Do I Need a Medical Detox Program?

Detox is the first step on each person’s sober journey. It is a crucial yet difficult step to take. Addiction is a complicated disease, and many people may be resistant to pursuing treatment, either due to pervasive stigmas surrounding the word or due to denial about how much addiction is affecting their lives. Knowing when it may be time to commit to detox is vital, and knowing what to expect and how a medical detox program can help is paramount to making this important decision. A medical detox program at Hawaii Island Recovery is ready to help each person begin their journey away from the use of drugs or alcohol and toward a transformed and sustainable sober life. 

A detox program is when an individual processes the toxins from drugs or alcohol already in their body, expels them, and prepares for further treatment to physically and emotionally prepare for a life without their use. It can be impossible to truly engage in effective treatment and sober therapies while still having traces of the effects of these substances in a person’s body. 

Medical detox blends professional and emotional support during this difficult time with trained medical support, including the use of medications, to address many of the challenges present during this first stage of recovery. A dedicated sober environment combined with professionals providing around-the-clock support through therapy, emotional support, withdrawal symptom management, and more is not something that can be garnered at home. Rather, medical support and prescription medications can help those beginning their sober journey to overcome specific symptoms and challenges, empowering each person committing to a life of sobriety to navigate urges, cravings, and other stresses during this initial stage of change. 

Medical detox is an important – and often essential – first step in a person’s sober journey. However, whether an individual will need a medical detox program for themselves will depend on several factors. Asking difficult questions and talking with the professionals at Hawaii Island Recovery can help each person decide on what programs will best address their unique situation, needs, and goals in their journey to sobriety. 

Detox is when withdrawal symptoms are strongest, whether an individual is overcoming an addiction to alcohol, heroin, methamphetamines, or any other addictive substance. As an individual uses more and more of these substances, the body and mind become programmed to expect their use and may begin to believe their use is necessary for survival and daily functioning. Withdrawal symptoms occur when the body suddenly does not have access to these substances, resulting in many difficult challenges. 

Some symptoms of withdrawal include:

Depending on how addiction affects each person, there may be more unique challenges to overcome. An individual may feel greatly compelled to reengage with drugs or alcohol to simply make these withdrawal symptoms go away, compromising a person’s sober efforts. Medical detox programs can not only provide support in navigating these challenges but also medication to address some of these distressing symptoms while the body and mind adjust to life without drugs or alcohol. 

Polysubstance use is the use of multiple addictive substances in tandem. Engaging in multiple addictive substances simultaneously can result in many difficult challenges. The additional support of a medical detox program is essential to explore not just the effects of addiction but also how these substances may have been informing each other and the complexities therein, either resulting in mental health disorders, damage to physical health, and more. 

Mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and many more can be difficult to navigate, with many turning to drugs or alcohol in an attempt to self-medicate these challenges. Medical detox can empower those overcoming addiction and mental health disorders to address specific challenges and better understand how the two may continue to affect each other, all while providing professional education, emotional support, and care. 

Addiction demands professional treatment, and many at-home detox efforts come with a great deal of risk. These early phases of recovery are often when relapses are most prevalent and where an individual may meet the most intense and uncomfortable change. There is no replacement for professional medical support.

Medical detox programs are meant to empower those seeking sobriety to navigate this phase of treatment and transition to further inpatient alcohol treatment or drug treatment programs where they can explore new coping strategies, meet sober communities, and engage in effective addiction recovery practices, spiritual healing, and emotional healing. No medication can “cure” addiction, and hard work is still expected at every stage, from detox and residential treatment to continued outpatient success. 

Detox is difficult. Urges and cravings can be common and intense, and the emotional challenges can feel overwhelming. Medical detox programs provide the support necessary to focus on addressing these challenges while continuing to further each person’s sober journey, creating a sustainable approach to a truly transformed sober life. 

Medical detox programs can be an essential part of a truly effective beginning to your sober life, and we at Hawaii Island Recovery are committed to helping you not only begin your journey with medical detox but also develop the skills for a healthy and sustainable sober life. From medical detox to inpatient alcohol treatment, drug treatment programs, and continued outpatient support, we are prepared to personalize each step of your recovery, addressing your unique needs and goals along the way. No two journeys with addiction are the same. Learn how our medical detox program can help you begin your journey to change and healing by calling to speak to a caring, trained staff member today at (866) 390-5070.