Do I Need Detox? Considering Medically Managed Treatment for Yourself or a Loved One

Written by SolutionPoint Behavioral Health

It’s hard to know the line where a way of life becomes a problem that could threaten everything you’ve built. The reality is, no one ever really knows when they cross it. If you’re concerned about your substance use, or that of a loved one, you don’t have to wait for an undeniably brutal rock bottom before getting help. Asking yourself, “Do I need detox?” is in itself a sign that a change may be warranted, so you can live the life you truly deserve.

Detox is an appropriate option for anyone whose drug or alcohol use is affecting their life in a negative way. What that means may be different from person to person. You may find that you’re experiencing problems in your relationships. Someone else may be dropping the ball at work. Another person may just be sick and tired of feeling hungover all the time. No matter what it looks like for you or a loved one, these negative consequences – and the inability to stop drinking or using other substances for an extended period on your own – are a sign that detox may be a beneficial choice.

What is detox?

In a medically managed detox, the patient is eased into full abstinence. After drinking or taking pills for a long period of time, the body adapts to work around and even with those substances, so removing them from the system can be jarring, to say the least. Patients experience the notoriously difficult symptoms of withdrawal, which may include nausea, irritability, cramps, elevated heart rate, and more.

The benefit of choosing a medically managed detox is that professionally trained staff will be on hand throughout the entire process. They have the expertise to make the process as comfortable as possible. Even more importantly, they monitor each patient’s vital signs continuously, to ensure safety throughout. Attempted alone, detox can otherwise be fatal.

Why detox?

The detox process lasts just a few days or up to a week or more depending on the patient’s substance use. No matter when that process concludes, the goal is the same: to clear the body and mind of chemical substances. With new clarity, it is possible to begin addressing the emotional issues that may be underneath the history of substance use. It is only with a commitment to abstinence that they can truly be uncovered and healed.

In short, detox is where the path to recovery begins—the path to a better life. If you want a better life, and drugs or alcohol are preventing you from getting there, contact our caring staff today.

Detox could be the best decision you’ve ever made. There’s only one way to find out.