Quitting drugs and alcohol for good is next to impossible without professional help. Addiction is a serious brain disease that no amount of sheer willpower can conquer.
All of us at Desert Mountain Detox, a specialized Arizona drug detox facility, are glad that you’re reading. Staying clean and sober is a lifelong journey. Detox is only the first step, but it’s an important one. Please know that you can lean on us as you start on a better path.
Why Detox is So Important
Powerful cravings for alcohol or drugs are tough to resist on your own. The physical and psychological urges to use are simply too strong. Rarely does anyone with a serious problem overcome them without detox.
Your chances of healing are much greater if your body is stabilized and your mind is clear before you dive into therapy. You should be able to fully focus on your treatment without distractions or the physical discomfort of withdrawal.
Depending on the severity and length of your addiction, it could take several days to flush out the toxins that have built up in your system. It’s a physically and emotionally trying time. The worst way to go through it is alone in your own bed.
This is time best spent in the care of experienced professionals. Our trained staff members will closely monitor your condition and offer emotional support in a calming, restful and safe environment.
Thinking About Detoxing On Your Own?
Withdrawal from some drugs can be painful or even dangerous. Alcohol, opioids and benzodiazepines, for instance, should never be stopped suddenly without medical supervision. The outcome could be life-threatening.
Symptoms vary depending on your drug of choice, but you could experience a few or all of these to some degree:
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
- Fever
- Chills
- Uncontrollable shaking
- Irregular heart rate or racing pulse
- Seizures
- Insomnia
- Confusion
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Hallucinations
- Paranoia
- Suicidal thoughts
You’re also likely to be dehydrated and lacking valuable nutrients that will strengthen you for the journey ahead. Compulsive drug-seeking and a healthy diet don’t exactly go hand in hand. You’ll pick up great tips on eating well as your treatment continues.
All things considered, an inpatient program for detox is safer and far more effective than suffering on your own.
How Medicines Can Help
The best detox programs are comprehensive. The goal is to get you in top shape for treatment, and a number of approaches can be used.
Medications may be introduced to ease cravings, alleviate symptoms or help you relax. Certain medicines are approved by the government for use during withdrawal from specific drug habits. Every drug is unique, and what works for alcohol abuse may not work for painkiller abuse.
Any drugs that are dispensed have gone through rigorous testing and are safe for most clients. All the same, you’ll be watched closely for unexpected reactions or side effects.
For addiction to heroin and opioid pain relievers, you might be given methadone, suboxone or antidepressants.
Acamprosate, disulfiram, naltrexone, anti-nausea medication and antidepressants are sometimes used to help with alcohol withdrawal.
If you’re hooked on meth, cocaine or meds for ADHD, modafinil, antidepressants or antipsychotics may provide short-term relief during withdrawal.
For a problem with sedatives and tranquilizers, short-acting benzodiazepines are substituted for long-acting ones.
The Role of Detox in an Overall Treatment Plan
It sounds crazy when you’re still thinking 24/7 about drugs or alcohol, but many recovering addicts who are staying sober look back on detox as the easy part. It only seems scary because you can’t imagine your life without drugs.
Withdrawal may feel a little like going through a divorce, mourning a death or moving to a different country where you don’t speak the language. Change is always frightening, but this one will pay off.
Think of detox as the first step to reclaiming everything you lost — your health, your relationships, your reputation at work and your overall quality of life. Think of it as the bridge to ongoing treatment.
Your therapy will get to the heart of your addiction. It will uncover the hurt feelings, disappointments or traumatic events in your past that hold you back today. You’ll learn to identify emotional triggers and sources of stress that tempt you to drink or use drugs. You’ll learn skills for coping with bad moods or upsetting events. Throughout recovery, you’ll build a strong network of encouragement and support from people just like you who are getting well.
Please reach out to us at Desert Mountain Arizona drug detox today. From the very first step, we’re committed to your healing.
