Medical Detox in Durham, NC – (919) 267-1662
One of the biggest hurdles in overcoming a drug or alcohol addiction is taking that first leap into sobriety. Medical detox, or the process of eliminating a substance from your body, can be uncomfortable, painful, or even downright dangerous. Without supervision from a team of caring and knowledgeable experts, detoxification often leads to relapse, and in some severe cases, complications that can be fatal.
The Need for Medical Detox
Within a few hours to a day after quitting an addictive substance, withdrawal symptoms begin to occur. Much as your body and brain had to adjust to the substance when you first started using, they will have to re-adjust again once you stop. Drugs which, for instance, changed your heartbeat or respiratory rate will have detrimental effects in those areas during withdrawal, leading to high or low blood pressure, rapid or shallow breathing, and even irregular heartbeat. Since illicit substances change brain chemistry, the mental symptoms of withdrawal are often more intense and long-lasting than the physical symptoms. With a medical detox team, however, even these symptoms can be managed.
Medical detox doesn’t have to require the use of medications to be performed safely. For some patients, depending on factors like the type of drug used, the length of its use, the body’s tolerance to the substance, and the possibility of co-occurring disorders, alternative therapies can be used to ease withdrawal symptoms and make detox more comfortable. Techniques such as acupuncture, acupressure, massage, and meditation have been proven to help ease discomfort during detox for countless recovering addicts. In addition, detoxing in a safe, clean environment with the support of family and friends can go a long way toward making detox more manageable.
Withdrawal Symptoms During Detox
Too many addicts who try to detox without medical help end up relapsing simply to end the pain and discomfort of withdrawal — and it isn’t hard to see why when you consider some of the possible symptoms that can occur. Although different types of drugs cause different symptoms, many share a combination of the following:
- High or low blood pressure
- Heart palpitations
- Hyperventilation, shallow breathing, or difficulty breathing
- Abdominal pain
- Intense headache
- Muscle cramps
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea
As mentioned, the mental symptoms of withdrawal can sometimes be even worse than the physical ones, especially for users of drugs such as meth and benzodiazepines like Kolonopin:
- Visual and auditory hallucinations
- Tactile hallucinations (often a feeling of bugs crawling under the skin)
- Severe anxiety
- Depression
- Uncontrollable rage
- Intensified symptoms of a co occurring disorder, such as obsessive-compulsive behaviors in OCD patients
Durham Drug Rehab Centers Medical Detox
At Durham Drug Rehab Centers, we know that medical detox is only the first step toward a full addiction recovery. Addiction treatment and aftercare are needed to prevent the chances of relapse, and help recovering addicts learn how to lead a full and normal life once again. A holistic approach to medical detox, taking mind, body, and spirit into account during the entire process, can start your recovery in a positive direction. Contact Durham Drug Rehab Centers today at (919) 267-1662 to begin the process that can lead you to recovery, and to a new outlook on life.
