Detox is short for detoxification, which refers to the process of ridding the body of toxins. For someone with substance abuse disorder, detox is the period of physical withdrawal when the body releases all remnants of the drug.
There are two main reasons for someone suffering from drug addiction to undergo medically supervised detox. Health professionals can monitor the process to help alleviate the most difficult symptoms of withdrawal. Also, research shows that people who receive professional detox have a much greater chance of achieving lasting sobriety.
Pennsylvania Adult and Teen Challenge (PAATC) offers professional addiction recovery services, including medically supervised detox programs. Health professionals who have your best interests at heart monitor the detox process to ensure it goes safely. Reach out using our online form to learn more about how a detox program can aid your recovery or by calling 844.442.8673.
The Need for Drug Detox
Regular use of either recreational or prescription drugs can lead to tolerance, dependence, and addiction. Though all drugs interact with the brain differently, they disrupt the brain’s communications center and its ability to process and receive information.
In most cases, the drug overstimulates the reward center, causing a dopamine surge and a sense of euphoria. Eventually, the brain stops producing its own dopamine, which means the user must take the drug to feel any pleasure at all. Once someone has an addiction, the cycle will not end on its own. Flushing the body of all remnants of addictive chemicals must be the first step in recovery. People can do this step in a medical detox center, under the care of healthcare professionals.
How the Medical Detox Process Works
Detox is a challenging experience that people should do in a professional rehab setting. Medical professionals will supervise the withdrawing patient and can ease the most difficult side-effects with medication. The initial symptoms will start within the first couple of hours of the person’s last dose, and rise steadily in the following few days. However, after three to five days, the symptoms will recede, and the individual can start the next step in treatment.
Early symptoms of withdrawal include:
- Anxiety
- Mood swings
- Irascibility
- Jumpiness/restlessness
- Disordered sleep
- Muscle pain
As withdrawal continues, symptoms usually intensify and can include vomiting and diarrhea. They may also experience dizziness, confusion, and headaches.
Withdrawal can be scary, painful, and even life-threatening if not properly managed and monitored. At PAATC, we provide patients with the means of comfortably managing their withdrawal symptoms through medical detox.
Monitored Care And Addiction Treatment At PAATC
Once a person completes detox safely, addiction treatment continues. At any of our PAATC treatment centers, addiction treatment begins with the individual. We’ve based our programs on faith and science to address the whole person.
We understand that physical detox is only the first step in the process of recovery. Using compassionate, monitored care that includes individual and group therapy, our addiction treatment professionals shepherd drug users from dependence to independence.
Monitored care in combination with other therapies helps to keep patients safe, quickly adjust to the treatment plan, reduce painful side effects of withdrawal, and improve the chances of long-term recovery. Two therapeutic models used at PAATC are Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
CBT has proven to be one of the most effective talk therapies for addiction. It gradually enables patients to reprogram their thinking positively. Benefits include:
- Practical strategies for everyday life
- Coping methods for handling daily challenges without substances
- Learning how to recognize negative thoughts and avoid acting on them
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
DBT involves skills training and therapy and can be extremely effective in helping patients break the addiction cycle. It helps them achieve goals such as:
- Establishing healthy relationships
- Avoiding situations that trigger drug use
- Breaking dependencies on addictive substances
- Engaging in activities that support a drug-free life
These and other treatment modalities at PAATC support patients post-detox to achieve lasting recovery.
Contact Pennsylvania Adult and Teen Challenge
If you or someone you care about wants to break the cycle of drug dependence and abuse, please contact us today. It is our mission to help those who want to stop suffering at the hands of addiction. Our Christian fundamentals combined with up-to-date, evidence-based principles of care make PAATC your best option. Use our online form to contact us or call 844.442.8673 to start the ball rolling.
