Every drug detox process will have specific withdrawal symptoms that will be helped by particular detox techniques. But drug detox, in general, can be helped by access to medications and supervised bed rest. The most common side effects of detox, discussed below, will be easier to bear with medical treatment and professional help.
Looking for a drug detox program? If you or someone you care about are searching for professional help with detoxing, contact Midwest Detox Center online or call 833.647.0392. We can help you or your loved one heal.
What Happens During the Drug Detox Process
Detox has one goal: to remove all traces of drugs from a patient’s body. It’s done to ensure that a patient will be physically stable and ready to begin a substance abuse treatment program or something similar. Detox is not a cure by itself. In fact, there is no actual cure for addiction. There is only maintaining sobriety.
Going through detox without professional help is difficult. It can lead to unnecessary occurrences of some withdrawal symptoms, which can demotivate people from seeing the detox process through. Drug cravings will often cause people to use again.
3 Most Common Side Effects of Drug Detox
1. Changes in Mental Health
Drugs make a big impact on a patient’s brain chemistry. This effect is what makes using them highly addictive. During the detox process, the brain will struggle because the drug’s effect on it during addiction had become part of the brain’s functions.
Detox triggers a state of imbalance in the patient’s brain. This imbalance can result in anxiety, depression, and even suicidal ideation in severe cases. The patient will also feel fatigued.
2. Drug Cravings
Because the brain is seeking to balance itself, it will trigger persistent and very severe drug cravings. This symptom will manifest as both a physical craving and a mental obsession.
This side effect can be hard to deal with alone and without mediation-assisted treatment (MAT). Going to a detox center is highly recommended.
3. Physical Withdrawal Symptoms
Many easily identified drug withdrawal symptoms are physical side effects like constipation, headaches, muscle spasms, stomach aches, sweating, and more. The intensity of these serious, life-threatening, and painful symptoms is due to the patient’s physiological dependence on the drug.
These symptoms can be helped by medical detox and also subside more quickly than other side effects, often within a few days of the last use.
Why Medical Detox Is Safer and Healthier
Going through medication-assisted detox is often a necessary first step for many patients. It is usually a condition for admission into many addiction treatment programs. Some people can go through the detox process by themselves successfully. However, many will need medical supervision and support along with a physically comforting environment.
Medical detox plans are always customized for the needs of each patient. Sometimes, a personalized detox plan can include tapering off using prescribed medications like methadone or Suboxone, which will definitely involve professional help in dosing and keeping a record of the dose reduction.
While some medical detox processes can also include therapy or counseling, most will simply encourage stabilized patients to transition into and take part in a substance abuse treatment program.
Learn More About Midwest Detox Center’s Treatments and Therapies
It’s impossible for anyone to avoid the common side effects of drug detox, like drug cravings and physical symptoms. However, it’s very possible to provide you or someone you care about the professional help that can support the drug detox process. Reach out to Midwest Detox Center online or call 833.647.0392 to find out how we help patients through drug detox, recovery, and lifelong sobriety.
