Detox is an important step in a drug treatment program. Making sure you are taking the right doses of the right medication is the first step toward living a life that isn’t dominated by addiction. In fact, many drug rehab centers don’t even accept people until they complete detox. Individuals searching for treatment should always consider residential addiction treatment at a detox center first. Trying to detox at home without professional help is dangerous and often leads to relapse.
What Is Residential Detox?
Just like inpatient rehab, residential detox requires people to live at the detox center. The other two options are to quit drugs cold turkey at home or use an outpatient addiction detox program. Quitting at home is never a good idea because many complications could arise.
Outpatient detox programs are generally not a good idea either because clients go home at the end of the day. Without any training to control their cravings, it’s easy for them to start using drugs again. Inpatient detox programs remove the temptation.
Benefits of Inpatient Residential Detox Programs
There are numerous benefits to seeking residential detox. These advantages help people build strong foundations for the rest of rehab. Some of these benefits include:
- 24-hour support and supervision
- Medical assistance to ease withdrawal discomfort
- Drug-free environment
In general, there’s less for people to worry about during an inpatient detox program. Also, many facilities work closely with substance use treatment centers. Once patients complete the detox program, they can smoothly transition to a rehab center.
Dangers of Detoxing Cold Turkey
Some people mistakenly think that detoxing from drugs is all about having willpower. They believe that people can easily stop taking drugs if they choose to. What many don’t understand is that addiction is a disorder in which users don’t have the ability to choose anymore.
Even if they could choose not to do drugs, they still require professional detox services. The withdrawal that drug or alcohol users experience is dangerous and can have life-threatening complications in some cases.
Take alcohol, for example. Detoxing from alcohol can be incredibly dangerous. People often experience extreme forms of withdrawal, including delirium tremens. This condition causes confusion and sometimes death.
Other Drugs That Are Dangerous to Quit Without Help
Alcohol is just one example of drugs that are dangerous to quit cold turkey. Heroin is another drug that has dangerous withdrawal symptoms. If people abruptly stop taking heroin, vital functions in the body can shut down. To make matters worse, these symptoms can start happening in as little as 12 hours after the last dose.
The anti-anxiety drug, Xanax, is another substance for which people need a residential detox. Some of the most common symptoms of Xanax withdrawal include anxiety, seizures, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Without proper guidance, quitting Xanax can lead to death.
Oxycodone is a medication that belongs to the opioid class of drugs. Taking oxycodone for extended periods of time, especially at higher and higher doses causes changes in the way our brains and bodies perceive pain. When a person is used to having oxycodone in their system, removing the drug causes withdrawal symptoms for weeks, sometimes months after they stop using. The temptation to dull the pain often leads people back to oxycodone or another opioid.
Get Residential Detox at Crestview Recovery
Drug detox is just the first of many steps in your journey to get drug-free. Once you finish inpatient detox at our local partner facility, you’ll need to begin rehab. At Crestview Recovery, we can help you fight to overcome addiction. Our friendly staff can create a custom treatment plan that fits your needs. With only 30 beds, it’s easy for our staff to give every client the attention that he or she deserves.
We offer many fantastic addiction treatment programs. Each of them has the needs of our clients in mind, including:
Don’t let drug withdrawal keep you from getting the help that you need. Let Crestview Recovery help you overcome your addiction. Reach out to us today at 866.262.0531 for more information.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.