People have such trouble overcoming their substance abuse problems because their bodies have actually started to become dependent on the drug. When this starts to occur, it becomes much harder to stop taking the drug, especially to do so safely without serious health problems. At our Banyan Lake Worth rehab, we offer medically assisted detox to help patients who have become physically dependent on a substance. This is a crucial stage in the treatment process and is one that should never be attempted alone or without medical supervision.
Dangers of Detoxing at Home
While some people may try to quit drugs or alcohol cold turkey on their own, doing this can be risky. Withdrawal symptoms aren’t just uncomfortable. They can also be dangerous. Without proper professional care, serious complications and even death may occur. Only licensed professionals at medical detox centers like ours can best determine how a patient should be treated, which is why completing medical detox is so important when seeking addiction recovery.
Some drug withdrawal symptoms include:
- Sweating
- Headaches
- Tremors
- Rapid Heart Rate
- Mood Swings and Depression
- Confusion and Disorientation
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Stomach Cramps
- Digestive Issues
- Restlessness
- Insomnia or Extreme Fatigue
- Seizures
Withdrawals are the brain’s and body’s reactions to a sudden reduction in or lack of drugs or alcohol. They usually reflect the opposite effects of the substance the individual is detoxing from. For instance, while benzodiazepines and alcohol both depress nerve activity in the brain along with functions like breathing, movement, and judgment, their withdrawal symptoms are usually opposite in nature.
For this reason, it’s common for individuals who are detoxing from alcohol or drugs like benzos to experience heightened nerve activity, including symptoms like rapid or irregular breathing and heart rate and even seizures. In these cases, conditions like delirium tremens (intense seizures) can be life-threatening if they aren’t medically managed. For this reason, it’s recommended that those interested in detoxing from drugs or alcohol seek out medically supervised detox services.
What Is Medical Detox?
At our Lake Worth drug rehab, our on-site medically assisted detox program features a medical staff – including doctors and nurses – that offer round-the-clock assistance to support patients through withdrawals. Our medical team administers detox medication (if needed) to ease the discomfort and pain of physical withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings. When drug detoxification is attempted outside of a medical setting, these symptoms most often contribute to relapse.
The timespan and severity of these drug withdrawal symptoms can vary greatly between each patient depending on the substance(s) they have been using, the amount they have been using, and the duration of their substance use. Other factors, including age, medical conditions, genetics, and overall health, can also affect a patient’s experience during medically supervised detox.
We have safely weaned patients off a wide variety of substances through the implementation of different drug and alcohol detox programs. Whether a patient has developed a dependence on alcohol, opiates, amphetamines, or another drug, they are evaluated by our medical team to develop a medical detox plan that will best meet their unique needs.
Medical Detox Near Me
Medically assisted detox is often the first step in a patient’s recovery journey. The goal of this process is to medically stabilize the patient and make them as comfortable as possible while also ridding their body of drugs and toxins before they go on to receive further therapeutic care. Detox also serves to reduce the occurrence of drug cravings, which along with withdrawals, would otherwise contribute to relapse.
It is during this time that patients can also begin gaining clarity and insight into their addictions and prepare to continue their care at a less intensive level. Following this process, residential addiction treatment is often the next step on their path to becoming and staying sober.
If you are ready to take that first step toward sobriety, do not wait any longer. Contact Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches today to learn more about our detox and addiction treatment in Lake Worth.
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