You often hear about detox as the first step toward successful recovery from substance abuse. Because the body is always filtering out toxins through the liver, you might ask yourself how a drug detox is different. Exactly what is drug detox? Understanding the process is valuable for shaping your path toward healing.
What is Drug Detox? The Basics
Knowing the way that drugs physically affect your body is a key to understanding detox. Certain substances take over the function of natural chemicals that produce mood-altering effects in the body.
For example, opioids interact with brain receptors that normally receive communication from feel-good neurotransmitters. Drugs like heroin and prescription painkillers reduce pain and produce euphoria. As you continue to use those substances, your body produces less of the natural neurotransmitters that provide positive feelings. When you stop using the drug, your body has no mechanism for producing those good sensations.Therefore, you experience withdrawal.
Physical dependence on substances like cocaine, alcohol, and methamphetamines, can lead to withdrawal symptoms. If you’re ready to get control of your life through a holistic rehab program, you need to start by detoxing and getting the substance out of your system.
Can You Go Through Detox Alone?
The withdrawal symptoms that accompany drug detox can be excruciating if you don’t know what to expect or how to manage them. Imagine suffering from the worst flu symptoms of your life. You would get through the experience with more comfort if you had the right care instead of enduring these feelings alone.
Unfortunately, one of the easiest ways to combat withdrawal symptoms during detox is to incorporate the drug back into your system. This is why trying to detox alone without medical supervision can lead to relapse.
Beyond the Physical
What is drug detox like? At detox programs, your body struggles to balance its own tools for wellness with the sudden elimination of the substance. As you manage physical symptoms, you may combat heavy emotions. The best substance abuse programs provide treatments to help you deal with all of your recovery needs.
Psychotherapy and counseling can address your emotional responses during the healing process. Attention to your diet can help your body repair from nutritional deficiencies that are caused by substance abuse. Education that gives you insight into the science of addiction can help you understand how to restore your physical and psychological wellness.
At Ashley Addiction Treatment, we offer individual care to address all of these factors. Our treatment programs include integrated therapies, such as:
- Individual and group counseling
- Medical care
- Spiritual support for all faiths
- Mindfulness training
- Creative therapies
- Massage and acupuncture
Our Primary Program caters to adults who want to rebuild their lives after addiction. We also offer young adult and family programs to make the road to long-term healing more supportive and effective.
Don’t lose yourself to addiction. A quality drug rehab facility that addresses the needs of the mind, body, and spirit can help you achieve success in recovery. Contact Ashley Addiction Treatment at 866-313-6310 to find out how we can help you find a new way to live.