Medical Detox & Treatment

Medical detoxification refers to the cleansing of the body of toxic, addictive substances under the supervision of medical professionals. The medical team will usually be conducted by a physician, which consists of clinical staff, therapists, and nurses. Some detox centers will utilize advanced practice staff like physician assistants or nurse practitioners to deliver medical care during the detoxification process.

Most people know the word detox to mean a way of cleansing the body of unhealthy food. But do you know what medical detox is and how it differs from our common understanding of the term detox?

Similar to asthma, diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis, addiction is a common condition that pops up occasionally but can be controlled. Medical drug detox helps individuals that suffer from addiction. It does so in a similar way to a hospital emergency department in that it helps people manage their long-term conditions.

Medical drug detox for substance abuse will provide stabilization for an acute flare-up of the chronic disease. By itself though, drug detox will not change the long-term course of an addiction.

Detox is the first step to treating substance addiction. Thus, detox will occur at the very beginning of treatment. Drug detox alone is not considered addiction treatment though. Individuals who complete drug detox have a higher chance of staying in treatment afterward longer. They also have a higher chance of having more prolonged stretches of sobriety.

Individuals that commit substance abuse and are at risk of becoming physically dependent on substances are top candidates for medically assisted detox.

Individuals that struggle with drug abuse will most likely suffer from physical dependence to substances if they have done the following things:

• Used substances over an extended period
• Used substances regularly in large amounts
• Required increasing amounts of substances to feel the usual effects
• Tried quitting substances but were unable to without help
• Had substance cravings frequently when not having access to it
• Experienced diminished effect over time using the same amount of substance

Individuals with substance addictions will usually receive drug detox treatment. Individuals attend detox when they’re at risk of experiencing the effects of withdrawal from their substances of choice. The presence of withdrawal happens when a person has become physically dependent on a substance.

Each substance has a characteristic pattern of drug or alcohol withdrawal symptoms. These drug or alcohol withdrawal symptoms are caused by chemical effects within the body and mind that come about when consumption of a substance is reduced or stopped altogether.

Detoxing alone at home could be fatal. This is due to the possibility of needing medical attention during detox because of matters such as losing one’s consciousness or experiencing seizures. Thus, detox should always be overseen by medical professionals at detox centers or rehab centers that offer detox services.

Once an individual experiences withdrawal from substance abuse, detox will be a priority to eliminate substances from the body effectively. Each level of medical detox will be supervised by a physician lead medical team of nurses and clinical staff. All of the members within such a medical team/clinical staff are usually trained in addiction treatment.

For most substances, the withdrawal process will cause fluctuation in a person’s blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature. Thus, physicians and medical staff will closely monitor the vital signs of individuals during supervised detox.

Experienced physicians and addiction treatment specialists must oversee medical detox. The location of medically supervised detox must be in detox centers or addiction treatment centers with a medical detox area.

Physicians and medical staff will provide medical drug detox patients with round-the-clock medical supervision at detox centers. Physicians and medical staff will also administer prescription withdrawal medications. They will do so to the medical detox patients that need them at detox centers.

The purpose of prescription withdrawal medications is to ease the pain that comes from substance withdrawal during detox. The purpose of medical supervision is to make sure that every detox patient is taken care of if something goes medically wrong during detox.

After completing supervised detox and residential treatment, most patients continue on to receive partial hospitalization program (PHP) treatment.

Efficient alcohol and drug rehab programs will address both the physical and psychological nature of addiction. Detox will address the physical consequences of substance use. Detox alone can’t alter the natural course of a person’s substance addiction though. This is because medical detox works as an introduction to addiction treatment.

Detox patients will usually transition immediately upon release right into an inpatient treatment center. This is especially true if they’ve already received inpatient detox.

Inpatient detox is detox that requires patients to stay at a detox facility or rehab center that provides detox services 24/7 while detoxing. Most forms of medical detox are inpatient detox.

The ideal addiction treatment program that occurs after detox will address the underlying spiritual, emotional, mental, and behavioral causes of addiction. The mental health of addiction treatment patients is particularly addressed in individuals that suffer from co-occurring disorders.

Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment Post-Detox

A co-occurring disorder is when an individual suffers from two types of disorders simultaneously. Another name for co-occurring disorder is dual diagnosis disorder.

Individuals with co-occurring disorders often struggle with substance abuse and mental health disorders simultaneously. We here at Harmony Ridge make a conscious effort to offer a wide variety of specialized co-occurring disorders treatment programs. This is because substance abuse and mental health issues co-occur so frequently,

Inpatient vs. Outpatient Treatment Post-Detox

Factors such as the substance that a person is addicted to and the severity of a person’s addiction will affect whether that person will attend an inpatient or outpatient form of addiction treatment after detox. The type and severity of the mental health issue that a person with a co-occurring substance use and mental health disorder suffers from may also even affect whether a person will attend an inpatient or outpatient form of treatment.

There are benefits to attending inpatient and outpatient forms of addiction treatment. Ultimately though, both inpatient and outpatient forms of addiction treatment keep the focus on the goal of getting individuals to achieve and maintain sobriety.

Harmony Ridge Recovery Center is a nationally recognized drug and alcohol detox center and treatment facility. It is also one of the top detox centers in WV. Here at Harmony Ridge, we provide a comfortable transition from addiction to sobriety in a caring and nurturing environment.

Our team of dedicated medical professionals has helped countless individuals that struggle with drug abuse along with any co-occurring mental illnesses achieve and maintain recovery. Thus, our detox center is helping people live lives free of substance abuse.

Contact us today to learn more about our detox center and addiction treatment programs. We are awaiting your call!