How Does A Drug Treatment Center Assist With Detoxification?

Addictions treatment centers are often suggested for individuals who have severe addiction problems. These centers often focus on things like individual addiction counseling. However, one of the first steps to the addiction treatment is to go through drug detoxification. Detox is extremely stressful for many people, but there are a number of things that the treatment center can do to help you through it. 

Provide Medication

In many cases, detoxification can be extremely dangerous. In fact, you should not stop taking certain drugs suddenly or you may put yourself at risk of a cardiac or respiratory event. This is typically the case for alcohol, benzodiazepines, and opioids. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be the most severe, and this is one reason why monitoring is vital. 

Outside of monitoring your detoxification, your addiction professional may suggest the use of medication. Medications are advised to reduce the severity of symptoms and to also reduce your cravings for drugs and alcohol. The medication used will correspond with the type of substance that you are addicted to. For example, methadone may be utilized for opioid addiction while something called naltrexone may be used for alcohol addiction.

Antidepressants, antipsychotics, and other mood stabilizing medications are often suggested too. This is also true of anticonvulsants and antinausea medicines. Medicines that calm the central and sympathetic nervous systems are an option too. Basically, these medications keep your body from going into a state of shock.

Psychiatric Care

One of the most important aspects of detoxification is to get through it without leaving the addiction facility. This is extremely difficult, especially since you will feel quite ill. To help you, a counselor will provide psychiatric care. This care may be in the form of individual counseling where you can express your feelings or it may be in a group counseling situation.

Group counseling sessions are particularly helpful in the long term, especially since certain types of detox can last an extended period of time. 

Counselors also are equipped to identify the first signs of depression, as this is a common issue that occurs during detoxification. Certain types of mental disorders also can occur along with addiction. This is called a co-occurring or dual disorder. The sooner that the mental illness, like bipolar disorder, is discovered, the sooner it can be treated. This can greatly increase your chances of success during the treatment period.

If you want to know more about detoxification, speak with an addiction treatment center.


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