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As a top residential drug and alcohol rehab facility, we see our fair share of clients who are suffering from significant addiction issues. These are individuals who have been caught up in the cycle of addiction for many months or even years. They come to us with little hope of ever recovering from their addiction issues. We strongly feel every addiction sufferer can be saved. For us, it's just a matter of selecting the right treatment programs.
What is detox treatment?
After extended periods of drug or alcohol abuse, the addiction sufferer's body develops a strong physical dependence on the abuser's substance of choice. If they suddenly deny their body access to that substance, the body will revolt. The way the body revolts is called withdrawal and the signs of withdrawal are called withdrawal symptoms.
The premise behind detox treatment is it gives clients an opportunity to go through withdrawal under the care of medical professionals. It's a level of protection some clients need because of the potential severity of their withdrawal symptoms.
Because of continuity of care issues, a lot of top addiction treatment centers offer their own detox rehab programs. That's our protocol. Sometimes, clients will first have to visit licensed alcohol and drug detox centers before reporting to an addiction treatment center for therapy.
The Intensive Inpatient Detox and Rehab Treatment Process
When the call comes out for intensive addiction treatment services, a lot of our intensive protocols are summoned. This is something all top addiction treatment centers have to be prepared to do. We do this because we immediately know the client will eventually end up spending a lot of time in our intensive drug and detox rehab program. That gives our most needy clients access to aggressive treatment options like
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Dialectal Behavioral Therapy
- Dual Diagnosis Therapy for clients co-occurring disorders (addiction and psychological)
- Holistic Treatments that can add support to the more aggressive treatment processes
- Group Therapy is always beneficial in a therapeutic setting
Before clients who are suffering from extreme addiction issues go through rehab therapy, having to go through intensive detox treatment will certainly be included at the start of the treatment process. Why? There is simply no way a long-time addiction sufferer is going to be able to get past withdrawal without help. They need time to clear their mind and body so they can truly focus on the work that has to be done.
In the following sections, we want to focus on intensive drug and alcohol detox. We also want to put a lot of focus on the intensive detox treatment process we use for extreme cases of addiction.
The Drug Rehab Detox Process
When defining the drug rehab detox process, it's necessary to talk about it on two levels. The first level in the standard detox process. The second level is a more intensive detox process, which is typically prescribed for extreme addiction sufferers. We want to discuss both processes.
The Standard Detox Process
When a client enters our standard detox program, it's our hope we can get them through withdrawal as naturally as possible with a minimum of intervention. To promote that, we provide them with a regimen (nutrition, exercise, and rest) that is intended to keep them active and relaxed. If all goes as planned and they progress well through a natural process, they should be able to complete the detox process within a few days with little intervention.
Sometimes, the depth of the client's addiction dictates that we revert to a medically-monitored detox approach. Under this process, our medical professionals will keep a very close eye on the client. If a client were to start showing significant signs of distress associated with their withdrawal symptoms, one of our doctors would be standing by to intervene. Many times, a doctor's intervention will result in the client getting some kind of relief medication.
While we try to avoid issuing prescription medications as much as possible, we still have to put each client's welfare ahead of everything else. Typically, our doctors will only need to prescribe sleep and pain medication. If all goes well in a medically-monitored scenario, the client should be ready for therapy in no more than seven (7) days.
The Intensive Detox Process
With some clients, we can see right away that they will need to go through an intensive rehab detox process. This option is generally reserved for heroin addicts and long-term alcoholics.
In all intensive drug and alcohol detox cases, there will be some form of medical intervention. Why? For clients suffering from an extreme addiction problem, going through a standard detox process is too dangerous. Generally, their withdrawal symptoms will be significant enough to present severe and lasting health risks.
A "tapering" program is a primary characteristic of an intensive detox rehab process. In a tapering program, the attending doctor will prescribe a tapering drug like suboxone or methadone. By using these medications, it gives the client's body more time to adjust to the absence of the drug it needs.
It's the doctor's job to monitor the client's progress at every level. Slowly but surely, the doctor will start to decrease the amount of the tapering drug they are prescribing for the client. Over time, the client's body will work safely through the withdrawal process until the tapering drug is no longer necessary.
How long do intensive detox rehab programs take? While it varies based on the substance and the depth of the client's addiction, it could take anywhere from two to four weeks before the client is ready for therapy.
Types of Rehab Detox Treatments
As we insinuated in the last section, the client's substance of choice will likely define the kind of drug and alcohol detox program they will need. With that in mind, we like to offer a paragraph or so on detox programs for specific substances.
Alcohol Detox
Alcohol addiction detox is very tricky. The alcoholic's drinking history will often play a role in the level of detox treatment they will need. Most alcoholics do fine with a standard detox program. However, alcohol is one of those substances that people can abuse for years while gradually increasing the amount they drink each day. At the most extreme levels, an extreme detox program is usually the right call.
Heroin Detox
Along with fentanyl, heroin addiction presents the biggest danger in terms of withdrawal symptoms. Remember, a person can form a heroin addiction in weeks. When the body falls in love with heroin, it really grabs hold of the user.
If a client's heroin addiction is still in the early stages, a standard detox program will usually suffice. In the latter stages, the heroin addiction sufferer will likely need to go through an intensive tapering program, using suboxone. Since suboxone is itself an opioid, doctors are very careful about making sure the heroin addict doesn't get addicted to their suboxone.
Cocaine / Crack / PCP Detox
While all three of these substances are highly addictive, they don't often create severe withdrawal symptoms during abstinence. In most cases, a standard detox program will get the detox job done.
Methamphetamine / Amphetamine Detox
Meth is a drug of extremes. Users either have a slight addiction to it, or they have an addiction on steroids. If a client is suffering from the latter, they will likely need a tapering program, using methadone.
Suboxone Detox
As we stated above, suboxone is a prescription tapering drug used as an opioid replacement for heroin and fentanyl. While suboxone is not nearly as addictive as the drugs for which it is used as a substitute, it's still addictive. If a client gets addicted to their suboxone, they can usually clear the associated withdrawal symptoms through a standard detox program.
Prescription Drug Detox
In this category, opioid painkillers are usually the drug of choice. With that being the case, the detox protocols would follow closely with the ones used for heroin detox.
FAQ
How long does it take to detox?
Depending on the substance and the depth of the client's addiction, detox could take anywhere from one week to one month.
Why is detoxing with a premier recovery center important?
The level of care a client gets matters because of the dangers associated with the detox process. Also, a premier recovery center like Hollywood Hills recovery is more likely to employ the very best treatment professionals in the industry.
When does someone need to detox?
The moment someone decides to stop using or drinking is the very moment they should seek help.
What is it going to feel like to detox?
The first few days could be tough. That's why medical professionals are standing by to intervene. After about five days, most clients start feeling much better.
