South Shores Recovery Center consistently stresses the need for acquiring medical help when trying to walk down the road of recovery from substance use disorders. With the careful care provided, our client gets the chance to live a happy life and make healthy decisions with the support of the South Shores sober network and its acclaimed Alumni program.
Our facilities have worked hard to become a well respected part of the Southern California recovery landscape, and our clinicians have helped hundreds of clients reclaim their lives.
Read on to find out if our detox program and medical facility would be a good fit for you or your loved one!
The Importance of Medically Supervised Detox
About 35 million people per year suffer from substance addiction worldwide. Yet, only 1 in 7 people receive treatment to recover from it. Moreover, the dependency on substances can be challenging and deteriorating. Therefore, it is crucial to normalize seeking help to rebound and start a healthy life.
Numerous rehab centers provide medically supervised detox that can make this process a little less demanding. However, the first step in recovering is accepting the problem and understanding that it is time to ask for help!
What Is Medically Supervised Detox?
Detox, in simple words, means controlled withdrawal of substances from a client’s system. The detoxification process can be done naturally or medically. However, in most cases, medically supervised detox is recommended.
Certain substances, such as alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines, and others can produce severe and potentially life-threatening withdrawal symptoms. While other drugs may not have quite as intense negative effects, their withdrawal periods can still be uncomfortable.
It is never a bad idea to have a professional gently guide a client through the detoxifying process. The medically supervised detox process can occur in various capacities, such as facilities dedicated specifically to detoxing, as well as in inpatient detoxification programs and outpatient settings.
What are the Benefits of Our Medical Detox Setting?
Overcoming addiction begins with detox. However, the process of detoxifying substances from the body can be trying and agonizing. Additionally, when mediated without medical care, the process is even more brutal and often yields no results. This situation can make one feel quite discouraged.
The benefits of a medical detox setting are not limited to mitigating relapse symptoms or treating co-occurring situations. In fact, there are significant advantages that contribute towards a successful and safer detoxifying journey.
Detoxing from Substance Abuse in an Inpatient Setting
For most people, they will be encouraged to seek out detox services through a residential or inpatient treatment facility. These rehab programs can provide more intensive care for those recovering from drug or alcohol abuse.
This may be particularly important for those battling other medical issues or psychiatric conditions during their recovery process, as this can put them at a high risk for relapse without proper support.
The withdrawal process can be complicated, and the constant support, structure and supervision from medical professionals provided through an inpatient recovery setting can be crucial for a person’s ability to successfully make it through the drug and alcohol withdrawal period.
Detoxing from Substance Abuse in an Outpatient Setting
For those who require more flexible treatment, attending detox on an outpatient basis may seem preferable to them. When it comes to detox, outpatient services are available to those who cannot commit to full-time care while overcoming their drug or alcohol addiction.
This may include partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient treatment, both of which may administer medications and therapeutic interventions while still allowing their clients to maintain their everyday life.
However, while these treatment approaches are more flexible, outpatient treatment cannot provide the constant support that may be necessary for avoiding relapse during the early stages of recovery.
Many people may find themselves struggling to avoid the temptation of using an addictive substance without 24/7 support during this period. This is why outpatient treatment is typically used as a step-down level of care to provide ongoing support for those who have already completed more intensive treatment.
The Dawn of Successful Addiction Treatment
It is imperative to note that many clients who have completed their addiction treatment have reported that medical detox was the gateway to their recovery. The detoxification extracts toxic substances from one’s body that allows for learning therapeutically what a sober life looks like.
The South Shores Recovery facility follows a treatment improvement protocol designed to help our clients overcome their alcohol or drug abuse successfully, and achieve long-term sobriety.
With our approach to substance abuse treatment, Detoxification is merely the first step of recovery that removes hints of all substances from the body. Utmost care is provided to the clients at the South Shores Recovery facility round the clock to ensure that their painful symptoms and recovery needs are dealt with effectively.
Medical Detox: Potentially Life Saving
Extended periods of substance abuse can have profound adverse effects on one’s body and mind. A medical detox setting helps recognize the harm and treat the medical emergencies induced by the substances.
These life-saving interventions for drug use benefit greatly under professional help during the detox period. In fact, it has been reported that medically supervised detox fights withdrawal symptoms more successfully than home detox. This allows one to feel a sense of achievement.
Withdrawal Symptoms: What to Expect During Detox
Addiction means depending on something physically, psychologically, or both. A person suffering from substance use disorders or SUD’s requires supervision to withdraw from addictive substances such as drugs and alcohol.
The effects of withdrawal differ from person to person. Some people may face severe symptoms, while others have mild symptoms. These effects may start a few hours or days after a person’s last dose of an abused substance. The impacts of withdrawal depend upon a number of things, such as:
- The amount of time one has been using the substance for.
- The average daily dose.
- The frequency of the substance intake.
- The additional use of any other substances.
- The person’s medical history.
- The person’s mental health history.
- The person’s gender.
- The person’s body mass.
What Happens After Medical Detox?
The step of detoxification only deals with physical addiction. The rest of the stages combat physical as well as psychological addiction with drugs and alcohol. It is worthwhile to note that extracting substances from the body is not the most painful part.
Fighting the withdrawal symptoms, however, is. Therefore, medically assisted detox helps one in dealing with mental addiction too. And once the client goes through medical detox, they will gradually learn the next few steps that come on the road to recovery.
In alignment with the recovery principles set forth by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the recovery process is one that combines a variety of clinical and therapeutic interventions. Each, of which, the South Shores Recovery facility strives to implement for the well-being of our clients everyday.
South Shores Recovery Inpatient Rehab Treatment
After our clients finish the detoxification process, we encourage them to take part in our state-of-the-art residential rehab program. Our carefully curated measures help each of our clients with substance use disorders progress step-by-step.
In rehab, individual help is given to each client to focus on their subjective needs. Moreover, there are support groups, group counseling, relapse-prevention programs, family involvement in intervention and detox education, recreational treatment, musical therapy, and various other services available to provide a well-rounded and integrated approach to their recovery.
The curriculum is designed with a pace that is effective, interactive, and medically assisted.
Features of Medically Supervised Detox
The process of detoxifying one’s body from alcohol or substances is done in multiple ways. They all yield the same result — extracting addictive substances out of a body and gauging the symptoms.
Being addicted is being dependent. Detox is the first step because it breaks that habit of dependency. This is hard emotionally as well physically. However, by the end of it, you will be starting a new life as a happier and healthier version of yourself.
What are the Risks of At-Home Detox?
Home detox, also known as cold turkey, has some advantages, but is not advisable. When one reaches the point of accepting that they may have a substance use disorder, the first rational thought is to simply quit the use of the substances. But, it is not as easy as it sounds!
While abstinence is not wrong, it is hard to deal with the withdrawal symptoms that surface. Addiction is not as simple as having no control over one’s will. It is more complicated than that, and hence, it needs to be dealt with under professional care.
Detoxifying at home can lead to not consuming an appropriate diet, unhealthy surroundings, or incorrect medication. In addition, a person recovering from addiction requires medical supervision to ensure that seizures, tremors, mania, hypertension, hallucinations, etc., do not occur as they can be fatal.
The detox approach is employed to help the client from untangling themselves from the dependency. However, home detox has many risks associated with it, including some of the following:
Relapse
Withdrawal symptoms can be very overwhelming. Dealing with them alone without professional supervision makes them even more challenging. Therefore, attempting to detox at home can make it difficult for individuals to prevent relapse during the recovery period. Many people retreat and give up their hard work due to being in a space where substances are accessible.
Mental Fatigue
Detoxification can lead to feeling empty, depressed, frustrated, anxious, panicky, etc. At home, there are no medically assisted therapy groups to help combat these issues. For people with already existing mental health issues, this can be toxic. Mental illness co-occurring with addiction can escalate quickly and render one feeling helpless, which can lead to relapse.
Fear of Overdose
Home detox is a demanding and stressful process. During this time, the body is unable to work properly due to its lack of access to an abused substance. Before commencing the home detox, what was a typical dose can become too high of a dose after abstaining for a while, meaning the individual will react differently to it.
This unprecedented reaction may lead to overdose, which can be fatal. Recovering in a professional treatment setting can help individuals gradually wean off their addiction, minimizing their risk of relapse and accidental overdose.
Start the Healing Process at South Shores Recovery
South Shores Recovery Center is a recovery center that helps clients recover from substance use disorders in multiple ways every day. It is important to note that centers like this do not guarantee immediate results. But they help in turning your or your loved one’s life around.
South Shore Recovery can help you start a new beginning via their long-term rehab and detox programs. The question is, are you ready to change your life? The best time to get options is the present.
All calls are kep strictly confidential, so please reach out now and get choices for detox and set the foundation for tomorrow’s success, today!
FAQs On Medically-Supervised Detox
How Long Is Medically Supervised Detox?
Usually, the entire course of residential drug treatment takes up to 30, 60, or 90 days. It depends upon how serious a client’s addiction issue is and what program they enroll in South Shores Recovery Center. Medical detox itself usually lasts from four days to a week, but can be longer depending on the individual and their usage history.
What Medications are Used to Treat Addiction?
There are several types of medications used to treat addiction, including opioids, stimulants, and benzodiazepines. Opioids are a class of drugs used to treat pain and are often abused due to their addictive properties. Commonly prescribed opioids for addiction treatment include methadone and buprenorphine.
These medications can help reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, making it easier for people to stay in recovery. Stimulants are also commonly used to treat addiction. These medications help to boost energy, focus, and alertness, making it easier for people to engage in recovery-oriented activities.
Benzodiazepines are a type of sedative that is used to reduce anxiety and improve sleep. These medications can help reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, making it easier for people to remain in recovery.