Detox

At Design for Change, detoxification is our first step in providing our clients with comprehensive rehabilitation programs entailing all the necessary tools for recovery. Detox prevents fatal or undesirable effects of sudden termination of substance abuse. Besides, it may assist the patient in abstaining from the drugs. We offer medical detoxification programs. Our main objective is to ensure that our patients heal psychologically after prolonged addiction. After stabilization, the focus then shifts to supporting and monitoring the numerous steps essential to eliminating the drug.

Comprehensive Detoxification

Note that detoxification is not the entire drug addiction treatment, irrespective of the substance of abuse. Drug addiction has both physical and psychological aspects. Hence, we incorporate the psycho-therapeutic treatment to tackle mental problems and cravings resulting from prolonged abuse of drugs. Detoxification will assist our clients in quitting abusing alcohol and drugs in the short term. To prevent relapse in the future, our professional staff will always follow up and monitor our clients.

Initial Stage in Drug Detoxification

For most patients, this first stage in drug detoxification may be so intense. Our psychiatric and medical professionals are always available to offer sufficient support to our clients. Several hours after taking heroin, opioid addicts may experience withdrawal symptoms such as insomnia, runny nose, watery eyes, muscle aches, agitation, anxiety, excessive sweating, and yawning.

Even though the withdrawal symptoms are not so harmful, they may lead to a lot of discomfort. Hence the reason we provide medical and psychiatric care while undergoing the detox process. Note that several issues may arise in the initial hours of detoxification. Still, our able staff will handle them step-wise based on the urgency until they achieve complete stabilization.

Possible issues in the initial stages of detox include:

• Medical illness.
• Injury.
• Psychosis symptoms.
• Violence.

Other factors affecting individual withdrawal symptoms include:

• The drug’s half-life.
• Underlying mental and physical disorders.
• The drug’s dose at the initial stages of detoxification.
• Presence of other drugs abused concurrently.
• The period of addiction.

Drug Detoxification Types

At Design for Change, we provide different methods of drug detoxification. Our medical teams and therapists will prescribe the best treatment plan for you based on the severity of the symptoms and the type of substance of abuse. The options we provide at Design for Change include inpatient or outpatient programs:

• Inpatient detoxification: Residential or inpatient detox is useful in avoiding relapse. Also, inpatient detoxification allows for medical monitoring in case of an emergency. Note that most of our detoxification programs are inpatient because of the need to monitor the progress.
• Outpatient detoxification: Even though it is rare, outpatient detox is the most appropriate in mild addiction cases.

Opiate Detox

The detox of opiates is unique as compared to the detoxification of other drugs. At our facility, we have medications that our physicians prescribe for the management of opioid addiction. The drugs laid the foundation for the establishment of various approaches to opioid detoxification. Irrespective of whether the opioid of abuse is prescription painkillers or heroin, inpatient care is the most suitable. For opioid addiction, our professional staff ensures that the clients get maximum safety and comfort.

Note that the withdrawal symptoms of opioids last based on the classification of the drug. Some are short-acting, while others are long-acting. Heroin is part of the short-acting drugs with withdrawal symptoms appearing a few minutes after administering the dose. The side effects may last for a few days. On the other hand, the results of long-acting opioids last for several weeks.

Alcohol Detoxification

When you suddenly stop drinking alcohol, harmful, and distressing withdrawal, symptoms will soon follow. Examples of alcohol’s non-harmful alcohol withdrawal symptoms include insomnia, nausea, anxiety, shivering, and sweating. Delirium tremens are a severe indication of alcohol withdrawal.

Symptoms of delirium include:

• Excessive sleep lasting for more than a day
• Mental changes
• Agitation
• Disorientation
• Seizures and hallucination

An individual experiencing severe syndromes of alcohol withdrawal should seek medical assistance as first as possible. At Design for Change, Lancaster, California, we provide a medically supervised alcohol detoxification program to remove our clients’ bodies’ substances safely.

Our physicians will prescribe benzodiazepines to manage the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Benzodiazepines are also useful in the management of seizures, insomnia, and anxiety.

Detoxification and Psychological Withdrawal

Some abused substances have severe psychological symptoms with less physical symptoms—detox of central nervous system stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine cause intense suicidal and depressive thoughts. We recommend inpatient detoxification for such cases.

We value the safety of our clients hence the need to supervise them medically while in critical conditions. Because outpatient detoxification enables the clients to use the medications outside our premises, they may hurt themselves through adverse drug reactions.

In most cases, we are reluctant to recommend outpatient detoxification. It’s because most clients fail to turn up for the appointment or are impatient to complete the process of detoxification. Through the inpatient program, we ensure that our patients are not in danger. It bars depressed clients from having suicidal thoughts. Upon your admission into our substance abuse treatment facility, you will get the chance to discuss the most appropriate detoxification type with our therapists and physicians.

Drug Detox Method

Note that there isn’t a suitable detoxification method that is suitable for everyone.

The physicians will arrive at the most convenient way for you based on:

• The presence of other drugs that the patient takes concurrently.
• The duration the patient has been abusing the drugs.
• Choice of the drug.

The approaches we offer include long-term, short-term medicated, and cold turkey detoxification methods. Cold turkey refers to the termination of all other substances and drugs being used to give room for proper monitoring should there be an emergency.

Note that pharmacological assistance lacks and the patients may have to experience severe withdrawal symptoms. The life-threatening effect of some drugs may be so intense that it leads to death. Most clients prefer medicated short or long-term detoxification to ease the symptoms. Our medical personnel will always be available to ensure you have all that it takes to overcome the discomfort as soon as possible.

Drug Detox in Pregnancy

For the sake of the baby, pregnant women may have a higher drive to quit abusing drugs. Note that the use of drugs and excessive alcohol is dangerous for both the fetus and the mother. It is because of the possibility of these substances reaching the baby through the placenta.

Cold-turkey detox may predispose the unborn child to a lot of stress, such as fetal distress or preterm labor. Hence, at Design for Change, our specialists provide medically supervised detox to pregnant women to manage severe withdrawal symptoms that could be harmful to the unborn child. The main objective of detox in pregnant women is to reduce pain and inhibit relapse. Note that opiate and alcohol detox predisposes the fetus to a lot of risks.

After Completing Our Detox Program

Note that detox is the initial treatment of addiction. It is insufficient; hence, the reason our specialists provide psychological therapies as well. For more clarification, contact our support group at Design for Change, Lancaster, California. If you or your loved one is suffering from addiction, contact us at 855-997-1372.