The human body adapts to any conditions. Even in cases where it is exposed to alcohol or drugs for a long time. He gets used to this condition, tolerance to the psychoactive substance develops.
But at one point a person with addiction decides to change his life for the better – to quit drugs or alcohol. The body, accustomed to certain doses of substances, gives a response in the form of unpleasant, often very painful, withdrawal symptoms. Coping with them on your own is difficult, and in some cases impossible. This is exactly what medical assisted detoxification is for.
What is it
Source: midwestdetoxcenter.com
Medically assisted detox is a supervised process of removing toxic substances from the body and suppressing withdrawal symptoms with medication. Medically assisted detox is a way to safely survive one of the most difficult stages of addiction treatment. Why is this important? Because in most cases, it is during the withdrawal symptoms stage that relapses occur most often – the person cannot tolerate the pain and returns to drugs or alcohol.
As you know, the addiction treatment process consists of fighting physical and psychological dependence. Medically assisted detox helps to cope with the first part, and it is easier for the patient to move on to work on himself: to work through triggers, to learn to cope with stress without substances, to find joy and pleasure in simple things.
How long does a medical detox last? It depends on the general condition of the body, the type of psychoactive substance and the length of time the substance has been used. The average time is between 3 and 14 days, sometimes longer.
The main methods of detoxification
Depending on the patient’s condition, different methods of cleansing and maintaining the body can be used. Most often it is infusion therapy, when the patient is prescribed drips with a special solution. Also may be prescribed adsorbents that bind toxic substances for their rapid excretion with urine. In the most severe cases, hemodialysis is used. This method is used in cases where the kidneys are not able to cope with a large number of toxins contained in the blood.
Additionally, the patient is prescribed to take drugs to protect the main organs (heart, liver, kidneys) and nervous system.
When medical detoxification is necessary
Source: bhoperehab.com
Medical detoxification can be effective for severe addictions to the following substances:
- drugs. This includes the entire spectrum of narcotic substances. This is especially true for hard drugs such as heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl;
- alcohol. Relevant for long-term use of alcohol over several days, when a person starts each new day by drinking alcohol;
- medications. This includes cases of abuse of antidepressants, painkillers, and sedatives that are taken in high dosages for longer than prescribed by the doctor.
A common indication for the use of detoxification is long-term use of a psychoactive substance. In this case, when withdrawing from drugs or alcohol, there are pronounced withdrawal symptoms:
- severe pain throughout the body;
- tremors;
- seizures;
- hallucinations;
- vomiting;
- sweating;
- heart rhythm disturbances;
- psychosis, etc.
Also, medical detoxification is used in emergency situations in case of overdose or poisoning. This procedure is one of the main procedures to restore vital signs of the body.
Key benefits of Medically Assisted Detox
Source: highlandhosp.com
The most important advantage of medically assisted detox is that this procedure can save the life of a person with addiction. After a detailed examination of the patient, doctors select the most effective and safe way to remove toxins from the body. It is impossible to do this on your own without special knowledge. Self-medication can only aggravate the situation. Trying to endure until the withdrawal symptoms end on their own can lead to death.
Another key benefit of medically supervised detoxification is the minimal chance of relapse at this stage. It’s all about the fact that drug use in a clinic setting is simply eliminated. If you try to get rid of addiction at home, then in most cases it ends up with taking psychoactive substances as the only way to get back to a familiar state.
Why else should you not go through withdrawal syndrome at home? After a strong addiction, it can be accompanied by seizures and uncontrollable mental changes. Such a person is a danger not only to himself, but also to others.
To conclude this article, we would like to emphasize once again the importance of seeking help in a timely manner. If you are determined to fight addiction, find specialists who can monitor your condition and prevent severe withdrawal symptoms from occurring. There are many rehabs in the United States that provide such services. There is probably one near you.
