Starting Recovery With a Detox
The first step in recovery from drug addiction is knowing that you need help. The next step is to detox to remove the drug from your system. Detox also lets your body get used to life without the drug, hopefully ending addiction. The Balancing Act looks at the detox process.
It’s never good to try and detox, or go cold turkey, on your own.
The pain of withdrawal will cause you to use again. Withdrawal can also be dangerous, triggering serious health problems like a heart attack or seizures. It’s safest to detox under the medical supervision of a rehab detox center.
Some rehab centers will provide you with medication to help ease your withdrawal symptoms. However, you will not be able to avoid withdrawal entirely. The length of time it takes to detox differs for each person. Some people are able to detox in three days. Other people may take two weeks.
Detox is more successful if you can enter into counseling to try and figure out how your life is going to be after drugs or alcohol. You need to learn different ways of handling stress rather than getting high or drunk. Without counseling, you will be more prone to relapse.
