DETOXIFICATION FROM DRUGS OR ALCOHOL
Detox Programs + Centers
For those who are physically dependent on a substance, whether it be illegal or legal pharmaceuticals, street drugs, or alcohol, it is always recommended to attend a detox program.
What is Detox?
Anyone preparing to enter treatment, or send a loved one to treatment may be wondering “What is detox?” In simple terms detox, or detoxification, is the process of removing toxins from the body. However, there is far more to detox for drugs and alcohol than this simple definition.
Ridding the body of addictive substances is much more complicated than simply stopping the use of drugs and alcohol. In order to do it not only effectively, but safely, special precautions must be taken by experienced medical professionals. Detox from certain substances can lead to serious complications and even death, without proper medical intervention.
What Happens in Medical Detox Centers?
Drug and Alcohol detox centers should always be medically-assisted detoxification programs. Especially due to the dangerous and severe nature of withdrawal symptoms (namely alcohol and benzodiazepines), medications should be provided to guests who meet criteria or trigger a protocol for medication-assistance during their stay in a detox center.
It is very important that the staff members in a medical detox are licensed and have a sensitivity to addiction. The reason you would want to be assessed and evaluated by doctors who have experience in treating those with addiction is because these professionals are well-trained to spot key differences in diagnoses that may just be a result of drug or alcohol addiction, and therefore not indicative of a mental health condition or medical issue. Many times, doctors or nurses who are not experienced in working with individuals struggling with addiction will mistake symptoms of addiction as symptoms of a mental disorder. Addiction-sensitivity and knowledge prevents misdiagnoses and is more efficient in devising an effective course of action for treatment.
5 Star Substance Abuse Treatment
Medical Attention
Medical Evaluations
Intensive Therapy
Medication-Assistance
Medical Detoxification from Drugs or Alcohol
Upon admission to a medical detox, an initial evaluation will be done in order to assess several different areas. An intake specialist will ask questions to find out medical history, physical condition and current mental health. Getting these details allows staff to develop the most effective strategy possible for detox. Depending on their initial evaluation, guests will receive medical care and medications to safely stabilize them.
Even after a guest is considered stable, staff will continue to monitor them 24/7. This extra layer of safety is in conjunction with daily groups that provide guests with added support and resources. Offering support groups during detox reinforces the idea of sobriety as a lifelong process rather than a quick fix. Detox alone is not anywhere near sufficient in terms of treatment for substance abuse.
Length of detox will be different for each individual, but will generally range between 4 and 8 days. However, there is no set timeframe. An individual’s length of detox will be determined by a few different factors.
Factors that decide your detox process include:
- which substances were being abused
- the quantity of substances being abused
- frequency of drug use/drinking
- medical history
- family history with addiction and other medical conditions
- symptoms of withdrawal
Alcohol or Substance use disorder is unfortunately effecting millions of Americans, even worse, only about 10% of those who need treatment for substance abuse will actually receive it. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the reason that such a small percentage of addicts actually receive treatment is because of the stigma, lack of healthcare, lack of education on addiction treatment, and lack of resources.
How Do You Get Into a Drug or Alcohol Detox Center?
Research
STEP 1
Find out what you’re looking for, this way you can ask questions in order to determine which center can meet your needs.
We recommend reading reviews for the detox center you are thinking about attending.
Call
STEP 2
There are a few things you will need to have ready for the admissions process: your health insurance card, a tentative date that you would like to admit, and medical records (if you are coming in from another facility like the hospital or from a doctor’s referral.)
You can streamline this process by completing Step 3 before calling in.
Calling in will give you the opportunity to ask questions and verify your insurance coverage.
Verify Your Insurance
STEP 3
If you do have health insurance, most detox centers will have an easy way for you to find out any out-of-pocket costs for their program. The most efficient way to do this is by filling out a confidential insurance verification form.
A straight-forward overview of any out-of-pocket costs, benefits, or a deductible that may need to be met.
Do a Quick Pre-Assessment | 10 minutes, over the phone
STEP 4
Pre-assessments are done to determine if a detox center is an appropriate level of care for you. During a pre-assessment, admissions coordinators will ask you questions about your medical history and current medical issues, drug or alcohol history and use, living situation, etc. These questions help coordinators determine eligibility for a comprehensive detox program, and help clinicians and doctors too.
This process ends with you scheduling your date and time to admit into the facility.
Admit
STEP 5
This is the final step of the admissions process, the end of the admissions process and the beginning of your recovery process. Showing up to the alcohol or drug detox center when you have been scheduled is when your intake into the detox program will begin.
During intake, you get an in-depth drug and alcohol assessment & mental health evaluation.
Top-Rated Medical Detox Program
During our medical detox program, we provide behavioral therapy, support groups, group therapies, and other therapies to uncover the root cause of our guest’s alcohol or substance use disorder.
Withdrawal symptoms are hardly the only problem to address in the initial phase of addiction treatment, which is why we use intensive therapies to address substance abuse. Guests are able to speak openly about their substance abuse, impact on family members, risk factors for them, etc. In group therapy settings, guests will also learn about short term and long term tools that they can use to regulate their emotions, communicate effectively, and prevent relapse.
We will teach you the difference between abstinence—just quitting—and recovery, and why recovery make so much real sense. The truth is, abstinence—giving up alcohol or drugs entirely—is not recovery, although it’s the absolutely necessary first step. Abstinence alone should never be the final goal. Detox centers alone are not the key to a successful recovery, only a successful detoxification.
“This place and program saved my life. Finally surrendering and admitting I needed help and coming here was the best decision I’ve ever made. I found a new family and was around people that actually understood me. I finally wasn’t alone… I even picked up the hobby of making music in the studio. If you put the work in and take it seriously, it will be worth it. This program is great. Life changing. I got a lot of love for this program and for all of the people I met because of it.”
– L.A
Alcohol Detox Centers
Alcohol detox centers should always take the extra precautions with their guests, because detoxing from alcohol is extremely dangerous (even life-threatening). Detox centers that specialize in alcohol detox will know that delirium tremens (DTs) and seizures are a risk for those coming off of alcohol. The proper level of care for this type of detox should always be inpatient, for the safest and most effective result.
Alcohol detoxification most commonly requires an anti-convulsant/anti-seizure medication and a mild benzodiazepine. If an individual does not present symptoms that are severe enough to meet the criteria for a mild narcotic detoxification, he or she will most likely be given an anti-seizure medication in conjunction with comfort medication to address each symptom. For example, if nausea occurs, he or she will be given an anti-nausea medication like Imodium©. For headaches, a medication like Excedrin© may be dispensed.
Physical addiction to alcohol can be determined if you experience physical symptoms of withdrawal when you stop drinking alcohol, or if it has been many hours since your last drink.
The most tell-tale sign that you are an alcoholic is if you wake up with the “shakes” in the morning, meaning your hands and limbs shake. Once you become an alcoholic, your body no longer knows how to function properly without the alcohol.
DTs are delirium tremens, this a term that describes the most severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. DTs include volatile shaking, seizures, loss of connection with your surroundings, extreme confusion, delusions, and hallucinations.
The length of stay depends on what program or programs you decide to attend. It is recommended that you stay in rehab for a comprehensive inpatient program after medical detox, which altogether will take 3 weeks.
Our facility does not force guests to be in our rehab programs, the individual must be willing to be there to get better. This rule means that we are not a lock-down facility, and it also means that our guests want to be with us because they have an honest desire to recover. The usual rule of thumb is to attend a detox center for anywhere from 4 to 8 days, then enroll in an inpatient program for anywhere from 2 weeks to 30 days. We recommend taking advantage of any opportunity you have to get well, and using resources like our case managers to set you up with an aftercare plan that you will stick to. From experience, we believe that it is best to do as much treatment as possible— longer term treatment programs have historically higher success rates. With this in mind, there are both short term and long term treatment options available for overcoming alcoholism.
Opiate Detox Centers
During opiate detox, guests who trigger a protocol for medication-assistance will be given Subutex. Subutex is a medication similar to Suboxone but without the opioid-blocking ingredient to prevent guests from entering a precipitated withdrawal or fatal overdose if they choose to leave our care during the detox process against medical advice. We have carefully thought out our opiate and opioid detox center protocols to put the safety and well-being of our guests first. Other medications commonly used during an opiate detox include OTC (over-the-counter) comfort medications like Tylenol©, Motrin©, Immodium©, Pepto Bismol©, etc. We may also decide to include medications to address restlessness and sore or achey muscles.
Physical addiction to opiates is marked by physical symptoms if it has been several hours after your last use. Physical symptoms can include: hot/cold flashes, goosebumps, restless legs, irritability, nausea, stomach pain, aching bones and muscles, sweating, etc.
Many times, you can be addicted to opiates without realizing it. This is the case if you have been prescribed opiates for an extended period of time, and you routinely take a dose. In these cases, usually tolerance to the medication has built up over time so you may be taking a much higher dosage than what you had initially started with, and the frequency in which you take a pill may have increased as well. The routine of taking your medication is most likely preventing you from experiencing withdrawal symptoms— however, withdrawal symptoms can be severe if or when you do not continue taking the medication.
Opiates are very similar to opioids, the only difference being molecular. Opiates are naturally derived from the poppy plant while opioids are synthetically made to mimick the effects of natural poppy plant derivatives. The effects of both opioids and opiates are the same.
Morphine is an opiate, heroin is also an opiate. Opioids include prescription medications like Percocet©, Vicodin©, Fentanyl, Lortab©, etc.
It usually takes a full week to detox from opiates. The exact amount of time it takes to detox from opiates would depend on factors like if you are in a medical setting receiving medication-assistance, your opiate usage history, the amount of time you have been physically dependent on opiates, the amount of opiates you were taking, any existing medical conditions, your metabolism, etc.
Benzo Detox Centers
Meth Detox Centers
Detox Centers for Adderall (+ other amphetamines)
Here are just some indicators that you may be addicted to Adderall©:
- You depend on the substance to get certain tasks done that you could complete without the substance.
- Without the substance, you are under the impression that you can not function.
- You have built up a tolerance to the substance within a short period of time.
- You need to take more of the substance to get the same effect.
- You hide your use of the substance from family members and friends.
You should always seek advice from a doctor or your primary care physician, as well as be under their care, to determine the best course of action to come off or go on any medication (not just Adderall©). Consult with your primary care physician or doctor to decide the best way to taper you off of the medication, usually this involves decreasing your dose from your current dosage in increments until you have reached the lowest dose. After taking the lowest dose for a short period of time, you may transition to not taking the substance any longer.
Please do not taper yourself off of any medications, whether they have been prescribed to you or not. You should always tell your doctor what is going on and tell him or her what your goal is— your medical information is confidential and doctors just want to help you get and stay healthy.
Detox Centers for Cocaine
It is unlikely that cocaine withdrawal symptoms will cause death, although it is irresponsible to assume the health status and other factors of any individual who is going through a withdrawal from cocaine.
Many factors can impact the safety of someone who is detoxing from cocaine, including: any prior heart conditions, other substances they may have been abusing concurrently (alcohol, benzos, etc.), medical history, if there was any dangerous substance used to “cut” or dilute the substance they were using (like fentanyl, carfentanil, etc.) These factors are crucial for health professionals and medical teams to know in order to best treat an individual for cocaine withdrawal.
It is always recommended to attend a specialized facility that provides quality care and 24/7 monitoring for your safety during a detox from cocaine.
Detox Centers for Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medications
Over-the-Counter medications, although less common, are abused— just the same as any other substance that requires a medical detox. There is a wide variety of OTC medications that have a high potential for abuse, like cough syrup (namely, Robitussin©, whose abuse has coined the new phrase “robo-tripping”). Other OTC that are abused include Imodium, Benadryl, Sominex, Nytol, Caffeine pills, Oxytrol, Ditropan XL, etc. Due to the strong active ingredients, availability or accessibility, and disorienting effects that occur from taking a much higher dose than what is recommended, many OTC medications are abused with the intention of getting “high”. In fact, in 2019 it was reported in the Monitoring the Future Survey that nearly 4% of high school seniors misused over the counter cough medicine in the past year (NIDA).
If your loved one is going through a notable amount of over the counter medications without paying attention to the recommended dosage, this is one sign of OTC medication abuse. If you find empty bottles of cough syrup, boxes or bottles of medications that are nearly empty, and other evidence like powdery substances on a flat surface or cut up straws, you should speak with your loved one about your concerns. It is harder to spot an addiction to over the counter medications because they are so easily accessible, and can be purchased and used without your knowledge. Many times, your loved one will not feel the need to hide these products from you because they are a relatively normal and not suspicious medication to have.
Please keep in mind that there are many products that can be purchased without identification or a prescription, which also have a high potential for abuse. Products such as inhalants are accessible from any aerosol can or dust-off, paint thinner, glue, gasoline, etc. are all products with a potential for abuse.
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