WHAT IS DETOXIFICATION?
The start of the recovery process entails some sort of detoxification even when the dependency is a behavioural or process addiction. Symptoms vary enormously, individuals may be suffering physically and emotionally for the first seven to fourteen days depending on the severity of their condition.
Breaking the cycle of addiction can be both difficult and dangerous to do alone.
Depending on the severity of an addiction, withdrawal symptoms can cause severe pain and harm to a person. It’s important that the detox process take place in a safe environment around people who are trained to handle any eventuality that might occur. Rehabilitation facilities offer this level of support.
The start of the recovery process entails some sort of detoxification even when the dependency is a behavioural or process addiction. Quite simply, to change behaviour or overcome addiction, one must stop what it is they are doing for an extended period of time.
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WHY DETOX AT CAMINO?
At Camino Recovery, we are familiar with all various detoxes and are experienced in the managing of a ‘withdrawal’. This can involve medication, but it’s also about understanding the behaviour patterns that accompany a detox and knowing how to manage them correctly.
For instance, an increased level of anxiety, if misunderstood, can ultimately lead back to the substance. But there are many benefits to a managed and gradual detox and a person can feel assured that, regardless of the severity of their withdrawal symptoms, they will pull through and come out the other side better off.
The Camino Recovery staff are familiar with the physical and emotional symptoms and are with the clients throughout the process.
We also have adapted rooms and communal areas that make the facility safe during this period, and we offer as much guidance and reassurance as possible to help a person going through withdrawal understand that the side effects won’t last forever, and they will be better for detoxing in the long run.
During the process of detoxification, we also treat the emotional side effects like depression and anxiety, which are, in most cases, ever present throughout this stage of recovery.
For many clients a detox is a vital part of their recovery. At Camino Recovery every detox is medically supervised. It is based on a detailed doctor’s assessment of your medical history, state of mind, drug or addictive behaviour of choice, and how long your addiction has lasted.
The detox process is designed entirely around you, your safety and health are paramount.
We continually monitor each client, offering a cohesion of care and constant assessment, making any necessary adjustments to the treatment plan immediately.
We have a dedicated team of clinicians, well versed in the physical and emotional support necessary to achieve treatment success.
How long does the detoxification process take?
Detoxifying from substances or otherwise varies in time depending on the severity of the addiction.
It can take days, weeks or months to get through withdrawal symptoms for most drugs, and the time it takes depends on things like:
- Type of substance the user is addicted to
- Duration an addiction has lasted
- The severity of the addiction
- Method of abuse (snorting, smoking, injecting, or swallowing)
- The amount of a substance the user takes at one time
- Method of abuse (snorting, smoking, injecting, or swallowing)
- Family history
- Genetic makeup
- Medical condition
- Underlying mental health conditions
To find out how long detoxification might take for you or a loved one, contact an expert at Camino Recovery today.
Symptoms of the detoxification process
Invariably your body gets used to a substance over time (regardless of whether it is good for you) and it is vitally important that, when ‘coming off’ a substance, it is managed correctly and by professionals.
Going ‘cold turkey’ should never be a primary or recommended option for anyone looking to detox from a substance or process disorder.
Doing so enhances withdrawal symptoms and makes overcoming an addiction even harder – for each time you fail to detox and begin using again, it impacts self-esteem and reaffirms your dependence on the substance. This can cause more harm than good.
Symptoms of detoxification vary enormously, and individuals may be suffering physically and emotionally for the first seven to 14 days depending on the chronicity of their condition. The process of detoxing is very substance specific, and some are far more severe than others. Some more general side effects from detoxifying include:
- Nervousness or anxiety
- Insomnia
- Nausea
- Body discomfort
- Mood swings
- Poor sleep
- Difficulty concentrating
At Camino Recovery, we tailor the detoxification process to each individual that enters treatment and ensure that detoxing is performed in a safe and guided way to mitigate the side effects involved in ‘weening’ off substances like alcohol.
Rapid detoxing: is it a good idea?
Rapid detoxification is the removal substances like alcohol from an addict’s system faster than the normal rate of detoxification. There are many advocates of rapid detoxification who believe that it is an effective and long-lasting solution to overcoming alcohol addiction, as well as behavioural addictions.
In a rapid detox, the addicted person is sedated with anaesthesia and given medications that replace the drugs in the body. This method was originally developed for people addicted to opiate drugs like heroin and painkillers, and many heroin addicts were given increasingly reduced levels of morphine or methamphetamines, for example.
While it is not recommended to rapidly detox at home or alone, at Camino Recovery we can control the detox environment and perform a gradual detox in a safe and expert way. Under the guidance of expert doctors and clinicians, we can ‘ween’ someone off substances without running the risk of detoxing too fast. And there are big risks, including:
- Heart attack
- Paranoia
- High body temperature
- Infection
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Aspiration
- Choking
- Death
A person who undergoes a rapid detox is asking a lot from their body, and while change is necessary to overcome addiction, the body must be given an adjustment period to adapt to the lack of substances, rather than be expected to go through such rapid change in a short space of time.
At Camino Recovery, we provide expert, managed and gradual detoxes for everyone experiencing addiction and wanting to overcome it. Our team of clinicians and doctors can ensure a safe a guided detoxing process and will do all they can to help reduce the effects of withdrawal. Whether it’s alcohol, substances or a process addiction, Camino Recovery can help you detoxify.
We also treat every aspect of an addiction after the detoxification process, using a wide range of therapy approaches to do so. After the detoxification process, we use treatments like Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and individual or group therapy treatments, as well as many others, to help treat a variety of conditions that exist.
Whether it’s for overcoming trauma, changing behaviour to overcome a process addiction or therapy to overcome substance abuse, our expert staff will guide you through the entire program.
To find out more about the detoxification process and how Camino Recovery can help you or a loved one, contact us today. We’re here to help.