Explaining detox – the physical process of recovery – is today’s guest author, Patricia L. Ryding, Psy.D. Dr. Ryding is the Executive Director of Beach House Center for Recovery, a drug and alcohol addiction rehabilitation center in Juno Beach, Florida. She is a licensed clinical psychologist who brings over 30 years of experience as both a clinician and an administrator in the behavioral healthcare field to her writing.

The Detox: The Physical Process of Recovery by Dr. Patricia Ryding

Dr. Patricia Ryding, Executive Director of Beach House Center for Recovery, explains the detox.

You didn’t become addicted to drugs or alcohol overnight. Over days, weeks and months, your body slowly responded to increasing amounts of the substance and transformed accordingly. So naturally, when you stop using, it will take time for your body to adjust once again. This process of withdrawing from drugs or alcohol is called detoxification (detox).

Detox is an essential part of recovery from addiction. You need to take your medicine to get better, so to speak. You can detox on your own, but quitting drugs or alcohol “cold turkey” comes with a long list of risks, including needlessly uncomfortable symptoms, increased risk of relapse or overdose, or in extreme cases, death. Your best bet is to undergo a detox in a medically supervised setting.

What to Expect During Detox

Symptoms of detox depend on the substance and length of addiction. If someone physically dependent on alcohol suddenly stops drinking, for example, he or she will start experiencing detox symptoms anywhere within about five to 10 hours to a few days after that last cocktail, with peak symptoms between two and three days.

Specific symptoms of withdrawal may include depression and anxiety; extreme fatigue; severe cravings for the drug or alcohol; restlessness; trouble sleeping; profuse sweating; body shaking; muscle weakness; facial tremors; feelings of panic or guilt; and nausea. Severe symptoms requiring medical attention include extreme excitement or agitation, fever, mental confusion, seizures or hallucinations.

Landing Softly: The Best Place for Detox

If your addiction is severe, the safest option for detox is in a recovery center, under the medical supervision of skilled addiction specialists. The reason being, not only can quitting drugs or alcohol without any medical help be unpleasant, depending on the length of the addiction and the substance to which you are addicted, it can also be life threatening. Inpatient detox also removes you from the environment where you got addicted to drugs or alcohol in the first place, lowering your chances of relapse.

Detox takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on your addiction and individual profile. It consists of three important steps: evaluation, stabilization and the transition to treatment. Here’s a quick overview:

• Evaluation: Treatment providers gather information about you and your addiction to help target the process. This stage includes blood tests; screening for other co-occurring medical or physical conditions; a look at your social situation; and a check of your overall mental and physical health.
• Stabilization: The “peak” of the detox process, stabilization involves medical and psychosocial support to get you through withdrawal. It may include medication to help ease your symptoms; making sure you receive adequate nutrition; familiarizing you with what to expect during the next stage of recovery; and informing your friends and family of your progress (when appropriate, and only with release of confidentiality). Most detox programs use drugs—other opiates, barbiturates or stimulants—to help wean your body off the substance. Drugs are particularly important during detox from opiates, heroin and alcohol.
• Transition: At the end of the detox process, treatment providers prepare you to enter the next stage of recovery. Many treatment programs help you transition directly into an inpatient program or provide information on outpatient programs you can attend.
  Not all detox programs follow this formula, however. As an alternative, some programs combine non-drug therapies, including acupuncture, exercise, nutrition, yoga, meditation, biofeedback or creative arts. Remember, not all drug and alcohol treatment programs are the same, and it’s important to find one that is a good fit for you. As you consider detox and drug or alcohol treatment for you or a loved one, keep in mind you are taking an important first step by recognizing the problem. Best of luck on your journey to the happier, healthier, dependence-free life you deserve.

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