The social model detox system is a specific approach to the detox phase of treatment. In the first thirty days of treatment, detox can be ongoing but may not necessitate medical treatment. For patients who do not need medical care for detox, social model detox helps them be in treatment, begin integrating with other treatment peers, and heal from their addiction. The social model detox is often used for alcohol treatment instead of harder drug addictions, which might necessitate medicated treatments. Not using mind-altering medications, the social model detox allows patients to safely detox from drugs and alcohol under nurses’ careful supervision and trained recovery staff.
The severity of withdrawal symptoms will dictate whether or not it is safe for a patient to detox without higher medical supervision levels. For severe addictions, which result from heavy drug and alcohol abuse in recent days before treatment, the medical detox option might be best. When symptoms are going to be severe, the medical option might be safer. Severe withdrawal symptoms can include severe cravings, resulting in high levels of irritability, rash behavior, and disruptive actions. Choosing social model detox has to take the patient’s safety in question and other patients in treatment into consideration. If a patient demonstrates they cannot control themselves during their withdrawal symptoms, social model detox will not be the right fit.
Most withdrawal symptoms include physical effects, psychological effects, and spiritual effects. Physically, withdrawal can cause sweating, shaking, shivering, stomach changes, appetite changes, physical sickness, symptoms of the flu, aching muscles, joint pain, fever, and more. As the body tries to detoxify itself from drugs and alcohol, it must fight hard to become clean. Psychologically, withdrawal can include high irritability, restlessness, stress, depression, anxiety, and severe cravings. Spiritually, it is common for a patient to question their life, whether or not they can recover, or what they are capable of enduring through their withdrawal.
Design For Change is a state-licensed social model detox that provides a safe environment for men and women to detoxify their mind, body, and spirit while beginning the treatment process. For information on our residential treatment programs for drug and alcohol addiction, call us today.
