When someone has a problem with drugs or alcohol, they often enter into a process called detox. The purpose during detoxification is to rid the human body of alcohol or drugs and to physically stabilise the individual fighting addiction. According to the most recent national survey on drug use and abuse, about 3.6 Million adults, including 624,000 teenagers aged 18 to 25 and 3.0 Million adults aged 26 or above, received drug abuse treatment in the last year. This number represents about a third of all adults and almost a quarter of teenagers or younger children receiving treatment for drug or alcohol abuse. A Detox centre is one of many detox treatment Phoenix az centres available for drug and alcohol abuse.
When people become addicted to controlled substances like alcohol or opiates, they often start with short-term use. As their use becomes more frequent, they develop a physical dependence on the substances. Although withdrawal symptoms can be painful, they are usually relieved by gradual reduction of substance use until the individual can no longer perform daily tasks without experiencing some discomfort or side effects. Once an individual has become completely dependent on the substance, they will often experience severe cravings for the substance which can only be relieved through continued detoxification. Unfortunately, most people who abuse drugs or substances do not seek professional help during their addiction; therefore it is imperative that they receive assistance when attempting to quit. Detox centres provide an integral part of the medical system that assists individuals struggling to overcome substance abuse.
Although some may argue that detoxification from opiate drugs is no different from detoxification for ingesting heroin or alcoholic beverages, there are important differences in terms of bodily dependence and tolerance. Heroin and alcohol have very high levels of dependency; therefore it can take a very long period of time before a patient is able to feel the withdrawals of opiates. For instance, it would take several weeks or even months for a heroin addict to feel the effects of counselling, while the effects of counselling on an alcoholic may be felt almost immediately. However, when using drugs, withdrawal symptoms occur very quickly and a person may experience extreme cravings for the drug almost immediately following detoxification. This makes it extremely difficult for the individual to prevent drug abuse once they begin to experience the withdrawals.
Individuals suffering from drug addiction can greatly benefit from the medical treatment provided at a drug detox centre. These services offer both inpatient and outpatient services, which allow patients to be supervised by professionals while they attend the program. A detox centre will often offer medication therapy and group therapy as part of the program; however inpatient services are available at many locations. Patients that withdraw from treatments in a regular hospital environment will be housed in a facility that is used for patients that need to be in a state of rehabilitation.
The medical staff at these facilities will administer various treatments to alleviate withdrawal symptoms when an individual first steps into the facility. Commonly administered medicines include methadone and buprenorphine. Methadone is used to reduce the amount of narcotics that are needed to curb a drug user’s cravings while buprenorphine is utilized to minimize the intensity of the physical cravings that are a result of abuse. Both of these are often prescribed by physicians to ensure success during the detox process.
Once you have completed the detox process you will need to undergo ongoing follow up and maintenance treatment. The professionals at the facility will determine when your success in sobriety has fully recovered and you will be offered counseling. If you choose to go through inpatient services, your physicians will likely monitor your progress with a series of interviews and surveys. A major part of this assessment involves determining if you have had any relapses since your last stay at the facility. If you do have a relapse, your physician may prescribe medications to help you to minimize the likelihood of having another relapse while you are completing your tapering process.