What is Medical Detoxification?

Drug and substance use is a problem among youths across the world. Some start to use drugs and substances due to peer influence or an attempt to manage mental problems. Regular use of the substances leads to addiction that becomes a problem to many users. That’s why there is a detox program meant to help drug and substance abusers to quit and have their lives back. Medical detoxification is a rehabilitation process meant to help drug addicts recover from their addiction.

Detox procedures have different types of help, including behavioral therapies, medication, and continued support sessions. The process helps clear the toxins from the user’s body, manage the withdrawal symptoms, and start the recovery journey. You can visit https://www.gallusdetox.com/ to learn much about the detox process. Below is what you should know about the detox process.

Medical detox three-step process

Medical detox comprises three main steps. These are evaluation, stabilization, and preparation for future medication.

• Assessment and evaluation

Assessment is the first stage. It involves physical examination on a patient, blood tests, questioning the patients on various issues, and screening them for co-occurring mental health disorders or any other health conditions. The evaluation helps the doctor understand the best ways and detox procedures suitable for a patient depending on the substance use.

Hence, it becomes easy to determine a patient’s psychological state and the ability of the patient to manage the evaluation process. The medic develops the most suitable treatment plan depending on the collected information.

• Stabilization

The stabilization stage is where a patient stops using drugs and substances. Health professionals help drug users to sober up using medically stable conditions. The medication helps ease the withdrawal symptoms brought about by the instant withdrawal from the drugs and substances.

Commonly, the length of withdrawal and how severe the symptoms might be dependant on the type of addiction. Also, it depends on the period the patient has been using the drugs and how severe the addiction might be. The stabilization step lasts between one and three weeks, depending on those factors.

• Preparation

The preparation stage involves patients being prepared for additional treatment after the detox. Patients face uncomfortable physical side effects of recovery during a detox due to withdrawal symptoms. However, detox never prepares a patient for psychological challenges to face after the detox. This is why there is a need for a patient to undergo therapy sessions. A patient who works with health professionals will be skill in how to effectively manage cravings for the substance for a long-term recovery process.

Patients learn about addiction as they attend therapy sessions. They are engaged in support group meetings during detox. But, you need to note that these aren’t complementary treatments, nor are they stages of detox. They are part of the detox process.

Types of detox

Quitting cold turkey

Quitting cold turkey is a common technique used to help people struggling with drugs or alcohol addiction to achieve sobriety. The technique is hazardous to some point, especially when the user is dependent on the substance. It becomes difficult for the user to stop using the drugs as it is reported to be life-threatening or can cause a seizure. Compared to tapering, the withdrawal symptoms can be agonizing when a patient attempts to quit cold turkey. Moreover, in patients with a severe addiction to benzodiazepines, quitting cold turkey is deadly.

Ultra-rapid detox

In the early 1990s, scientists discovered ultra-rapid detox. Its purpose was to ease the withdrawal symptoms for people who were depending on heroin and other opioids. After numerous studies, it was discovered that ultra-rapid detox didn’t ease the withdrawal but had potential risks to patients. Patients with pre-existing medical conditions like HIV/AIDS, diabetes, heart disease, and other co-occurring mental health conditions were at risk of experiencing complications.

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