What is Medical Detox From Substance Use?: Your Call To Action

Next Generation Series

Tom O'Connor, Author

September 27, 2024

Topic

How to Choose a Medically Supervised Detox Program

According to the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation:

Get professional help with addiction withdrawal and detox.  Inpatient and outpatient treatment programs can address all types of substance use disorders (SUDs). The same general methods of medical intervention and long-term addiction treatment planning are effective for managing any drug issues or drug withdrawal.  If co-occurring addictions are involved - when a patient is dependent upon alcohol and other drugs - treatment programs will account for those symptoms during medical supervision and treatment planning.  The same medical supervision and treatment planning occurs for the patient co-occurring disorder (COD) when you have a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder (SUD) simultaneously. 

Additional Information For You

According to WebMD:

Start with a list of your needs.  For example, if you’ve struggled with an addiction for years and do not have a strong support network, an inpatient program probably makes sense.  From there, you can investigate quality and cost.  Ideally, you want to find an addiction program you can afford that has licensed, trained professional staff and a high success rate.

You should make a list of questions to ask different addiction programs, such as:

●     What is your documented success rate?

●     What types of insurance do you take?

●     Outline your staff members by position.  For example, how many medical doctors do you have, including psychiatrists and clinical psychologists, and how many nurses, addiction counselors, and social workers?

●     How is your staff trained?  Is every staff member licensed?

●     Can you send me a sample addiction treatment plan?

●     How do you help prevent addiction relapse?

●     Is there aftercare when I’m done with the program, and if so, what services do you provide?

Your Call to Action

Specific Actions to Take After Selecting Your Medical Detox

●     Execute every treatment action every Detox professional takes with you.

●     Stick with a nutritious diet.  Your body needs nutrients to endure detox.

●     Increase your water intake.  Water flushes away drug toxins to withdraw faster.

●     Stay physically active.  During drug detox, you may want to curl up in a fetal position and die.  Regular, low-intensity exercise can help you through.

●     Practice breathing exercises hold immense power in the healing and recovery process, especially during drug or alcohol detox.

●     Lean on your support system.  Ideally, a support system should include family, friends, or loved ones who can provide emotional support, practical help with daily tasks, and accountability.

If You Elect Detoxing at Home & Not Medically Supervised

If you and your doctor are helping you with your addiction and agree it is safe to detox from alcohol at home, you should take the following actions:

●     Decide with your doctor what medications you can take to make detoxing easier.

●     Always have someone with you while detoxing.

●     Ensure there is no readily available alcohol at home.

●     Drink plenty of liquids.

●     Eat healthy fruits and vegetables.

●     Avoid people who could tempt you to drink.

●     Try relaxing activities like yoga, exercise, or meditation.

●     Have an emergency medical plan if severe symptoms occur.

A medically supervised detox is the safest way to detox from alcohol.  This method of detox involves monitoring and treatment provided by healthcare professionals.  Medical detox allows complications and dangers to be quickly recognized and treated before they become problematic.

Medical alcohol detox is not only the safest way to detox but also the most comfortable.  Withdrawal symptoms can be very unpleasant, as outlined above.  A medical detox can enable quick treatment using effective intravenous (IV) medications that cannot be used at home, unsupervised.  Medical detox provides comfort and reduces the worst alcohol symptoms.