Addiction is never an easy thing to overcome, regardless of how long you’ve been abusing substances. For those who have been struggling to defeat their alcohol or drug addiction for several years, it can begin to seem like an impossible goal to achieve. Yet, the possibility of recovery is more possible than you may realize through a medical detox program. If you’re serious about getting clean, this type of program can help you achieve that dream.

The Facts About Medical Detoxification

Many people have an idea about what this entails, but there are also many myths circulating about the process. For that reason, it’s important to point out the facts, so you can make an informed decision about your addiction recovery. Basically defined, a medical detoxification program uses prescribed medication to minimize the physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms of addiction. Medication is controlled by professional and experienced caregivers, so the addict can quit using alcohol or drugs in a safe and managed environment.

The reason that many addicts fail to quit abusing drugs on their own is that the withdrawal symptoms can be very severe. In addition to causing emotional and psychological distress, withdrawal from some drugs can be physically painful. In cases where the addiction is severe, withdrawal symptoms can cause physical damage to the body and can lead to a life-threatening condition.

The detox procedure is divided up into three phases:

• Evaluation – This involves blood tests to determine the severity of your addiction and how withdrawal will affect any pre-existing physical or mental illnesses.
• Stabilization – This is the actual process of getting the addict free of his or her addiction.
• Entry into Treatment – Once the addict is no longer in danger from withdrawal symptoms, he or she must enter a formal rehabilitation program to learn how to cope without using drugs or alcohol.

Throughout the entire process, the patient is monitored closely by trained and experienced staff members. This helps to ensure the individual progresses in a safe manner with his or her withdrawal symptoms strictly controlled.

Detox Centers are Different from Rehab Facilities

While drug rehab facilities focus on helping addicts get clean and confront the issues that drove them to use drugs or alcohol, a Substance Abuse Detox Center has only one goal. That is to get the addict to stop abusing drugs or alcohol while protecting the individual from withdrawal. Once safely returned to a state of clean living, the individual can then fully concentrate on confronting the triggers that prompted the addiction.

Another concern for people looking for help is how effective medical detoxification can be. They find it hard to believe that something that they have found so challenging in the past can be achieved more easily with controlled medication. In truth, the process is very effective and, as proof, there are the thousands of former addicts. All across the country, people undergo medically supervised detox programs, leaving the facility clean of drugs and alcohol.

Detox facilities are fully staffed with compassionate personnel, so patients are never left without proper supervision. The controlled environment protects against substance abuse relapses, but its primary focus is in keeping the patients safe. As patients must remain in the facility until they have completed the program, detox centers are staffed 24 hours a day, every day.

The process involves counseling and therapy, as well as the medication to provide full-service interventions that ensure success. In many treatment centers, the process is tailored to each patient. While all patients may not receive the same treatment, they do receive the best care for their specific situation. Personalizing the process in this way helps to give each individual his or her best chance for success.

Finally, treatment centers welcome patients, regardless of what specific substance caused their addiction. The personalized treatment philosophy was developed to ensure every individual can receive treatment and medical detoxification can be adjusted, based on the type of drug to which the patient is addicted.

For people struggling with drug or alcohol abuse, they may feel they are too far gone to be helped. This is never the case. By seeking help from a detox facility, you can take the first step in getting clean and changing your life. The detoxification process gives each individual the extra help he or she needs in order to overcome addiction and begin healing. While the process may still be challenging, it’s far less difficult, when withdrawal symptoms are managed and supervised.