Quitting drugs or alcohol can be a difficult life path, but with the proper preparation and the right knowledge, there is no reason why it cannot be done. There are many misconceptions about quitting drugs. Drug rehab can be overwhelming. It's important to know what happens when you stop drugs before committing to it. This article will take a close look at detoxification and break it down.
What Does It Feel Like to Quit Drugs?
If you reduce or stop taking drugs, your body will go through a detoxification process (detox), typically involving withdrawal symptoms.
The severity of the symptoms varies from person to person and drug to drug. However, they are temporary and might last anywhere from one or two days to a few weeks. Cravings for the substance might be mild at times and intense at others. Maintaining a drug-free lifestyle requires mastering effective coping mechanisms.
What Is Detoxification?
Detoxification is the natural process that our body goes through to eliminate foreign substances resulting from the ingestion of food, environmental toxins, and the use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and other harmful substances. The process of detoxification helps the body to restore its usual biological functions. When the body is no longer burdened by foreign substances, the detoxification organs, and systems, particularly the liver and kidneys, can resume their normal functions. This can help get rid of some of the symptoms of drug and alcohol abuse and other harmful substances.
Withdrawal From a Drug: What Is It and Is It Deadly?
The body's reaction to abruptly ceasing or slowing down usage of a drug on which it has become dependent is known as drug withdrawal. It is possible to experience various physical, mental, and emotional symptoms resulting from drug withdrawal syndromes.
Like alcohol and benzodiazepines, some substances may cause severe withdrawal symptoms and even death if not adequately treated. It's uncommon.
For example, extreme alcohol withdrawal may lead to delirium tremens or mania. Delirium tremens may lead to severe convulsions and even death if not treated properly. Approximately 5% of those who suffer from alcohol withdrawal have this problem. Without treatment, it is deadly in roughly 15% of cases.
Symptoms of opiate withdrawal are seldom life-threatening, but they are excruciating. Obvious risks include relapsing into opioid addiction (though not always fatal) and relapse into opioid use (though not always). The risk of overdose increases after a lengthy period of abstinence in which opiate tolerance has been reduced.
Medics and nurses can help with withdrawal symptoms, pain, and the risk of death to help people get better as soon as possible.
Addiction Withdrawal: How Long Is It Going to Take?
People's dependence on a particular substance and the length of their withdrawal period are both factors that determine how long it takes to get off a drug. There are a variety of variables and individual characteristics that might influence how long it takes to resolve all withdrawal symptoms fully.
The following is a quick rundown of some of the most commonly used substances and how long withdrawal typically takes:
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After a few hours, the first indications of alcohol withdrawal may occur, and they peak between 24 and 72 hours after the last drink was taken. Delirium tremens occur 48–72 hours after ceasing heavy drinking and last three to four days but can last up to 8 days.
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After a week, withdrawal symptoms from stopping amphetamines should begin to fade, and they should be gone entirely within a month.
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Withdrawal symptoms from short-acting opioids, such as heroin and certain prescription pain relievers, usually begin eight to 24 hours after the last use and persist for four to 10 days.
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For methadone and other long-acting opioids, withdrawal symptoms may appear during the first two to four days after discontinuing use. Withdrawal symptoms will probably subside in 10 days or less. There are seven benzodiazepines, including Xanax and Valium, for which withdrawal may occur between one and four days after the last usage, peaking during the first two weeks. Symptoms of extended withdrawal may last for months or even years without therapy.
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Cocaine withdrawal symptoms commonly begin within six to 12 hours of the last use. The symptoms peak in the first few days and last for several weeks until eventually subsiding over several months.
Detox vs. Rehab
Evaluation, stabilization, and the fostering of entry into treatment, whether residential rehab or outpatient, are the three primary components of detoxification.
In rehabilitation centers, drug testing is done to see if any drugs of abuse are present in the bloodstream and how much. They look at the person's physical, mental, and social contexts to help determine the appropriate level of treatment after detoxification from addictive substances. These evaluations provide a comprehensive picture for those choosing rehabilitation over withdrawal management.
When a patient is stabilized, medical and emotional support for acute intoxication and withdrawal are provided. Detoxification is often achieved with drugs, but it is possible to detoxify without them. Preparing patients for therapy is part of stabilization. At this point, family members may be asked for help with leaving their old lifestyle and starting over again. This is when any privacy concerns have been addressed.
To assist patients in drug rehabilitation, rehab facilities stress the importance of completing all phases of the treatment continuum. Patients are advised to spend at least a few weeks in an inpatient facility before deciding whether to continue addiction treatment in an outpatient setting. Drug addiction centers make sure patients understand and agree with the detoxification process and the importance of continuing care after detox.
Quitting drugs can be challenging, but it's not something you have to do alone. With the proper medical assistance, psychotherapy, and peer support, you can get through the pain and discomfort of withdrawal symptoms and the changes that come with the psychological and emotional disturbances of quitting and lifestyle changes. With the care and attention you'll receive from compassionate physicians and counselors like those you'll find at residential treatment boutique facilities such as Wish Recovery, you can begin to see that your choice to quit drugs is a decision you won't regret but will remember for the rest of your life.
August 08, 2022
