What to Expect from an Inpatient Detox
If you’re wondering what to expect in detox, you have come to the right place. While detox, like addiction, is different for everyone, certain things remain the same. For example, an inpatient drug or alcohol detox is widely considered the safest and most effective method.
During inpatient detox, you receive 24-hour care and guidance from a dedicated medical team. They will ensure your health needs are met, that you are as comfortable as possible, and in some cases, administer approved medications to ease your withdrawal symptoms.
What Happens During Alcohol or Drug Detox?
The process of detoxification involves ridding the body of toxins and other unwanted substances. During detoxification, withdrawal symptoms are at their worst. Drug and alcohol cravings are typically the first to appear.
And for individuals trying to cold turkey quit at home, they’re often enough to lead to relapse. But beyond being uncomfortable, painful, or disruptive, certain withdrawal symptoms during the detox process can also be dangerous.
Your body has come to rely on the alcohol, prescription medications, or other drugs you’ve been ingesting. As such, it isn’t sure how to react when those substances aren’t present anymore. Certain addictions, including alcohol, can cause life-threatening side effects during the detox stage. This is one reason of many why professionals recommend monitored detoxes.
In addition to providing medication to ease the more uncomfortable or painful withdrawal symptoms, monitored medical detoxes allow us to ensure your safety. We can treat medical concerns as they arise rather than delay treatment.
We can also monitor your progress and ensure that your physical and mental health needs are being met while your body rids itself of the substances it has come to rely on. A detox is, essentially, a cleanse. We can make this cleanse more comfortable, safe, and effective.
Common Side Effects of Detoxification
Another question we get a lot involves what to expect in a detox in terms of withdrawal symptoms. We mentioned one of the most common ones earlier – drug or alcohol cravings. Like many other withdrawal symptoms, these cravings can range from mild to severe.
Other common withdrawal symptoms include:
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Irritability, anxiety, and other mood changes
- Depressive episodes
- Body aches and fatigue
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
Some of the most common withdrawal symptoms mimic those of the flu. For more severe addictions, more severe withdrawal symptoms are also possible. These include things like hallucinations, heart palpitations, heart attacks, and strokes.
Withdrawal symptoms are not to be taken lightly. They can be life-threatening or even deadly. We strongly urge anyone who is trying to get clean to do so under the guidance and supervision of professionals.
Which Withdrawal Symptoms Will I Experience?
It is incredibly difficult to predict how your body and mind will react to withdrawals. Every experience is different. The type and severity of your withdrawal symptoms may vary depending on several individual factors, including but not limited to:
- The substance itself.
- The method of use.
- The frequency of use and the amount used each time.
- Your age and overall physical and mental health.
- Other substances present in the body.
The severity of your addiction has a large part to play in the withdrawal process. Someone who has been a heavy drinker for a year will not have the same experience as someone who has been a heavy drinker for a decade.
But even the most severe addictions can be overcome, with help.
What to Expect in Detox – How Long Does Detox Last?
The same way that the type and severity of your withdrawal symptoms can vary depending on certain individual factors, so too can the timeframe for your detox. Withdrawal symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks.
Regardless of their intensity or length, it’s important to remember is that they always eventually stop. Withdrawal symptoms are temporary. And you are working toward a happy, healthy, sober life that you can enjoy for much longer than the time it takes to detox.
Detox and the Continuum of Care
While there is no cure, addiction is treatable and manageable. Similar to other chronic diseases, like asthma and heart disease, it can be successfully managed with treatment. The goal of addiction treatments is to enable those in recovery to counteract its disruptive effects.
These disruptions are both mental and physical, but they can be overcome in time. Our addiction treatments help individuals like you regain control. Detox, while a necessary step in recovery, is not the end goal or the final stage.
Detox is the first line of defense in the continuum of care. Treatment is the next step. Changing deeply rooted behaviors and thoughts like the ones involved in addiction takes time. This explains why detoxification alone, without subsequent treatment, generally leads to relapse.
Thankfully, maintaining sobriety tends to get easier as time progresses. And we offer a full range of treatments that cover the continuum of care, from detox through aftercare, to ensure that you have access to everything you need.
Life After Detox
Maintaining sobriety after detox won’t always be easy, but it will always be worth it. And thankfully, the process isn’t always as scary as it seems. Life after detox starts with addiction treatments in our luxury facility.
Offered in various settings and time frames, our addiction treatments feature proven and holistic treatment methods. Our behavioral therapy, family counseling, art and music therapy, yoga and meditation, medication management, and other techniques provide a well-rounded experience.
Two of the most common addiction treatment options are inpatient and outpatient rehab programs. Each offers different benefits at different stages of recovery.
Inpatient vs. Outpatient Addiction Treatment
While there are plenty of different thoughts on the ideal methods of treatment and medications, there is one thing that most experts agree on: the duration. Attending addiction treatments for an adequate amount of time is critical to recovery.
Thankfully, we’re not left to guess as to what that amount of time is. Research indicates that most addicted individuals require a minimum of three months in treatment to significantly reduce or stop their drug use.
It also shows that the best outcomes occur with longer durations of treatment. But these longer durations of treatment don’t have to take place all in one setting. And we will help you create the customized care plan that best suits your unique addiction and needs.
Aftercare Resources After Detox
Those with moderate to severe addictions, a history of relapse, or other concerns or complications may follow a path that looks something like this after their detox:
- Inpatient or residential treatment
- Sober living
- Outpatient rehab
- Addiction aftercare
Someone who has a milder addiction or family members to care for at home may choose not to participate in a residential or sober living program. They may instead choose to attend support group meetings, family counseling, and other therapies in an outpatient rehab setting.
What Makes Divine Detox Different
Everyone is different. Every addiction is different, and every recovery is different, too. We will build a plan based on what works best for you, starting with your detox. For many people, detoxification paves the way for long-term sobriety, so we’ll start there.
It’s time to stop wondering what to expect in detox and start finding out for yourself. We’ll be by your side every step of the way. Call us today at 818-938-2177 to learn more about our detox and aftercare options.