Once the decision is made to stop using alcohol or drugs, a person may decide to detox at home, without professional assistance. It can be an appealing option since it is affordable and allows someone freedom to “detox on their terms.” However, depending upon the severity of the addiction and/or dependence, this approach can be dangerous and, in some situations, lethal. It is also easier to begin using alcohol or drugs again if the symptoms are too intense. In most cases, a medically-assisted detox is necessary to achieve long-term recovery.
Detox Explained
Detox is the time required to remove alcohol and drugs from someone’s body. It is the first step towards recovery but might take days, weeks, or months to complete. Working through withdrawal symptoms caused by stopping the use of drugs or alcohol is a challenging aspect of this process.
Specific characteristics of an addiction factor into the length and intensity of detox, including:
The type of addictive substance someone is attempting to detox from
Intensity, consistency, and length of use
The health of the individual
The setting of the detox
Evidence-based practices help a person detox effectively and address the different substances and treatments required to safely detox from a substance. For some substances like benzodiazepines, a tapering dose of another benzo is the safest way to detox; for opioid/opiate users, a replacement therapy such as Suboxone is often used to aid the detox process. A “cold turkey” detox could result in the body shutting down.
Detox Withdrawal Symptoms
When detoxing (whether at home or in a medically-assisted program), challenging withdrawal symptoms will generally arise. Symptoms might include:
Anxiety
Depression
Cravings
Insomnia
Appetite issues
Nausea/vomiting
Coma
Hallucinations
Seizures
Generally, the safest and most effective way to complete a drug or alcohol detox is through a medically-assisted program. The health risks, lack of support, and craving temptations associated with detoxing at home pose a threat to completing a detox.
Detoxing and Co-Occurring Disorders
Mental health disorders often accompany an addiction. Detox treatment becomes more complicated in this case and definitely requires assistance from medical professionals. An at home detox lacks the careful management of symptoms and behaviors that a medically assisted detox can provide. During a detox, the absence of the addictive substances will likely provoke symptoms of any underlying disorders such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Proper psychological care is necessary to manage these symptoms as they can easily compound the already innate challenges of completing a detox.
Without assistance, an individual at home might be more tempted to relapse or overdose to self-manage symptoms from mental health disorders.
Safest Detox
Detoxing in general can be dangerous. However, the safest and potentially most comfortable approach is one guided by medical professionals. There are proven techniques to ease an individual through the process catered specifically to the substance they are trying to detox from and their pattern of use.
Safe detoxing from alcohol, opioids, and benzodiazepines generally require monitoring from trained medical professionals. Health complications might create the need for additional medicines to be used.
Withdrawal symptoms from an alcohol detox occur about six to 24 hours after alcohol is out of the body. While mild addictions are not as concerning and might be able to be managed at home, those with more severe addictions can experience many extreme withdrawal symptoms including delirium tremens, elevated blood pressure, kidney and liver dysfunction, and heart palpitations. With the help of a trained professional, the process can be made more comfortable and safer through the assistance of drugs like benzodiazepines.
Opioid withdrawal can be accompanied by uncomfortable symptoms like nausea, vomiting, anxiety and insomnia but mild medications can be prescribed to help alleviate these symptoms under the care of a medical professional.
Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be much more complicated as it might take up to three months to complete the process, depending upon the intensity and length of use. It is important to have a medical professional develop a specific treatment plan. Additionally, medicine such as flumazenil might be administered to help with withdrawal side effects if someone is experiencing an overdose.
What type of detox is right for me?
A successful detox requires effective support and guidance. When detoxing at home, an addict does not benefit from medical and psychological assistance. Physical and emotional health of the detoxing individual also factor heavily into the potential for success. While a medical and psychologically assisted detox in not necessary in every situation, being evaluated by a health professional to make that determination is the safest course of action.
Detoxing at home is almost never the answer. If you or a loved one are struggling with substance abuse, you are not alone. We are here for you and we are here to help.