Drug addiction is something that takes hold of the body and mind.
The longer you or a loved one is addicted, the more control is lost and the stronger the dependency grows.
That’s the nature of the beast.
It doesn’t get better until you choose to get better and getting to the point that you can confidently make that choice is a big win in its own right. Once you’ve decided to commit to getting clean though, a new journey begins; the one towards sobriety.
As the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
And the first step is detox.
Why Is Drug Detox Usually the First Step to Take When Getting Clean?
As mentioned, a substance use disorder is both mental and physical. In order to treat the mental side of addiction, you first have to break the physical dependency.
In layman’s terms, detox is the process of the body ridding itself of drugs or alcohol.
Depending on the severity of the addiction and the substance, this can be assisted by medication to help mitigate the withdrawal symptoms.
Of course, detox on its own is not the end of the road. It’s not rehab or a “cure” by itself. It’s merely a step. An absolutely critical and imperative one but still just one step on the road to recovery with the next typically being inpatient or outpatient care.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse puts it this way, “detoxification alone does not address the psychological, social, and behavioral problems associated with addiction and therefore does not typically produce lasting behavioral changes necessary for recovery. Detoxification should thus be followed by a formal assessment and referral to drug addiction treatment”.
Why You Want to Detox From Drugs at a Rehab
It’s tempting to go it alone and try to detox at home – through sheer power of will – but there are a number of reasons why that may not be the best idea.
Dangerous to Do It at Home or Alone
Simply put, it’s unsafe and depending on the substance, withdrawal may actually kill you. Detox from alcohol and benzodiazepine, for example, can be fatal if done without proper care and guidance.
With more severe addiction, it’s particularly important to detox at a rehab because medication-assisted detox is an option to lessen the effects of withdrawal.
Avoid Temptation
Withdrawal symptoms are not pleasant and that’s just about the nicest way to put it. Your body and mind have both grown accustomed to a constant supply of chemicals – a supply which increases steadily as you build a tolerance – cutting it off abruptly throws your entire system into havoc.
If you’re on your own, you could easily succumb to the discomfort and fall back to using it to get relief.
Supervised, Safe & Supported
Choosing to detox at a rehab means you’re able to overcome the dangers of quitting cold turkey and the cravings that withdrawal brings.
How?
Because at a facility, you’re under the supervision of trained addiction specialists and supported by the staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Should any complications arise there are medical professionals on hand to administer aid and manage the situation safely.
Everyone is there to help guide you safely through the process and get you to a point where you can take the next step in recovery which is starting to work on the mental side of addiction.
Reach Out to Us Today at Principles Recovery Center for Help With Your Addiction
Ultimately, getting clean requires cleaning out the body and detoxification under the direction and care of experts is the best way to minimize risk and maximize the possibility of success.
Reach out to us at Principles Recovery Center to learn more about our program for alcohol and drug detox in Florida.
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