Do I Need Medical Detox?

The need for detoxification can be the result of how long and how hard you have been abusing drugs or alcohol. If you feel you need to stop, then maybe it is time. Chances are if you have been abusing substances for an extended period of time you are most likely going to need this treatment to reduce the toxicity levels in your body and help you with the withdrawal struggles you may experience.

Increases in amounts of drugs, alcohol or a combination of both can greatly increase the levels of toxicity in your body. This can increase the severity of withdrawal you may experience and also the health risks. The very thing that drug detoxification is put in place to treat. Increase in amounts also escalates the dangers of overdosing. Your body has developed a tolerance to your substance of choice, but still too much may lead to lethal consequences. Detoxing can bring you down from these highs and attend to any medical needs that may develop in withdrawal.

This is the physical signal of drug or alcohol withdrawal. When you stop using, usually in the first 24-hours you will begin to experience a range of discomforts and health maladies. They can seem minor, but depending on the severity of addiction can be life-threatening to some. Withdrawal symptoms also depend on the types of substances that are abused. Alcohol withdrawal is considered very difficult and life-threatening when it comes to delirium tremens. Stimulant withdrawal is generally not regarded as something that needs an intensive detox. However, still, there are cases where stimulant withdrawal has been difficult for those who are severely addicted. If you experience illnesses and withdrawal when you stop or taper off your drug of choice, it would benefit you to get help from professionals when you detox.

This is the psychological signal of withdrawal. Ending use of drugs or alcohol can also result in psychological struggles, the chief among these being an intensified craving for your drug of choice. Many people will experience depression, mood swings and feel quite bleak. It is not always depressive episodes however when it comes to psychological withdrawal. Those who have been abusing benzodiazepines to suppress anxiety disorders can experience intensified anxiety when they withdraw. The real concern is that these conditions can make a person very volatile, which can lead to suicidal thoughts and actions. Part of medical detox is to get you stabilized from these conditions and to provide monitoring and support.