The anecdote for substance-use disorders is being sober and having caring connections with others, according to this study. Having healthy relationships is something that you value. Your addiction is getting worse, and you get uncontrollable emotional outbursts. Your interpersonal relationships crumble like soft clay. Would you like to cope with your addictions and emotions with easy techniques? Learn how medical detox centers relieve your substance-use disorder.
What Is a Medical Detox Center?
A medical detox center provides you with alcohol or drug removal for detoxification with assisted medical care. The medical professionals examine you and personalize your treatment. Medically monitored detox facilities are a crucial aspect of the recovery process and ensure patient safety, according to this Phoenix detox center.
Your substance-use disorder is a medical and psychological condition of the brain. Medical detox is the first step to recovery. An important part of letting go of addictions is transforming your behaviors. Once you get detoxified, you’ll continue with therapy that helps you cope with emotions and release your addictions.
There are a variety of symptoms that indicate whether you need detox treatment:
Physical Symptoms
- Pupils are larger or smaller with red hues.
- No appetite.
- Sudden weight decrease or increase.
- Tremors, slurred speech, or impaired coordination.
Behavioral Symptoms
- Uncontrolled alcohol or drug misuse.
- Misusing alcohol or drugs to relieve withdrawal symptoms (depression, sweating, or anxiety).
- Abandoning hobbies or socializing to use alcohol or drugs.
- Continuing to use alcohol or drugs despite the consequences (mood swings or depression).
Psychological Symptoms
- Appearing fearful or anxious with no cause.
- Lacks motivation and is often tired.
- Increased nervousness or instability.
- Sudden mood swings or angry outbursts.
- Unexplained change in personality or attitude.
The Detox Center Process
The American Journal of Public Health says that detox programs can last 7-10 days. Detox centers have a process that they follow for all patients. The steps in the process help them determine the best treatment for you. The three main steps include:
- Examination – The clinical nurses examine your physical and psychological health. If you’re getting an initial examination, they check your withdrawal potential and biomedical conditions. Then the clinical nurses determine a detoxification level of care and your personalized treatment plan.
- Stabilization – The detox center performs the treatment plan and aids you through withdrawal.
- Encouraging you to start a long-term substance abuse treatment that helps you improve addictive behavior. Detox isn’t enough for long-term recovery, and it doesn’t solve the psychological and social aspects of substance abuse, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse.
The common symptoms that you may get during a medical detox are shaking, irregular heartbeat, nausea, fatigue, depression, and sweating. Symptoms that you get vary and are determined by your psychological and health conditions.
Abstinence-Based Addiction Treatment
Abstinence-based addiction treatment is the safest approach to treating drug addiction and is the most used treatment, according to the Mental Health Services Administration. This type of treatment is goal-based. For example, if you’re in abstinence-based therapy, the therapist helps you think of a goal that you can accomplish – like abstaining from drinking alcohol for twelve months.
Abstinence is the practice of avoiding and not doing something that has become an unhealthy habit. For you, the addictive habit that you’d avoid is alcohol or drug use. Are you uncertain if you’ll relapse? That’s okay because your doctor and therapist are there to provide you with solutions. They’re medical professionals that analyze you and adjust your treatment.
The Alcoholics Anonymous Model (established in 1935) wrote a book on recovery from alcoholism. Since then, alcoholism has been accepted as a disease – the solution is abstinence treatment. An effective therapy that’s abstinence-based is the twelve-step recovery program. They’re important steps that you need to take for a successful recovery. The steps include initial acceptance of the diagnosis, self-exploration, and making healthy habits from what you learn at the group sessions.
Overcome Addiction With Therapy
Medical detox doesn’t improve or alter addictive behaviors. Behavioral or abstinence-based therapies motivate you to remain abstinent and improve your behaviors. Another benefit of therapy is that it enhances your interpersonal relationships. For example, if a couple goes to behavioral therapy, they’ll identify their common goals and objectives, learn to respect each other’s views and opinions, and improve their trust.
The therapies that help you overcome your addiction include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – helps you get clear and cope with what causes you to use alcohol or drugs.
- Motivational Enhancement Therapy – uses techniques that improve your motivation to alter behavior and begin treatment.
- Twelve Step Facilitation – a therapy that takes twelve weekly sessions to prepare you for a twelve-step program in self-help groups. The three main steps in this type of therapy are acceptance (learning the negative effects of alcohol and drug addiction), surrender (following the twelve steps in the program), and participating in activities.
Improve Your Health at a Detox Center
In summary, you learned what a medical detox center is, how abstinence-based addiction treatment improves your health, the process that detox centers use, and the best therapies to overcome addictions.
If you don’t learn how to overcome and cope with your addictions, then your health is going to be at risk. Are you ready to get detoxified and conquer your rooted behavioral addictions?
