Too many people mistakenly believe that
recovery ends when a physical addiction is overcome and a period of drug or
alcohol detoxification is over. As a result, a disproportionate number of
people must go through the discomfort of detoxification repeatedly.
What
Is Detoxification?
Detoxification, which is the process of
ridding the body of the drug's physical byproducts, can take anywhere from a
few days and a week, but for the majority of users, this is long enough for the
majority of symptoms to subside. A few signs of long-term withdrawal and detox
may linger during these months while the body gradually adjusts to recovery and
restores the processes that addiction has damaged (Detox symptoms of common
drugs).
Arizona Detoxis not therapy, and in fact, very few people are in any genuine
condition to learn the types of things that need to be absorbed for any
meaningful chance at sobriety during the days of detox.
Why Getting
Clean Never Suffices
Although detox is a physical process,
treatment is primarily mental and spiritual. To have any chance of maintaining
their abstinence and sobriety, recovering addicts must understand why they
abuse drugs, what risk factors make them crave drugs or alcohol, and have
strategies and tools at the ready to fight these temptations and cravings when
they inevitably do arise.
Detox is a crucial first step to sobriety,
and completing it without using drugs or alcohol is a great accomplishment.
However, it's only after detox that recovering addicts are prepared to begin
attending peer support groups, working with therapists to create relapse
prevention plans, and taking part in cognitive educational seminars that equip
them with the skills to recognise situations that could lead to temptation and
know what to do in those situations.
Due to the potential dangers of detox, it
is always preferable to carry it out under close medical supervision with the
prescription of safety-related medications. Additionally, because detox
involves both physical discomfort and intense cravings for use and abuse, it is
much more likely to be successful if it takes place in a facility with limited
access to drugs and alcohol.
Alcoholics and drug addicts fear the days
of detox and physical pain, and while overcoming the initial stage of physical
addiction is an accomplishment, it is only the start of a long journey to
sobriety. Those who forgo real treatment after detox also miss out on their
best opportunity for success and sobriety.
The Wall