5 Tips On Making Detox Work for You

At the most basic level, a detox program holds you long enough to get the last physical vestiges of a drug out of your system. This program holds you in one place, making sure that you have food, shelter, and protection until you have dealt with the physical aspects of your addiction. Though detox can be difficult and though getting through is certainly an achievement, it is still important to understand that this is only the first step of your recovery. Take a moment to consider these five steps to make sure that you are getting the most out of your time in a detox center.

1. Use the Counseling

If there is counseling at the place where you are getting detox, use it. It is always a good idea to talk to people about your issues, and you will discover that insights are entirely possible. Use the counseling to get new resources and make sure that you are taking in everything that you can. This can help you move forward more quickly with your recovery.

2. Plan a Network

When you are in detox, there may be rules about whether you are allowed to contact anyone at all. When you are alone, you will find that this is a good time to start planning what kind of network you are going to have when you get out. Think about people who you know are willing to help you, and the people who you will go to first. They may be people who can help you with physical things like food or shelter, or they may be able to help you with the emotional after-effects of detox.

3. Look Towards the Near Future

Plenty of people in detox look forward to a distant future where they have their addiction taken care of and where they are completely healed. While it is important to have distant goals to think about, you should also think about the near future. The part directly after detox is not going to be easy, and in many ways, it is more difficult, more boring, yo might think! and more tedious than what detox was like.

4. Keep a Journal

You can have a lot of revelations about yourself and what you realize about where you have been when you are in detox. Many people with addictions end up doing a lot of back and forth, in that they come to the same conclusions over and over again. The truth is that you can have a lot of revelations about yourself when you are in detox, and you can hang on to them if you write them down. Ask for a journal, or even just some paper to help you get started.

5. Take the Treatment That Is Offered

Professional centers offer various treatment methods that can help ease the discomfort associated with withdrawals, in order to increase the chances of success during detox. These treatment methods can range from yoga, acupuncture, exercise therapy, nutritional therapy, and art therapy. Some clients with severe withdrawal may be offered medication under a doctor’s guidance to ease their symptoms and possibly prevent life-threatening conditions. Some people that enter a detox center are convinced that they should never partake in the treatment methods offered. This can lead to them missing out on opportunities that can be very helpful to them.

If you are in a spot where you need to think about detoxing, remember that there is a whole new world waiting for you afterwards. Some people go straight from detox to a rehabilitation center, and this gives you a lot of the support that you might need to move ahead. Make sure that you know what your plan is before you close the doors of the detox center behind you, and you’ll be in better shape than you might think.

 

What the First 24 Hours of Detox is Like

Possible Symptoms in the First 24 Hours

Alcohol and drug addictions are serious conditions not to be taken lightly. Although most drugs and alcohol are poisonous to the body, when they are heavily abused, they become part of a “new normal” for the addict’s bodily functions. Taking alcohol or drugs out of the system could put the body into a state of shock. The first 24 hours of detoxing from drugs or alcohol is a critical period. Early withdrawal symptoms are possible including:

• Anxiety
• Hallucinations
• Insomnia
• Disorientation
• Nervousness
• Rapid heart rate
• Tremors
• Profuse sweating
• Headaches
• Paranoia
• Mood swings
• Withdrawal seizures
• Hyperactivity
• Heart palpitations
• Depression
• Gastrointestinal upset
• Irritability
• Emotional Instability
• Fatigue – Both physical and emotional
• Involuntary eyelid tremors
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Blackouts

Details About Symptoms That Can Occur In The First 24 Hours

While substances are being consumed they are bathing the brains neurons and causing the neuron’s functions to be diminished. This diminished functioning becomes evident shortly after the removal of the substance. This is what leads to many of the above nervous system dysfunctions seen above such as anxiety, nervousness, shaking, hyperactivity and depression.

The seizures and blackouts that can occur within that first day of withdrawal can endanger the person by causing them to fall, hit their head or bite their tongue. The falls could also lead to sprained muscles or broken bones. During a seizure it is common to bite the tongue. Biting the tongue could cause bleeding and swelling. There is a large vein that runs through the tongueand a great loss of blood could be suffered and swelling of the tongue may obstruct the person’s airway.

Why Detoxification Under Medical Care Is Important

There are multiple different types of detox. Because the symptoms of detoxification can range from mild to extremely dangerous and can happen at a moment’s notice, it is always preferable to detox under the direct care of a doctor or a facility specialoized in medical monitoring of those who are in detox.

What Happens In The First 24 Hours At a Detox Facility?

The person suffering from addiction will be asked a series of questions to determine his or her treatment plan. The length of time spent in a detoxification program and the measures taken will be determined by multiple factors. The questions asked to determine these factors could include:

• Do you have any medical disorders besides the addiction that could somehow interfere with your treatments?
• Do you have any mental disorders that we should know about?
• How long have you been substance abusing?
• What kinds of substances have you been abusing?
• What amount of alcohol or other drug content have you been consuming in a 24 hour period?
• Have you experienced any large traumas in your life?
• If so, have any traumas you experienced been due to substance abuse?

Severe alcohol and drug addictions become so heavy a burden that the withdrawal of these substances will become physically evident within 5-24 hours of the last use. Get knowledgeable help before beginning the detoxification process. In 2013 there are more advanced detox types available than ever before.