Detoxification, or detox for short, is the name of the process first undertaken by a patient at a rehab center in order to remove the traces of the substance that they are addicted to from their body. This is a necessary step for the recovery of the individual from their addiction and may arguably be the hardest due to the presence of withdrawal symptoms caused by the body’s reaction to the sudden lack of the abused substance. Rehab centers and hospitals guide their patients through this process as part of their recovery program, including the treatment centers of Malibu.
Here is the gist of what the detox process involves.
1) Diagnosis
Before the actual process of detoxification can begin, it must first be known what type of drug needs to be removed from the patient’s system and in what concentration it is in. This will, in turn, allow the specialist to plan for what is needed for the detoxification process, including but not limited to the kind of medication needed to help lessen the severity of the withdrawal symptoms.
2) Detox
Now we come to the actual detox process. This process aims for the removal of the addictive substances from the body and often causes withdrawal symptoms, the severity of which depends on factors such as the concentration of the substance, the length of time the substance had been abused, the nature of that particular drug as well as the unique characteristics of the individual’s body. The details of the process vary with each individual case, but often, medication is used during the process to reduce the severity of these symptoms, which can be very severe.
3) Rehabilitation
Once the individual is done with detoxification, they are guided on to the most important part of the recovery process: rehabilitation. While this is not technically part of the detox process, it is, nonetheless, important to note that detoxification by itself is useless if the patient does not confront the issues behind their addiction. They will simply relapse when the stresses of life come their way and they revert to their destructive coping methods.
Seasons in Malibu, an addiction treatment center operating in Malibu, provides comprehensive addiction recovery treatment plans for those ready to end their addiction. For more information, visit their website at www.seasonsinmalibu.com.
