Getting Out - Alcohol And Drug Detox

Alcohol and drugs both pose harmful effects to a person's well being but alcohol and drug detox without medical supervision can be potentially damaging as well.  This is why any drug and alcohol dependents who decide to quit from their addiction have all tried in vain.  Self-detoxification without medical assistance from professionals can lead to withdrawal.  And withdrawal symptoms can be in any form such as seizure, hallucinations, nausea, high blood pressure and anxiety.

Detoxification or detox is the first level in rehabilitation and treatment programs for people who underwent alcohol and/or drug abuse.  Alcohol and drug detox means purging the body of intoxicating substances like those from alcohol and drugs and managing withdrawal symptoms.  The length of time of alcohol and drug detox depends on the type of substances the patient used or the quantity of drug or alcohol consumed.  In a medical environment, this step can take 3-5 days or 5-7 days, and sometimes 14 days for severe cases.  Medical professionals begin alcohol and drug detox by administering a variety of substances to alleviate withdrawal symptoms and its harmful consequences.

The alcohol and drug detox can be separated into three stages.   The first stage is medical detox wherein doctors supervise a patient's withdrawal symptoms, making sure it will have lesser effects and complications on a patient.  The first stage of alcohol and drug detox can take several days.  The second stage is physical detox where patients are aided in building up their physical strengths and developing a balanced diet.  The third stage is emotional detox.  Any patient who will go through alcohol and drug detox will know how difficult it is emotionally to undergo withdrawal symptoms, which is why emotional help is required.

Alcohol and drug detox, though, is just a first step in the whole process of rehabilitating and treating alcohol and/or drug dependents.  Detox centers can provide medical assistance to relieve patients of physical pain, return them to proper sleeping schedules and eating habits.  However, alcohol and drug detox does not guarantee long-term effects. If the patient's psychological aspects are not addressed such as returning to the same environment, and so long as alcohol and drug substances remain in the body, the patient will continue to crave for more. 

A one or two-week detox program is never enough to treat months or years of abuse.  Rehabilitation and treatment centers emphasize that alcohol and drug detox is merely a first step towards long-term healing.   Effective treatment comes in a combination of medications, counseling and support to put the patient back on a normal lifestyle.