Seeking Help In Drug Detox

By Christine Edwards


Informally known as detox, it is a procedure that ensures a safe stoppage to an addicts continual abuse of drugs. Additionally, the procedure also ensures that the body of the patient is completely free of residual chemicals arising from the use of such harmful substances. All this while minimizing the associated withdrawal syndromes to a threshold that the patient can survive with drug detox.

After the patient goes a couple of weeks without abusing the drugs, conditions known as withdrawal syndromes begin to show. Usually, due to the fact that the body becomes deprived of the chemical substances it became accustomed to. These might either be mildly painful or highly painful depending on the substance being abused, and the level of dependency on such substances. Some of these syndromes include convulsions, paranoia, pains in the muscles, panic, feeding disorders, depression and heart complications.

Before the detox procedure is conducted, several contributors are to be considered. These being the addiction level of the patient and the nature of the whole condition that the individual suffers. These procedures can either be medicated, medical or natural. Natural procedures, also known as cold turkey would basically require that the addict stops using these drugs and without any medical interventions. Thereafter, the patient gets support as he or she undergoes the withdrawal syndromes.

The natural procedures offer the simplest solutions to drug addiction but usually at a painful price. Nonetheless, these natural techniques offer the quickest remedies to drug addiction, given that within a couple of days the victim might be completely free of substance abuse. Medical techniques however can last for months. They however are not as painful as natural procedures. These techniques employ the use of special substances as suboxone, naltrexone and methadone. All being under the governments regulation.

Medical detoxification usually is used to mainly remedy the cases of opioid addiction. Usually the medicinal substances used serve to act as better alternatives to the opioids. Such replacement then ensures that the patient suffers close to no withdrawal syndromes. This at the same time eliminating the patients need to continuously abuse such substances. Medicated maneuvers unlike medical maneuvers, utilize medicinal substances that do not act as replacement drugs, but work to cure the withdrawal syndromes.

Furthermore these detoxification procedures can be administered to both inpatients and outpatients. Where inpatients get to use either medicated procedures or natural procedures while outpatients get to use the medical procedures only. Given the many rehabilitation centers offering these detoxification programs, it is prudent to fore mostly understand ones rehabilitation needs before enrolling. This by considering whether he or she needs a long or a short term program.

Apart from these programs being available in rehabilitation facilities, they similarly are available in hospitals, clinics and correctional establishments. It is recommended to enroll for such detoxification programs once drug addiction symptoms begin to appear. Such symptoms would consist of, low body resilience, slurred speech, poor grooming, body shakes and drastic weight changes. On the other hand, psychological symptoms would consist of low motivation, mood swings and sudden shifts in ones personality.

Technology makes it easier to look up and reach the desired institutions offering such services. This through the numerous websites providing the contacts and geographic locations of such institutions.




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