Detox and Withdrawal Symptoms

Medical detoxification safely manages the acute physical symptoms of withdrawal associated with stopping drug or alcohol use. However, medical detoxification is only the first stage of addiction treatment and by itself does little to change long-term drug use. Although detoxification alone is rarely sufficient to help addicts achieve long-term abstinence, for some individuals it is a strongly indicated precursor to effective drug addiction treatment.

Prescription drugs and illegal drugs are composed of synthetic compounds that can remain in the body and continue to cause withdrawal symptoms long after the use of the drug has been discontinued. These withdrawal symptoms are often strong or dangerous enough to require medical detox. Likewise, the withdrawal symptoms of long-term alcoholics can also be severe, requiring careful monitoring in a medical detoxification environment. A physician and/or a trained professional in a controlled environment supervises the medical detox where medication can be administered to manage uncomfortable or serious withdrawal symptoms.

Physical withdrawal symptoms from certain drugs and alcohol can include sweating, racing heart rate, palpitations, muscle tension, tightness in the chest, difficulty breathing, tremors and nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Even more serious are the symptoms associated with the abuse of alcohol and tranquilizers, which include grand mal seizures, heart attack, stroke, hallucinations, and delirium tremens. There are also many psychological symptoms that occur when withdrawing from drugs and alcohol, which can be dangerous for the patient.
Medical detox is the process of eliminating the chemical dependency which, in turn, often manifests in withdrawal symptoms. At Caron Texas, detox is the part of the initial phase of a patient’s personalized treatment plan and an essential ingredient to recovery from drug and alcohol abuse.