Drug Detox And Rehabilitation
Drug detoxification (normally referred to simply as 'detox') is the most significant part of becoming free from drug dependency, and for this reason, drug detox should be administered with great care.
Detox is a medicinal procedure, and should be managed only in a medical clinic under appropriate supervision.
The reason for this is that detox can be deadly. What happens to the body when one becomes addicted is a biochemical transformation, and to take this chemical away from the body all at once without proper care can turn a positive process into a fatal one.
The physical side-effects of detox vary according to what type of drugs you are detoxing from. Because there are hundreds of thousands of biological reactions that can occur in the body as a direct result of drugs, taking the drug away will modify those chemical reactions. Symptoms vary from cold sweats to shaking, to reactions as serious as convulsions and heart palpitations.
Here is what you can count on from particular substances:
Stimulants (eg. cocaine, amphetamines):
These drugs increase nerve cell communication. As a result, the nerve's natural signaling chemicals are depleted. This and sleep disturbance are the neuro-biochemical explanations for the "come down" from cocaine and speed.
Benzodiazapenes (eg. Valium, Xanax, Ativan, Ambien):
Drugs in this class turn down the signal of nerve cells. They make you drowsy and relaxed. When these substances are stopped, the nerves are sensitive to the slightest stimulation. Taking these substances out of your system will make you very nervous and shaky. You may have trouble sleeping, and in serious cases, you could have spasms.
Alcohol:
An abrupt cessation of liquor intake can cause seizures and even a heart failure. Hallucinations, sleep disturbance, and anxiety can occur as well.
Opiates (eg. heroin, Vicodin):
These drugs are used as pain alleviators and are intended to ease and calm the body. Withdrawal from opiates can be particularly painful and acute. Expect sweating, severe muscle aches and pains, unsettled stomach, and intense cravings. Because these symptoms are so painful, detoxing from opiates often leads addicts to begin using once again.
Medical technology has come up with certain drugs that can help alleviate detoxification side-effects. While it appears odd to take a drug in order to get off a drug, because some of the symptoms are so severe, having certain pain-relievers on hand can be very important. Also, the drugs used are normally not addictive, and when you are under the care of a clinician, they will supervise your usage very carefully until you won't have to take those substances anymore.
Having said this, some detox centres are overtly non-medicated, meaning that they stand firm against administering pain-relieving drugs during the detox process. Even so, such clinics have clinicians constantly monitoring their patients, and ready to respond to any medical emergency.
Detox is the initial and essential step in the process of rehabilitation for drug addicts of all types. The overall rehab process can take many months and even years, but it begins with detox, and this process should not normally take much longer than approximately one week.
For more information on Drug Detoxification And Rehabilitation visit us at http://www.addictiontodrugs.org/drug_addiction.php
