Drug Detox

Drug detox is the removal of unwanted and toxic drugs from the body to prevent acute drug poisoning or as a means of controlling drug addiction. Detoxification is done on individuals who are addicted to alcohol, prescription or illicit drugs and other substances that can create a dependency on the individual. There are various kinds of detoxification for drug addiction, but perhaps the most effective is medical detox which is done on patients suffering from severe drug dependence.

Steps of Drug Detox  

The three steps of drug detox include evaluation, stabilization and easing the patient into the treatment program. Evaluation is the process of determining what drugs are in the system and according to what amount. This is also the stage where the patient is evaluated for co-occurring disorders and other diagnoses aside from drug addiction.

The next stage is the stabilization stage, the stage where medications are often given to ease the symptoms of withdrawal and when family members are brought in to offer emotional support. The last stage of drug detox is the process of easing the patient into treatment. The end of the drug detox treatment means that the patient can start taking it easy. This is, in fact, just the start of the process. It is during this time when the patient has completed the process that he or she is slowly encouraged into joining a rehabilitation program.

Medical Detox

So far, medical detox is the most effective form of drug removal that is given to those suffering from the most habit-forming substances such as opiates and narcotics. Although withdrawal from narcotics is not accompanied by life-threatening symptoms, the symptoms that do occur tend to be very unpleasant that few addicts ever pull through the withdrawal process.

Medical detox usually follows a strict drug withdrawal protocol and involves the use of prescription medications to help the patient endure the medical process. In most cases, medical detox facilities have private suites that resemble hotel rooms complete with all the amenities and are staffed with certified doctors and nurses 24 hours a day to supervise patients who are undergoing the withdrawal process.

Medical detox can be done in an outpatient or an inpatient basis but the latter is often the treatment of choice for those who want to get the drug removal process done and over with. Inpatient medical detox usually lasts from 6 to 10 days, depending on the severity of the addiction, while outpatient drug detox can take several months.