt, the brain undergoes further damage, which only works to strengthen the addiction cycle. People who’ve made multiple failed attempts to stop using drugs require the physical and psychological supports provided by detox treatment facilities.

Do I Have the Support of Friends & Family?

A strong support system can work wonders in helping a person make it through the worst of detox withdrawal. Someone struggling with a mild to moderate drug problem may be able to undergo detox through a physician’s office or outpatient program provided he or she has a strong support system. In the absence of a support system in place, a more intensive detox program will likely be necessary.