How Medically-Supervised Detox Works in Addiction Treatment
Upon making the choice to pursue health and turn away from addiction, you face the reality of detox and withdrawal. It’s a pretty universally understood fact that post-addiction detox is taxing on the body, mentally and physically. Sadly, it’s so well known that many refuse to enter treatment out of fear of these symptoms.
However, over the past number of years, doctors and clinicians have worked together to create a way in which one can effectively and safely undergo detox without feeling the brute (and potentially deadly) force of withdrawal. With medically-supervised detox, addiction treatment centers can now offer their clients a more manageable method of detoxification.
What is medically-supervised detox?
The definition of medically-supervised detox is relatively straightforward: using strict amounts of controlled medication the patient’s withdrawal symptoms can be reduced in severity, thereby lessening the risk of the more painful and dangerous side effects.
Medically-supervised detox is not a standalone recovery, nor is it the replacement of one drug with another. It is the first step in the treatment process where the body and brain are rid of addictive toxins with the use of non-addictive, carefully monitored medications. These help to put you in the right frame of mind to begin the next stages of the recovery journey.
When you enter into a treatment facility, your team will work with you to understand your medical history, as well as your history of addiction, in order to craft the best holistic treatment plan for you. This includes determining the best way to help you through detox.
Why medically-supervised detox?
Some people may wonder why they can’t just detox on their own and save themselves the time and energy.
Well, you technically can, but we would strongly advise against it. Detox can be a dangerous process as your brain rewires itself and learns to once again naturally create certain chemicals it had previously relied on the drugs to do. As the body is denied addictive substances, it can become quite sick as it resets its systems.
A detoxing body can experience a number of health complications, including:
- Physical discomfort;
- Extreme mood swings;
- Insomnia, or trouble sleeping;
- Nausea and vomiting;
- Anxiety;
- Trouble focusing;
- Intense cravings;
- Depression;
- Chills, shaking and aches;
- Seizures;
- Hallucinations.
Medically-supervised detox does not completely eliminate all of these potential withdrawal symptoms. However, it can significantly reduce their severity, in addition to keeping the body stable. This security can bring a lot of mental peace to you if you’re concerned about the physical challenges of detox.
How does medically-supervised detox work?
There are commonly three stages to medically-supervised detox to give you the best chance of success.
- Evaluation — This process examines the levels of drugs or alcohol in the body, gets all the personal information to determine the most effective detox treatment plan (how long, how often and what kind of substances were abused) and screens for any co-occurring mental disorders like anxiety, depression or PTSD. The evaluation sets the groundwork for creating a treatment plan post detox.
- Stabilization — This stage focuses on supporting and stabilizing you as the most acute symptoms of withdrawal begin to set in. A medical team will be present to monitor and administer medication as needed, plus a counselor will begin preparing you on what to expect/what will be expected of you as you enter into addiction treatment.
- Preparation for continued treatment — Detox does not address the behavioral or psychological conditions which contributed to the development of addiction. This is why continued treatment is necessary for sustained recovery and the reduction of possible relapse. In order to prepare you for the second part of recovery, your counselor will converse with you about your needs and expectations for a treatment plan that will offer you the best chance of sustained recovery.
Each person who enters a detox program will have a varying detox experience because of their history with substances. For example, someone who has been abusing opioids for five years will have a different treatment plan than someone who has been struggling with alcohol use and depression for three years.
In order to give you the best chance at recovery, your team will take the time to learn these facts about your journey and work with you to offer you the best in medically-supervised detox.
Get in touch with a detox program today
If you are ready to begin the process of detox and addiction treatment, reach out to Bluff. We use a variety of medications as appropriate to relieve alcohol and drug detox withdrawal symptoms, reduce anxiety and prepare you mentally and physically for the next phase of treatment.
Every patient is assessed on a case by case basis by our doctors and medical staff to determine a withdrawal management plan appropriate for their individualized situation. If this sounds like what you need to sustain your recovery, call us today at (844) 242-0806.
