Addiction is a multifaceted disease that can leave you feeling hopeless, but you are not alone and help is available. If you or your loved one is ready to pursue treatment for drug or alcohol addiction, then it might be time to consider a professional medical detox at Northbound Treatment Center in Orange County, California.
What is Medical Detox?
Detoxification is typically the first step of substance abuse treatment. Anyone who wants to participate in drug or alcohol addiction treatment programs must first undergo detox to fully taper off addictive substances.
When someone becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol, their body becomes dependent on these substances in order to feel normal. This physical dependency makes it difficult for your body to function without drugs or alcohol. Detoxification is the process of gradually tapering off addictive substances and clearing them out of your system.
In medical detox, you have the added benefit of medical supervision and medication assisted treatment along with therapy and other treatments to help your body rid itself of drugs and alcohol. During withdrawal, staff members monitor the client and help mitigate the intense symptoms and side effects of the detox process. Individuals also receive counseling to help them transition into a drug rehab program that can provide more extensive treatment for addiction. After drug rehab, recovering alcohol or drug users can pursue other inpatient or outpatient treatment options to continue working toward a life free of substance abuse.
Can I Go Through Detox on My Own?
Going cold turkey is not recommended for drug and alcohol abuse. Oftentimes, tapering off alcohol or drugs like opioids, meth, heroin, or cocaine can have severe withdrawal symptoms. Depending on the duration and severity of a user’s substance abuse, withdrawal symptoms may include fatigue, paranoia, intense cravings, hallucinations, muscle aches, flu-like symptoms, and even death.
To keep you or your loved one safe, be sure to seek help at a treatment facility that will provide you with the necessary medical care and supervision during detox.
What to Expect during Detox Near Orange County
The detox process often varies depending on the substance as well as the duration and severity of alcohol or drug abuse.
Alcohol Detox
Alcohol is a depressant that impacts the central nervous system. Long-term alcohol dependence can significantly impact brain function and the way your brain communicates with your body. Within just a few hours after discontinuing the use of alcohol, an individual may experience withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, sweating, and anxiety.
Over the next few days, withdrawal symptoms become more severe and can include a racing heart, hallucinations, seizures, delusions, and more. The withdrawal symptoms from long-term alcohol addiction can be dangerous and even fatal, so it’s important to undergo medical detox at a treatment facility where you will be monitored and supervised throughout the process.
Opioid Detox
While prescription opioids are often used for pain relief, they can cause addiction and physical dependency. Because an opioid user has become reliant on opioids to feel okay, withdrawal can result in a variety of side effects.
In the first 24 hours after discontinuing opioids, users will likely start experiencing withdrawal symptoms including excessive sweating, muscle aches and pains, anxiety, and insomnia. After the first 24 hours, users experience more intense physical symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, high blood pressure, and heart palpitations. Medically assisted detox can help to reduce the severity of these symptoms as your body adjusts to being free of opioids.
Meth Detox
Withdrawal symptoms can begin as soon as 24 hours after discontinuing methamphetamine use. At the beginning of detoxification, meth users typically experience physical symptoms such as depression, nausea, fatigue, and dehydration, in addition to more psychological symptoms, like headaches, anxiety, and even hallucinations. A meth user may also experience extreme depression and fatigue along with intense drug cravings.
Detoxification from meth can take several days to a week; however, a meth user may experience withdrawal symptoms for up to two months. The goal of medication assisted treatment is to minimize the physical effects and reduce the intensity of drug cravings, which can help prevent relapse.
Heroin Detox
Someone detoxing from heroin will probably experience a range of common symptoms. At the start of detoxification, a heroin user will likely experience diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Withdrawal symptoms from heroin can resemble the flu, including fever, chills, muscle aches and pains, and trouble falling asleep. Other symptoms may include agitation, anxiety, and mood changes.
Medication assisted treatment helps to counteract more severe withdrawal symptoms and minimize their effects. With the help and support of our trained addiction specialists and medical support staff, you can stay safe and healthy during the detoxification process.
Cocaine Detox
Because cocaine is a stimulant drug, withdrawal symptoms are primarily psychological in nature. Cocaine use, especially in high doses for long periods of time, impacts your brain’s dopamine system, affecting the user’s energy level and ability to experience joy. As a result, common withdrawal symptoms include fatigue, lack of pleasure, anxiety, unpleasant dreams, and insomnia.
More intense psychological symptoms may result in drastic mood swings as well as feelings of agitation, suspicion, or paranoia. The severity of psychological symptoms during the detox process can be overwhelming. Medication assisted treatment helps to counteract these common withdrawal symptoms and reduce their intensity. Because psychological withdrawal symptoms can last for months after cocaine detox, emotional support and behavioral therapy can be particularly helpful when experiencing these symptoms.
Medical Detoxification Reduces Side Effects and Makes Detox Safer
Detoxification looks different depending on the person: some find detoxification manageable, and others experience withdrawal symptoms so severe that they end up needing emergency medical care. This is why it is important to undergo medical detox under the supervision of trained experts to ensure your safety is at the forefront of this process.
Neither you nor your loved one should go it alone during detoxification. Medical detox can lessen the severity of withdrawal symptoms and make the process more comfortable and manageable. During medication assisted treatment at Northbound Treatment Center in Orange County, patients receive care and are under the supervision of our supportive medical professionals who specialize in addiction treatment.
Patients are monitored to ensure that they receive adequate hydration and nutrition. The health and safety of our patients is our top priority, so consider undergoing medical detox at our treatment center in Orange County for a more comfortable detox experience.
Finding a Medical Detox Facility Near Orange County, California
While medically assisted detox is not a cure for addiction, it can get you started on the journey toward recovery. If you or your loved one is ready for an alcohol or drug detox program, then reach out today for more information. Northbound Treatment Center in Orange County, California, can provide you with the help and support you need to safely detox from drugs and alcohol. Reach out today.
