Alcohol and Drug Withdrawal in Worcester, MA
When it comes to overcoming an addiction, many people tend to underestimate the intensity or severity of alcohol and drug withdrawal. The reality is that alcohol and drug withdrawal can be grueling. In fact, it can be so terribly painful that many people who try to go through the detox process alone turn back to substance abuse merely to make the alcohol and drug withdrawal symptoms stop. For this, and many other reasons it is best to go through the detox process under the supervision of medical professionals who can help you overcome and manage your alcohol and drug withdrawal.
How Withdrawal Works
Withdrawal from drugs or alcohol occurs because of the chemical dependence that a person develops to an addictive substance. When drugs or alcohol enter the body, they begin to interact with the brain on a basic chemical level. These interactions essentially serve as something akin to instructions, in which the drug or alcohol tells the brain to perform certain actions and stop performing others.
With continued substance abuse, the brain begins to expect those signals from the substance. It will then change or adjust the way that it functions on a regular basis to await those signals. These changes to the function of the brain are the essence of a chemical dependence. Of course, when that substance is subsequently denied, the brain will react negatively as it tries to regain a sense of normalcy. This struggle is what causes withdrawal symptoms.
The Reasons that Medical Detox is Vital
Medical detox is the best treatment option to deal with withdrawals and to successfully get the addicted substance out of a person’s system. The first reason to choose medical detox is the fact that it provides you with a proper support system. Trying to detox alone almost always results in failure largely because a person simply does not have the emotional support they need to stick with it.
In medical detox, doctors can also administer medications to help reduce the intensity of withdrawal symptoms that a person experiences. This can also help to shorten the detox process. There is also the issue of the rare, but severe withdrawal symptoms that can occur during detox. These can include respiratory problems, extremely high fevers, and seizures. If these occur, a medical detox center is the safest place to be because the recovering addict will have immediate access to the care and treatment of medical professionals.
Detox is the Beginning of the Treatment Process
Treatment for an addiction is not just about the chemical dependence that a person has formed on drugs or alcohol. While detox is an important first step in addiction treatment, it is not the only one. This is important to keep in mind when you are trying to recover from an addiction.
Detox alone with no further treatment is very unlikely to result in successful recovery. However, if you follow up your medical detox program with additional treatments including cognitive-behavioral therapy, group therapy, and other treatments that can help you to address the reasons you began abusing drugs or alcohol in the first place, you will be giving yourself a great chance at lifelong success and abstinence.
Worcester Drug Treatment Centers offers extensive addiction treatments and can give you the care you need to not only overcome withdrawals but also to overcome your addiction as a whole. Just call one of our recovery advocates today at (774) 221-6005 to start your recovery journey.