If you or someone you care about has a substance use disorder, you must have already wondered about what happens when a drug overdose occurs. What does it feel like? How long does it last? The concern of a drug overdose happening could be a constant worry in your life.
A drug overdose can be intentional, but it’s often accidental. The risk of an overdose is persistent, although it may carry several unknowns. Drug overdoses can be fatal, but the risk can also depend on how soon you receive medical attention. The length of an overdose can also vary depending on the substance taken and available medical care. However, it’s possible for someone suffering an overdose to fall into a coma that lasts months or even years.
Looking for substance abuse treatment programs or assistance with overdose recovery? Contact Midwest Detox Center by calling 833.647.0392 or reaching out to our team online. Our drug detox center can help you take the first step to lifelong recovery. .
What Is a Drug Overdose?
A drug overdose happens when someone takes too much of a substance – whether it’s legal or illegal, prescription, or over-the-counter. If someone’s taken more than the recommended amount of a drug, or at least enough for it to harm their body’s functions, they’ve overdosed.
Fatal overdoses can happen – but with medical attention, a patient can survive overdosing. They may experience serious medical complications, though. The severity of a drug overdose depends on many factors – such as the substance and dosage, as well as the medical history of the patient.
The symptoms of a drug overdose may vary. However, universal symptoms include:
- Agitation, aggression, and violence
- Delusions and hallucinations
- Difficulty walking
- Drowsiness
- Enlarged pupils
- Nausea and vomiting
- Loss of consciousness
- Tremors and convulsions
- Trouble breathing
You should seek medical help immediately if you notice these symptoms in yourself or someone else. Getting medical help quickly can save a life.
What Can Help With Drug Overdose Recovery?
In 2018, more than 65,000 people died from drug overdoses in the United States. Nonfatal overdoses happen even more frequently. This means that knowing what to do when someone is going through a drug overdose is important.
First, assess the situation and address immediate needs and urgent medical issues. Check for abnormal vital signs, memory loss, or other physical problems. If you’re dealing with an intentional overdose, a mental health evaluation may be needed. In most cases, you’ll need to get professional help – as the patient will usually need to be detoxed or otherwise treated.
During physical recovery, it’s important to explore substance abuse treatment options. The best substance abuse treatment programs provide customized treatment for each patient to make sure any prescribed medication and behavioral therapy will be tailored to a patient’s needs.
What Can You Expect From a Substance Abuse Treatment Program?
A staff member will often start by having a patient complete an intake interview. This is an important step because the details from the interview will often be used to customize a patient’s substance abuse treatment program.
Typically, a patient will need to go through a medical detox process before actually starting their substance abuse treatment program. If a patient hasn’t gone through detox before getting admitted, most treatment centers will have their medical detox programs in place. The patient will likely experience withdrawal symptoms while detoxing. In many instances, medication-assisted treatment will be used to ease the painful or uncomfortable symptoms.
Many forms of care and therapy will be used throughout the entire recovery process. The goal of any substance abuse treatment program is to help patients overcome their cravings, avoid relapses, and remain sober. By the end of the program, patients must also have an aftercare plan – formulated by professionals based on where they are in their recovery journey.
Learn More About Midwest Detox Center’s Substance Abuse Treatment Programs
Don’t wait for a drug overdose to happen. Contact Midwest Detox Center by calling 833.647.0392 or reaching out to our team online to learn more about our substance abuse treatment programs.
