A quality detox and treatment center stays open because it’s effective. Do detox centers do studies on their effectiveness? Absolutely! However, the best detox program on the planet can’t stand alone. Addiction is much more than a craving for the drug. Skilled treatment professionals know that detox is only a small part of the move toward recovery.
Drug treatment is a long-term process that starts with a detox. Once the drug is out of the tissues, the craving may lessen, though it may take medication that will need to be tapered down to stop the cravings completely. Many addicts start taking drugs to help them manage the symptoms of emotional stress and mental illness. As the body and brain are put through detox, these symptoms may well come up again. A quality assessment by skilled professionals is a critical next step to prepare the addict for success.
Detox Can Be Fatal
The symptoms of withdrawal, especially an unsupervised or unsupported detox, can be fatal. Detox symptoms can include
- nausea and vomiting
- dehydration and heart palpitations
- loss of touch with reality
- severe muscle cramps
Because detox is so dangerous, tracking the results of a detox center is a multi-pronged review. Keeping the addict alive in the detox process is the crucial first step to preparing them for long-term treatment. However, anyone who only goes through a monitored detox and doesn’t go through treatment has a much lower chance of success. Once you’ve been through detox, part of your treatment will simply mean getting your body healed.
Drug and alcohol can damage your ability to absorb nutrients. Long-term drug and alcohol use can also be hard on your
- liver, kidneys and gut
- teeth
- brain
- pancreas
For those struggling to get off of opiates, your ability to process endorphins may be extremely suppressed. Over time, your ability to feel pleasure will come back, but the endorphin suppression can lead to long-term anxiety and depression. Awakening to the damage done by drugs can leave you feeling very low. Addicts may also be struggling to rebuild connections with family and friends. Fighting through the stresses of detox and finding yourself depressed, isolated and alone or dealing with unhappy and disappointed family members may leave you feeling completely hopeless.
Detox alone is not enough. The measures for an effective detox and treatment combination include
- fewer relapses
- fewer medical visits
- improvement in legal status
- fewer hazards, such as car wrecks and injuries
Again, these can only be measured over time. Because detox tends to be a short-term experience, the effectiveness of a detox can really only be measured by one factor: survival rates. Building up the confidence and self-awareness to manage the disease of addiction will take time. Once you’ve gotten through detox, your success will rely on the quality of the treatment you receive. Addiction is not something that can be cured.
Getting through the pain of detox and not getting treatment is not a good setup for a healthy move into recovery. Like a lot of diseases that need to be managed, addiction is something you need to work around and prepare for. Someone dealing with diabetes has a better chance of success with the right food in the refrigerator.
A recovering addict has a better chance of avoiding relapse with access to supportive friends and family members. They also need to know how to dig into their self-care arsenal after connecting with stressful family members or on tough anniversaries. Managing the disease of addiction will take skills that you can learn in treatment.
Detox is not the time for learning skills; your brain, body and spirit are all facing serious challenges during the detox process. However, a quality supervised detox can help you to safely prepare for the next round of work, which will happen during treatment. From group therapies to private counseling, from stress management to mental health assessment, the treatment process is just as much work as detox. While it’s less physically dangerous, it will be extremely challenging mentally and emotionally. Our counselors are available 24 hours a day. Call 833-610-1174 for a conversation about starting your healing journey.