One of the biggest hurdles to overcoming addiction has to be going through the drug or alcohol detox process. Without the proper knowledge or support, withdrawal symptoms and cravings associated with detox can keep you from ever achieving the long-term recovery you or your loved one deserves. And even worse, attempting to detox on your own can put your health at extreme risk (more on that later).
However, professional oversight and medication help make the alcohol or drug detox process much more manageable and successful. And here at The Blanchard Institute, we can provide the medical supervision needed to help you navigate the detox process at home, safely and effectively. Let’s explore the detox process and why it’s so important to start your recovery process on the right path.
What are Cravings?
To first understand the impact of detox on your recovery, you need to know what’s going on behind the scenes. This all starts with knowing how addiction cravings work. Addiction itself is a disease (and a family disease, for that matter); it’s not the result of poor self-discipline or bad choices. Inside your brain, substances like drugs or alcohol trigger the release of dopamine, the pleasure chemical that signals to you that an experience is rewarding. But the amount of dopamine released while using addictive substances is actually 10 times more than a normal, natural reward, according Yale Medicine.
Because of this dopamine rush, you want to seek out alcohol and drugs again to replicate these good feelings. But this consistent oversupply of dopamine leads your brain to adapt and develop a tolerance. So, you have to take more substances more often to achieve the same pleasure you once did. Over time, this can lead to addiction. As a result, you have intense desires to continue to use these addictive substances, called cravings. But when you use substances, they only provide temporary satisfaction. Soon your cravings return, and the vicious cycle continues.
Understanding Addiction Withdrawal
You may read this and think, why can’t someone just ignore their cravings? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. While long-term drug and alcohol consumption can cause physical damage, impacting your heart, lungs, and other organs, they can also lead your brain to develop a chemical dependency on the feelings the substance use produces. So, when someone tries to stop using substances in this state, they can experience withdrawal symptoms that pull them back into addiction.
Addiction symptoms may include:
- Intense cravings
- Sweating
- Dizziness
- Insomnia
- Nausea and vomiting
- Chills and tremors
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Anxiety or depression
- Paranoia
- Impaired cognitive function
- Mood swings
Considering the symptoms above, it’s easy to see what makes an addiction so difficult to quit. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research even refers to substance-related problems and addictions as “chronically relapsing,” causing a major burden on you and your family as you may try to quit yet keep coming back to your addiction over again as you succumb to relapse triggers.
Your body simply gets used to the physical presence of the addictive substance, so it reacts strongly — with these withdrawal symptoms — as it adjusts to their absence. And this is where the detox process enters the picture, and why it’s such an important step in starting your recovery journey.
What is Detox?
Detoxification is “a set of interventions aimed at managing acute intoxication and withdrawal,” according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Whether it’s alcohol detox, marijuana detox, drug detox, or some other form, the purpose of detox is to clear your addicted body of the substance. It sounds easy enough, but even though these substances are dangerous and negatively affect your body, stopping them abruptly without medical supervision can also be dangerous.
If you’re trying to overcome a substance use disorder, the first step is to stop using the substance, so you can begin to minimize the physical harm it continues to cause. This is key to allowing you to get into the right mindset and physical condition to begin the treatment process. The substance needs to leave you physically, but this can be a dangerous time. Different substances are more difficult to detox from, and the quantity you’ve been using also impacts the detox process and how severe withdrawal symptoms may be.
During detox, the effects of withdrawal don’t necessarily subside immediately, either. How long do alcohol withdrawal symptoms last, for example? Answering how long does it take to detox from alcohol will vary based on the length and severity of the addiction. Within 24 hours after your last drink, symptoms can commonly escalate from mild to severe, peaking within the first two to three days. Though withdrawal symptoms may dissipate after that point, some people can continue to experience symptoms for weeks or months in the form of post-acute withdrawal syndrome.
Detoxing Under Medical Supervision
Because of the challenging effects of withdrawal symptoms and the length of time it can take to detox from some substances, it’s important to detox under the medical supervision of trained professionals. Many addiction treatment facilities will provide detox services or partner with a detox center as part of their overall treatment program. When considering a detox program, here are some key components to look out for:
- Safety and comfort: A good detox facility will prioritize your safety and comfort, minimizing the stress that often comes with beginning recovery.
- Personalized medical supervision: The medical detox process should be tailored to your specific needs, ensuring a safe and effective outcome.
- Immediate support: Professional assistance, intervention, and advice needs to be offered 24/7, which helps provide peace of mind and safety through every detox step.
- Informed recovery planning: Your detox should include a comprehensive, tailored assessment that informs the next phase of your addiction treatment.
The Dangers of Quitting Cold Turkey or Detoxing Alone
Withdrawal symptoms notwithstanding, some of you may be wondering why you can’t try to quit substances cold turkey when you’re addicted. Perhaps you think you can white-knuckle through the detox process on your own. However, trying to abruptly stop by yourself can put your life in serious danger. If you’ve been addicted to a substance for a long time and suddenly stop using it, your body may respond with some very serious, even deadly, withdrawal symptoms.
If you try to detox from alcohol at home on your own, for example, you could experience alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome can produce severe, life-threatening complications that require urgent medical intervention, such as alcohol withdrawal delirium, according to StatPearls. If you’re at home alone when these symptoms arise, the results could prove fatal. Instead, it’s best to detox from substances under medical supervision to manage withdrawal symptoms and keep severe reactions at bay. Medical oversight also means you also have access to medications that can lessen symptoms and make you more comfortable during the detox process.
The Drug or Alcohol Detox Process
When you decide to seek help at a professional detox center, what can you expect? Often, a detox program will follow a series of steps to help you navigate your detox safely. According to SAMHSA, these essential steps include:
- Evaluation: This first step tests for the presence and amount of substances in your bloodstream, as well as screens for any co-occurring disorders. Your detox team will comprehensively assess your medical, psychological, and social condition to determine the level of treatment needed post-detox.
- Stabilization: This step involves the medical and psychosocial processes needed to get you through detox and into a substance-free state. Medication-assisted treatment may be utilized to make withdrawal symptoms more manageable, such as methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. The goal is not to trade one substance for another long-term, but during the detox process these meds can be very helpful.
- Transitioning into further treatment: As the detox process concludes, your clinical team will prepare you for the next phase of substance abuse treatment. This typically includes transitioning you to inpatient or outpatient care in order to address the underlying causes of your addiction and provide you with the tools you’ll need to prevent relapse.
Does Insurance Cover Alcohol or Drug Detox?
It’s hard enough to be struggling with an addiction and need treatment, but then you also have to consider how to pay for that life-saving help. As you explore detox program options, cost is likely a factor. Fortunately, many insurance plans now cover addiction treatment, thanks to healthcare parity rules that ensure it is treated like other health care issues like cancer or diabetes. This insured treatment often includes both detox and outpatient care. However, each plan and provider will differ in their level and extent of coverage. If you’re unsure whether your benefits cover detox, many reputable addiction treatment programs will help you verify your coverage before enrolling.
Detox From Home Safely with The Blanchard Institute
Because it’s important not to detox alone, the common detox program will take place at a treatment center. However, this clinical setting can feel anything but homey. And when you’re going through the challenging process of detoxification, feeling safe and comfortable in a familiar environment can make all the difference. That’s why we’ve created our Withdrawal Management program at The Blanchard Institute to help you detox from home safely under medical supervision.
This meticulously designed, at-home detox program occurs over seven to 10 days, starting with a thorough evaluation followed by daily medical appointments. This process enables you to safely detox within the flexibility and comfort of staying at home. We provide 24/7 access to professional support during your detox for questions or concerns. In addition, we conduct a comprehensive assessment to gain a thorough understanding of your needs. This allows us to give you accurate, tailored treatment recommendations so you can continue your recovery journey with confidence.
Many at-home detox program participants will then transition to our Partial Hospitalization (PHP) Day or Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs as a next step. Our professional team can help you determine if detox is a necessary part of your treatment plan and what treatment options are right for your situation. To learn more about our detox and addiction treatment programs in Charlotte and Cornelius, North Carolina, contact us today. We’d love to help you begin the recovery process!