Medical detox
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What is medical detox?
Medical detox requires the highest level of medical care for a patient. During this time, patients are at the greatest risk for complications associated with their drug or alcohol abuse. Due to this increased risk, patients are closely monitored while undergoing medical detox. Medical detox is the process of safely managing the physical symptoms of withdrawal after a patient discontinues using drugs and/or alcohol.
For a substance abuse treatment center to be licensed and certified to perform medical detoxification-the first step of the rehabilitation process-the center must have a licensed and practicing physician on staff. Our medical director oversees all day-to-day operations at Daylight Recovery Center. Under the guidance of our medical director, our team of licensed medical professionals follows a custom treatment plan tailored to each patient’s specific needs.
What are the symptoms and the duration of the withdrawal?
Withdrawal symptoms will vary among patients in both duration and severity. The type of drugs and/or alcohol consumed, as well as the frequency and length of the addiction, will also play a role in how long the detoxification process takes. Essentially, when a patient is undergoing medical detox, they are clearing toxins from the body that have caused a physical dependency. Similar to smoking, once a person’s body becomes physically dependent on a substance (such as nicotine), achieving cessation can be an unpleasant process. Drug or alcohol cessation is often much more difficult to achieve, which is why it’s best to detox under the 24-hour medical supervision of a licensed medical professional.
Detoxification symptoms and the need for short-term treatment
Signs of withdrawal can include shaking, chills, nausea, vomiting, strong cravings for the abused substance, and even seizures. Due to the seriousness of withdrawal symptoms, the compassionate team at Daylight Recovery Center uses industry-leading, evidence-based solutions to comfort our patients. Some patients will need medications to offset the severity of their symptoms. These medications are only given on a short-term basis to help patients get through the detox process as comfortably as possible, based on individual needs.
Many people think there is a set time frame for detox, but that is not true. The typical duration of detox can last anywhere from three to ten days; however, there are many cases where a patient needs over two weeks of inpatient detox. The length of time the detoxification process will take is based on medical necessity.
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Medical Detoxification: The Next Step
Once a patient has been successfully detoxed, the next step in the recovery process is inpatient rehab. Many people are tempted to go home after successfully completing detox because they feel much better. A word of caution to those who think this. Although many patients report feeling better than they have felt in years post detox, the risk for relapse is exceedingly high if they do not transition to the next step of the recovery process. Bear in mind that medical detox is the process of removing toxins from the body that are causing a physical dependency to a substance. Simply removing the toxins does not address the root cause of the substance abuse – it’s relieving the physical dependency. If you are serious about recovery, you’ll want to address the underlying issues and triggers that contributed to your substance abuse.
A home-away-from-home experience for patients with substance abuse
At Daylight Recovery Center, we provide a warm and compassionate environment designed specifically for patient comfort during the medical detox process. We understand that you’ll be living with us for a short period of time during your recovery process. Although three to four weeks doesn’t sound long, we feel it’s imperative to provide a space that feels like your home-away-from-home. All meals are cooked from scratch by our onsite culinary chef. Each room has its own private bathroom and each bed comes equipped with its own flat screen TV. Exercise and gaming equipment are available to use at your convenience. If you prefer a calmer, quiet setting, feel free to curl up and read a book from our large collection or gaze upon our 450-gallon saltwater fish tank. One thing is for certain, when you choose Daylight Recovery, you’re choosing a nationally recognized substance abuse treatment center that helps countless people live a life free from addiction.
