Drug Detox Central

Drug Detox Treatment Strategies

When you are faced with the reality of an addiction, you need to consider your options. It might sound crazy, but you do have the option of staying where you are, of staying addicted. As I’ve gone deeper into Byron Katie’s teachings, I realize that we have to embrace reality what ever its form. So if you are not ready to break your addiction cycle, well then you are not ready. That’s the reality of the situation. If you do feel ready and you’re doing this for you and not for someone else, then here are some options.

First depending on the drugs involved, of course, you might be able to handle this as a private home matter. Alcohol drug detox is nothing to fool around with, so if were talking about alcohol addiction, please seek professional guidance. Otherwise, with some planning and the help of friends and family, you may be able to detox at home. Drug detox is nothing to fool around with so if you think that you might balk, seek professional help and do a clinic detox instead. As with many things, it would be better to spend the money and do it once instead of have a half-baked experience.

Gather the OTC meds that you’ll need for the detox. You’ll need things like Malox and Advil and fluids like Gatorade and plenty of Pepto Bismol. Tell people what you are doing. Having emotional and physical support is going to make all the difference. I have a friend who did it on his own, but it was scary and I wish I had known so I could have helped. Your loved ones would want to know and help because they want you to be free of the addiction as well.

If you end up at a drug rehab detox, that’s a great option too. The medical professionals will guide you through the first part — the detox — and then seamlessly shift into the real work of learning new ways of living in the world. Group therapy, art therapy, and the like. Just taking it slow and going one day at a time is the only way to free yourself from the drugs.

Being able to stay in one place for both the initial drug addiction detox and the therapy afterward appeals to many people. Even if you are worried about insurance, don’t let that stop you. Talk with the in-take people about your fears. I bet that they can make you feel better about the money part. What matters is getting you clean.

Many churches sponsor drug detox treatment, so if you are a member of a church group, check with the leadership about that. These days most churches realize that addiction comes in all varieties and that you don’t have to be a bar brawling biker to be an addict.

If you want help in your drug detox, ask for it. Ask your friends, family, teachers and coworkers. Truly seeking help is the way to receive help. Just open yourself up to the possibilities. Getting sober is a journey and you will never be alone on that journey.

Heroin Detox

Heroin withdrawal symptoms are not necessarily medically dangerous, but they can be distinctly unpleasant. All opiates (heroin, morphine, oxycodone, codeine, and methadone) produce similar withdrawal symptoms. How bad the withdrawal symptoms are depends on several factors.

For instance, heroin withdrawal typically begins 8 to 12 hours after the last heroin dose and subsides within a period of 3 to 5 days. If someone is trying to detox on their own, without medical aid, it might be longer than the normal 3 to 5 days. Unlike alcohol detox, uncomplicated heroin withdrawal is not life-threatening. Certainly symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea can lead to dehydration, but most people can be treated with fluids, especially fluids containing electrolytes. If the person has a history of heart trouble, that could be cause for concern because of increased blood pressure and pulse rate that tends to come with withdrawal.

A fever could seem like the least of your worries as you deal with heroin detox, but a fever should be treated seriously, particularly with intravenous users, because of possible HIV infection, viral hepatitis, abscesses and/or infected injection sites. Also, any painful injuries, back aches or tooth aches somehow get worse as you go through withdrawal. It’s always going to be better to seek medical help with detox and treatment, but here’s how to handle the general aches and pains…. Headache, muscle aches, and bone pain can be managed with aspirin, or ibuprofen as needed. Maalox can be administered for gastric complaints and Pepto-Bismol for diarrhea. Constipation usually can be managed with milk of magnesia.

Any doctor will tell you that the only way to achieve lasting recovery from heroin is with a medically controlled detox. The most common way is with methadone. US federal regulations almost completely restrict the use of methadone to specially licensed programs. While methadone is most frequently used, a newer medication, buprenorphine is often used. Studies have shown it may be more effective for long term results. The drug clonidine is often used to treat the racing pulse and high blood pressure that can accompany heroin detox. It doesn’t, however, help with the insomnia, body aches and headaches.

Be wary of any “ultrarapid” detox solutions. People always want a quick solution. There’s no data to prove that rapid methods of opiate detoxification help in long term sustained recovery. But who doesn’t want this to be shorter and easier? For the medical profession this is because they want more people in treatment (fewer than one in five people with substance use disorders in the United States are in treatment at any time). There’s also a long standing belief that detox is most of the cure. So you shoot through the detox and you’re done. It’s somehow cemented itself into our culture, this idea that once the toxins are gone, the body will run like a well oiled machine. It’s not so simple and yet, anyone who’s kicked a drug habit knows that surviving detox is half the battle and if you get that far, why stop? Keep on keeping on.

Photo credit: swanksalot

All stats come from this document:

Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment

by Norman S. Miller, M.D. & Steven S. Kipnis, M.D.

http://download.ncadi.samhsa.gov/prevline/pdfs/DTXTIP45%283-30-06%29.PDF