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Detoxing from alcohol or drugs is not an easy process. Simply going cold turkey is not always the answer because of the possibility of you hurting yourself. Many different withdrawal symptoms can make the detoxing process extremely uncomfortable.
If you are looking to recover from a drug or alcohol addiction, congratulations on taking the first step. Knowing that you need help is a huge step that you should be proud of.
So what’s next? Trying to figure out which detox option is best for you. This article will go over the difference between self detox and professional detox and who you can reach out to for more information.
How Does Detoxing Work?
Detoxing from drugs or alcohol can occur in a few different settings, and while it may be tempting to want to do it at home, that may not be the best option for you.
Addiction involves physical dependence, so in order to break the cycle of addiction, you must first address the dependence and safely go through the withdrawal period. Detoxification is the process of cleansing your body of any harmful toxins found in alcohol and drugs.
Detoxing At Home Safely
It is recommended only to do an at-home detox only after a medical professional or a doctor has approved the process. If you or someone you know and love is trying to detox, they should never try to do it on their own without any medical supervision. Detoxing on your own can cause serious health repercussions and can be very fatal in certain situations.
Natural Detox
Of course, detoxing at home can be a challenge, but for those who have reliable friends and family to support them may be able to pull it off. If you are also someone who does not have any hazardous withdrawal symptoms, you could also be a good candidate. Before you do any type of home detox, you should reach out to a medical professional so they can give you the best course of action.
Medical Professional Survey
When you meet with a medical professional to see if you are a good candidate for at-home detox, they will ask you a series of questions to create an appropriate treatment plan for you.
Questions they may ask:
- What substances do you use?
- What are the frequency, duration, and dose of your use?
- Physical health and medical history questions
- Have you had any previous withdrawal or detox attempts?
- How much support do you have at home?
After answering questions similar to this list, the medical professional should be able to point you in the right direction. If they feel that you will benefit more from an outpatient or inpatient type of treatment, they should recommend that to you.
How To Detox At Home
In general, a home detox is only a viable option for specific drugs that won’t produce harmful or dangerous withdrawal symptoms. For example, detoxing from low doses of tobacco or cocaine most likely won’t introduce any immediate medical risks, but the detox process can be emotionally and physically taxing.
Remember that while there could be relatively few expected medical dangers with detoxing low doses, some unexpected risks could still arise. You could experience severe vomiting, nausea, and in some cases, an altered level of consciousness.
Risks Of Self-Detox
When detoxing at home, you don’t have immediate access to a medical team to help you with your symptoms. There is a chance that you could aspirate on your vomit, resulting in death.
Another significant risk is the possibility of relapsing. When you are in a stressful or triggering environment, it could push you to want to start using again. When you are trying to get clean on your home, detoxing at home may not be a great option, especially if you did not initially seek help from an addiction treatment center.
If you need to detox from any sedatives, it is best that you reach out to an addiction treatment center for help. About 30% of people who detox from sedatives without treatment suffer from grand mal seizures. When trying to detox without any help, you can also damage your mental health.
Common mental health issues with detoxing without medical help:
- Hallucinations
- Hopelessness
- Delusional thinking
- Paranoia
- Anxiety
- Anger and irritability
- Suicidal thoughts
- Depression
Some of these mental health symptoms can be so intense that they can cause you to threaten harm against yourself or those around you. The symptoms you experience will depend on the substance abused and your own mental and physical health. This is why it is imperative to reach out to a professional prior to attempting to quit on your own.
Professional Medical Detox At A Treatment Facility
As you now know, detoxing on your own can be a painful and strenuous life-threatening process. When you partner with a reputable addiction treatment facility, they can help you detox safely and effectively.
The first step of getting better is detoxing your body from any toxins of the addictive substance. From that point on, you can therapeutically analyze your behaviors so that you can learn a healthier and sober new way of living.
Benefits Of Supervised Detox
There are many benefits of supervised detox, such as having round-the-clock care. If you choose to detox at an inpatient facility, there are medical professionals at the site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to help with any withdrawal symptoms you have. They are also there to help you mentally.
If you ever need someone to talk to, there are right there at any time. When you detox at a facility, you minimize any risks associated with detoxing at home. They have the proper tools and expertise to make sure your detox process is as comfortable as possible.
There are many people who abuse alcohol and drugs that have co-occurring mental illnesses or other medical issues. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of these underlying health problems because the abuse of alcohol or drugs suppresses their symptoms. For example, someone who abuses heroin may not feel the abdominal pain associated with Hepatitis.
Other co-occurring mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety are the leading cause of alcohol and drug abuse. Many people use substances to help cope or mask various emotions, including guilt, shame, and pain.
These co-occurring mental illnesses usually present themselves when you go through the detox process. Once your medical professional is aware of these issues, they will do their best to treat that issue as well to ensure a successful recovery.
Why Is Medical Detoxification Best?
As mentioned above, withdrawal is a very intense and challenging thing to deal with on your own. Many people struggle to work through this phase of recovery because they are detoxing their bodies of addictive substances.
As a result of these challenges presented during withdrawal, some people feel that they have no other choice but to relapse and use their drug of choice to feel okay again. Even though it feels hopeless, especially if you struggle with relapsing, there is another available choice.
This is where medical detox programs come in. These programs are designed to help you get through the detoxification process safely and comfortably.
Professionally Administered Medications
A medical detox program typically involves professionally administered medications that can help improve your withdrawal process, making the journey to recovery comfortable. Some medications used during this process help block cravings for alcohol and drugs.
Some of these medications also block the intensity of your withdrawal symptoms. As a result, people working to end their substance abuse issues can focus on getting better without the distractions of any discomfort or pain.
Self-Detox vs. Supervised Detox
So what is the difference between self detox vs professional detox? There are many significant differences between the two, such as safety and success rates. When you go through a professional detox, you can count on a team to be there for you throughout the entire process.
You will be in an environment far away from any triggers. Depending on the facility you decide to go to, you could also have access to amenities to also help with your recoveries, such as a spa or yoga.
Self detoxing can be very dangerous when compared to professional detox. There is an increased risk of hurting yourself and your body when you go at it alone.
This is especially dangerous if you have no idea what you are doing. When you detox at home, you may not have the support or other tools needed to recover successfully.
How to Find A Detox Treatment Facility
If you decide that you wish to go to an addiction treatment facility to recover, there are a few things you need to look out for. First, you will want to make sure that the facility has the proper accreditations.
Looking for facilities that have the Joint Commission recommendation is key. This means that the facility provides the highest standard of care and that the staff has all the proper experience and licensing needed to conduct their jobs.
Cost Of Treatment
Cost of treatment is one of the biggest hurdles most people face when seeking treatment. If you wish to go to an inpatient facility, it is essential to note that the treatment will cost more than an outpatient treatment facility.
This is because you will live at the facility and have access to round-the-clock care. With outpatient treatments, you can still live at home, but you will need to come in for treatment.
If you have any concerns about the cost of treatment, it is best to reach out to the facility of your choice to ask about any possible payment plans. Most facilities accept health insurance. Make sure that you reach out to your health insurance company to see what they do and do not cover. Using your health insurance coverage can help reduce your overall cost.
Type Of Treatment
It is imperative to find a treatment facility specializing in what you need treatment with. For example, if you need an alcohol detox, you should reach out to a facility that specializes in treating alcohol addiction.
It would be best for those needing a drug detox to reach out to a facility that specializes in drug substances. If you are unsure if you have any possible underlying co-occurring diseases, you can always reach out to a facility that also treats co-occurring diseases so they can treat that as you recover.
Inpatient vs. Outpatient
As mentioned earlier, you have the option to either go to an inpatient facility or an outpatient facility. The main difference between the two is that you live at the facility for one, and the other, you will have to drive to the facility. Of course, there are other differences, such as the availability of medical staff and amenities, but it is best to choose a treatment plan that works best for you and your needs.
Get The Help You Need In Riverside County
As you now know, detoxing is a strenuous process that requires a lot of mental and physical endurance. When comparing self detox vs professional detox options, you can see that there are many benefits and disadvantages.
Self detoxing, depending on the type of substance you wish to detox from, can pose many health risks and can lead you to a relapse. When you go to a reputable professional detox center, you can count on the staff to make this process as comfortable as possible.
Contact us now if you are ready to learn more about your recovery plan. Our team is prepared to help you with any questions or concerns you may have about the process.
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