Detoxifying the body of drugs and alcohol is the first major step a person can take toward recovery. The process is often painful, frightening, and overwhelming. Many men and women struggling with addiction choose to enter treatment facilities that provide assistance during this period. Some, on the other hand, attempt to detox at home without supervision, creating many possible health risks and dangers. When we use drugs or alcohol for an extended period of time, our bodies become use to the influx of new chemicals in our brain. Eventually, we a develop a dependence to these drugs and, when they are removed, our bodies react in a multitude of discomforting ways. Symptoms of acute drug withdrawal vary based on the substance, the amount of time used, the route of administration of the drug, as well as the physiology of the individual. Many men and women suffering from addiction to drugs and alcohol are familiar with the feelings that come when they are unable to take their preferred substance. Generally, acute withdrawal from opiates results in flu-like symptoms, benzodiazepine withdrawal results in anxiety and seizures, alcohol withdrawal results in tremors, known as DTs, and seizures, and cocaine withdrawal result in restlessness and depression. This is not an all-encompassing list of detox symptoms, as they will vary in intensity based on many other factors. It is recommended that anyone considering attempting to detox from drugs and alcohol should enter a treatment center capable of supporting and guiding them through the process. There is a potential for major complications, specifically during detox from alcohol or benzodiazepine, as the withdrawal symptoms from these can be deadly. Alcohol detox, in particular, can cause convulsions and heart seizures that may be fatal. The health risks of withdrawal from other substances may be less dangerous, but due to the extreme addictive nature of drugs like heroin and methamphetamine, detoxing at home is bound for failure. Men and women suffering from the disease of addiction require the intervention of professional counselors as quickly as possible when they choose to give up drugs and alcohol. Treatment centers are capable of helping someone struggling with addiction get through the painful process of withdrawal and offer the tools necessary for one to achieve long-term sobriety. The most important thing to remember about detox is that it does end, and making it through the process opens doors to a new sense of health and happiness free from addiction.
You can make the choice to change the story of your life. Oceanfront Recovery is a treatment center with a professional and compassionate staff of detoxification specialists dedicated to making the process as comfortable as possible. For more information about Drug and Alcohol Detox Programs or other treatment options, please call: (877) 279-1777
