Drug Detox

Anyone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol might be interested in drug detox of some sort so that they can get clean and sober and start living a new life in recovery.  Being hooked on drugs can be a huge struggle for an addict so if they are interested in changing their life then they need to know how to take steps to change.  Addicts are typically trapped in a cycle of addiction and it is hard to see a way out.  The starting point for recovery is to get the body clean of all drugs and alcohol.  This is known as detox.

One of the best options for anyone who genuinely wants to get clean and sober is for them to go to a drug detox center or a drug rehab.  There they will be able to help you to get through the withdrawal symptoms that typically occur when coming off of addictive drugs.  For example, people who are detoxing from opiate painkillers or heroin will generally go through such a nasty withdrawal that it is very difficult to stay clean in the early stages.  These people can benefit greatly from the medications that the medical staff at a detox center can give them.  By using certain drugs, detox can be a much easier experience to get through. 

Now in most cases people who go through a detox program will not be staying on the drugs on any kind of permanent basis. Instead, the drugs given to them will help get them through their withdrawal symptoms, then they will be slowly weened off the medications so that they are completely drug free.

For some addicts this is not enough, and they have a greater need for continued use of medication in order to stay clean from street drugs. There are a couple of different reasons that this might be the case:

1) They have chronic pain issues that cannot be controlled without resorting to some sort of opiate medication. People in this situation might end up on Suboxone for long term maintenance therapy. Or rather, they will essentially be taking Suboxone for pain management, which will allow them to avoid taking their real opiate drug of choice.

2) They have extreme anxiety. People who have a serious, clinical level of diagnosed anxiety might not be able to function without some sort of medication. People in this situation would do well to find some sort of non addictive drugs to take for after they are fully detoxed.

3) They continuously fail when attempting abstinence. People who have tried to stay clean and sober for years but continue to fail at it might be good candidates for drug maintenance therapy of some sort. If they cannot stay clean after several tries then this might be an option to consider. This is controversial because many people believe that this should never be a viable option, and that anyone can basically get and stay clean without any drugs if they are persistent enough. This may or may not be true and probably will never be proven either way, so drug therapy will probably always be an option for some.

Going through a drug detox does not necessarily require any medication at all. For example, coming off of Cocaine and Marijuana is pretty straightforward and quitting cold turkey will not generally result in any extreme discomfort or life threatening symptoms. Therefore there really is no treatment when attempting to detox these sorts of addicts. They can still experience psychological cravings and have a mental withdrawal and an emotional loss from stopping the drugs, but they will not have any serious physical withdrawal symptoms. Sometimes in extreme cases they will have some, but this is rare and the symptoms are not dangerous.

Alcohol and sedative withdrawal is very dangerous, on the other hand. In fact, alcohol withdrawal can actually be fatal if it is severe enough and not handled properly. This is one very good reason why you should always try to get to a drug rehab or treatment center if you are going through detox. Safety is a key issue and the medical staff there can help to keep you safe while you are going through detox.