What is Drug Detox?

The term 'drug detox' refers to the process of ridding the body of toxins that accumulate during the abuse of substances. Beginning with withdrawal, a thorough physical and mental shift in attitude toward both the drug and oneself is necessary to completely detox from the substance. Withdrawal symptoms usually follow, both physical and behavioral, and these are often extremely difficult to withstand.

Withdrawal Symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms range in severity depending upon the addictive substance and the amount used at the height of addiction. Additional complications arise when more than one addictive substance is abused. Detoxing from more than one substance, for example, prescription pills and heroin or alcohol and cocaine, is physically much more difficult than detoxing from a single substance.

How Does Drug Detox Work?

It depends upon the type of detox chosen. Some addicts choose to stop 'cold turkey' or all at once. This option is rarely successful, especially when undertaken alone. Another way is to decrease the dosage of the drug regularly until the user is no longer dependent. When done under supervision, this is a more successful method though withdrawal symptoms may still occur, though less violently but for a longer duration.

The most successful drug detox combines a tapered dosage with medical assistance with withdrawal symptoms and group therapy and individual counseling. The psychological stress of detox is often just as devastating as the physical stress and both together contribute to relapse.

What is the Ideal Drug Detox?

There is no one formula for a successful drug detox. Each individual is different and will experience withdrawal symptoms in different degrees and intensities. A drug detox that attends to all aspects of a person's drug use and works to remove all drug residuals is ideal. The mental as well as the physical dependence on the drug need equal attention for successful drug detox and treatment and/or maintenance should follow in short order to reduce the incidence of relapse.