North Carolina Drug and Alcohol Detox Centers
Drug and Alcohol Detox Centers
No true recovery from drugs and alcohol can occur without withdrawal, the process by which the addictive substance leaves the body.
Unfortunately, withdrawal can be a difficult process. A wide range of symptoms accompany withdrawal, some of which can be life-threatening. These are just a few of the potential symptoms an addict may experience during withdrawal:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Intense cravings for drugs or alcohol
- Hallucinations
- Nausea
- Irritability
- Paranoia
- Nightmares
- Drug cravings
- Seizures
- Delusions
- Mood swings
- Agitation
- Tremors
- Dysphoria (A powerful feeling of unease)
While the symptoms a person experiences, along with their length and severity, depend upon a number of factors (e.g. The length of the addiction and the addictive substance involved), most addicts in North Carolina find it helpful to undergo withdrawal in a controlled, medically-supervised environment called detox.
What does detox involve?
Drug and alcohol detox centers are programs that provide addicts with the support they need to successfully navigate withdrawal. Detox has a number of benefits for patients that make it a critical first step in a successful recovery:
- Detox prevents relapse during withdrawal.
- Detox makes withdrawal more comfortable.
- Detox addresses potentially life-threatening withdrawal complications.
- Detox can set patients up for additional rehab.
The typical detox program involves a number of supportive elements intended to make the process of withdrawal safer, more comfortable, and more successful for the addict.
Detox involves 24/7 care.
The most important element of detox is the fact that the patient is never alone. Instead, detox centers provide 24/7 care and support so patients can receive the help they need anytime of the day or night.
Detox involves skilled medical professionals.
Detox occurs in a medically-supervised and controlled environment populated by skilled medical professionals. These experts are fully equipped to handle any challenges withdrawal presents, from helping patients sleep to helping them navigate potentially life-threatening complications, such as seizures. As a result, detox provides a very safe environment in which to withdraw.
Detox begins with an intake.
In order to provide the support a patient needs for withdrawal, detox begins with an intake. This assessment includes blood tests as well as an evaluation of a patient's physical and mental health and habits of drug and alcohol use. Based on this assessment, the detox facility develops a plan to meet the patient's withdrawal needs.
Detox provides medical support for patients.
Once intake is complete, the drug and alcohol detox center will often assign a therapist to the addict. In addition, patients will receive medical assistance throughout their withdrawal. For example, patients may receive medication to alleviate their withdrawal symptoms, support their mental health, or aid them in sleeping. The result is a withdrawal process that is safer and more comfortable than quitting the addictive substance "cold turkey."
Detox prepares patients for rehab.
Once withdrawal is complete, patients often receive support in continuing to the next stage of their recovery: Rehab. For example, a detox facility might refer patients to a rehab program, educate them on what to expect, or even provide rehab services in-house to help patients achieve the recovery they need.
Do rehab facilities offer detox along with treatment?
Sometimes, detox centers are standalone facilities. This means that they only offer detox services as part of their program. Patients must find another rehab facility to continue their recovery once they finish detox.
However, many rehab facilities in North Carolina offer medically supervised detox as part of more comprehensive treatment programs. Usually, this occurs when the rehab facility is an inpatient center where patients live and receive treatment round-the-clock. However, detox programs are also usually available in an outpatient setting, or even in a hospital-based setting.
The percentage of facilities that offer detox services as part of broader rehab services depends upon the state where the services are being offered. In some states, as many as one-quarter of inpatient facilities will offer detox, while in other states, only a small percentage do so.
Is detox by itself enough?
Detox focuses solely on helping a patient overcome their physical dependence on the addictive substance.
However, recovery involves much more than physical dependence. Addiction also fundamentally alters the structure of the patient's brain, impacting their reward system, as well as their impulse control and rational thought processes. Often, patients cannot experience normal feelings of happiness and wellbeing without drugs or alcohol, and relapse rates are very high without further intervention.
In order to prevent relapse and support long-term recovery, patients must address these underlying changes in their brains, as well as deal with any underlying psychological and emotional drivers of their addiction.
As a result, recovery usually involves much more than detox. A successful rehab program will need to provide all of the following kinds of support in order to equip the patient to manage their addiction:
- Psychological support
- Educational resources
- Emotional guidance
- Social support
- Relapse prevention
- Behavioral training
- Community support
- Aftercare planning
- Medical assistance
- Physical support
Only with professional support, and an ongoing plan for managing addiction, can a patient create a recovery that has the potential to last for many years.
Alcohol and drug detox is an important first step in recovery for many addicts. Receiving this support in a medically-controlled environment gives addicts the best chance of navigating withdrawal and preparing for the next step of rehab. However, without ongoing support and professional help, addicts may never fully recover -Detox and rehab must work together to give patients real healing.
