Understanding the Importance of Detox

Getting through the first steps of drug or alcohol recovery can be the hardest part. Detoxifying your body of the drug completely is often needed to get your body back to a healthy baseline. At a drug and alcohol detox in Murrieta, CA, those in need of drug or alcohol abuse treatment can have all their recovery needs catered to in a safe environment. When you participate in a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program or a residential treatment program, you can feel comfortable throughout the process. Find out more about the addiction treatment programs near you today.

Understanding the Importance of Detox

When a person is dealing with drug or alcohol addiction, they are often judged negatively and viewed as having some sort of moral failing for having a problem. Unfortunately, this stigma can keep many people from getting needed treatment early. However, addiction at any stage isn’t easy to simply “quit.” When drugs or alcohol have been flooding someone’s system over a period of time, the body and the brain adapt to these chemicals.

People become less and less interested in life outside of drug or alcohol use as this happens. Apart from losing interest in activities, prolonged alcohol or drug use can cause:

• Lower production of important chemicals, including dopamine and serotonin, in the brain
• Cardiac and breathing problems
• Excessive sweating and elevated body temperature
• Sleep irregularities
• Chronic tiredness
• Stomach problems and nausea
• Appetite changes
• Changes in libido
• Mood swings and mental health symptoms

Expecting someone to just stop using the substances causing these problems is not a realistic expectation. Dealing with these symptoms can become someone’s full-time preoccupation. As friends and family perceive these changes and react, it can be further isolating for the individual struggling with addiction. The cycle of addiction has to be stopped with outside help, and nobody should have to struggle with symptoms on their own.

What Happens During Detox?

Ridding the body of a substance that it intensely craves can be the biggest challenge of addiction recovery. The psychological symptoms alone can make people hostile or aggressive towards those who want to help them. Getting professional help can make all the difference. With compassionate and knowledgeable addiction specialists and doctors helping you, you don’t have to worry about all the details on your own.

When a decision has been made to enter into detox, you can expect the following stages:

1. Onset of withdrawal symptoms, including cravings, stomach irritation, headaches, and low moods within the first 24 hours
2. Increased severity of withdrawal symptoms after 24 hours, which may start to include sleep problems, muscle pain, anxiety, and problems concentrating
3. Peak of symptoms, then a decrease of symptoms, which may take several days to a week
4. Addiction counseling and treatment planning

Getting through the worst symptoms of withdrawals can be difficult, even in a clinical setting. With attentive staff helping you medically treat these symptoms and understanding counselors to give you moral support, you can get through it. Having people by your side who aren’t giving up on you can give you strength, even when you feel like giving up. Reach out to a drug and alcohol detox center in Southern California today to discover how detox and recovery can be possible for you or a loved one.

Ride Out Detox with Comfort, Safety, and Confidence

When people are dealing with the worst symptoms of detox, they may want to turn right back around and run away from treatment. A medically-assisted treatment program for drug or alcohol detox can give you the comfort and safety to get through your hardest moments. Reach out to non-judgmental professionals today who care so that you can move through the detox process with confidence.