At Home Detox: Is It Safe?
It is never advisable to attempt to detox at home without the help of professional, rehab treatment. Withdrawal can be very uncomfortable to extremely dangerous, depending on the substance, and attempting to go through the process at home and without the help of professionals will only endanger you further, as well as make it more likely that you will experience a relapse during your withdrawal syndrome.
If you believe you or someone you love is about to experience withdrawal from substance abuse, call 888-602-1971(Who Answers?) to find safe, reliable rehab centers. Detox is an issue that requires medical attention and the following professional addiction treatment program.
Why Shouldn’t I Detox at Home?
Withdrawal symptoms that are untreated can cause physical and psychological harm.
Going through detox is an extremely volatile time as well as one of the most important turning points for recovering individuals. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the point of detoxification is to “safely manage… the physical symptoms of withdrawal,” and without the medical options provided by rehab and detox centers, the process is not safe.
Each substance of abuse can cause different issues, but all of them are dangerous.
- Alcohol withdrawal can start off with harmless symptoms but can take a turn for the worse, even leading to life-threatening issues like hallucinations and seizures.
- Benzodiazepines and other prescription sedatives can cause similar, possibly deadly symptoms for some during withdrawal, an issue that cannot be predicted and usually must be managed when it occurs.
- Opioid withdrawal can cause very severe pain that often leads to relapse.
- Cocaine withdrawal and the syndromes caused by other stimulants creates intense psychological side effects that need to be managed in a treatment facility, as recovering addicts can often experience suicidal thoughts.
Withdrawal from other drugs can often cause side effects that can lead either to relapse or intense medical issues that the individual will also need to be treated for in a professional setting. By starting off addiction rehab with detox in a professional treatment program (either inpatient- or outpatient-based), you will be able to begin your recovery in a safe way and work toward getting better all the time.
Is It Ever Safe to Detox at Home?
In some instances, a person may be able to attend detox treatment through an outpatient program and stay at home during the process. This depends, however, on the severity of their condition and their doctor’s recommendations for their care. It is always necessary to consult a doctor when getting ready to go through detox and to be sure that the program you choose is safe for your needs.
As a final warning, those who attempt to detox at home without any kind of medical help usually then do not attend a full addiction treatment program, thinking their eventual minimization of withdrawal symptoms is the same as a cured addiction syndrome. This is untrue, and as stated by the NIDA, “Detox alone with no follow-up is not treatment.” The safest way to recover from substance abuse is to attend professional detox in a rehab center as your initial program and then to transition into addiction treatment.
Call 888-602-1971(Who Answers?) to learn more about your options for detox as well as addiction treatment and to find facilities that cater to your needs.
