Detoxification from alcohol and other drugs is an essential first step for any addiction treatment program. A substance abusing individual must first come down off the drugs that one is on in order to start addressing the underlying issues. While it this is commonly called detox, it is actually just withdrawal, as there is more than one definition for detoxification.
One method of detox is a drug-free withdrawal. For many drugs, there may be several withdrawal symptoms, but it is perfectly safe to go through a supervised drug-free withdrawal. Drugs such as cocaine, crack, methamphetamine and other types of stimulants often require a lot of rest and food for withdrawal. Many opiate users may be afraid of the severe withdrawal symptoms, but in most cases it is still safe to do a drug-free withdrawal, but may opt for a medically-assisted detox procedure. Other drugs such as alcohol and various prescription drugs (including antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs) may be fine for a drug-free withdrawal on lower doses, but could require a medical detox and the decision should be left up to the attending doctor.
A medically-assisted detoxification procedure (medical detox) is often performed in a hospital-type setting. This is where a patient requires other drugs to be temporarily administered to reduce the shock and risk of seizure when withdrawing. In addition to substitute or alternative drugs, a medcial detox may also be used in a wind-down procedure for drugs such as methadone, where the same drug is given in lower doses to be able to withdraw safely with reduced symptoms.
Many times addicts feel that once they have gone through a detox program to get off the drug that they will be fine. For some this might be the case, but for most there must be some type of rehabilitation program attended to prevent relapse and to provide tools for staying clean and sober. One common cause for relapse is the physical cravings to go use more drugs, which can often be too overwhelming for former addicts to ignore.
There is another type of detoxification, which is actually much more thorough and better fits the definition of detoxifying a person’s body. It doesn’t stop at simply withdrawing the person from the drug. Commonly used in biophysical drug rehab programs, this detox procedure uses a natural body cleansing process to help remove the stored toxin residues, and the result is a very revitalized and rejuvenated person ready to address other aspects of life with a cleared head.
