What is Detox?

Detoxing from drugs or alcohol is the stuff of legends. Countless movies, books, T.V. shows and even Broadway performances have sought to capture the essence of what it’s like to detox. However, in most cases the portrayal is only minimally accurate. Detox in real life isn’t glamorous or exciting- but it isn’t as bad as some movies have made it seem either. Rather, detox is the first real step a person will take to free themselves from the chains of drug addiction or alcoholism. It can be an uncomfortable process and therefore many people who would normally get help readily instead remain in the shadows out of fear or ignorance. This view must change, as detox usually only lasts for a few days, but can literally mean the difference between a continued life of agony and one of peace and freedom.

When a person uses a substance consistently, the body makes changes in the central nervous system in order to cope with the effects caused by the foreign substance. These changes take place whether the substance is cocaine, alcohol, methamphetamines, ecstasy, or any other drug. Initially, the changes serve to increase a person’s tolerance to the substance and thereby limit its effects. However, tolerance usually just means that a person will use more and more of the substance in order to get the same “high.” This means that tolerance actually exacerbates the problem with continued use, eventually causing physical dependence.

Physical dependence occurs when the changes in the central nervous system become semi-permanent. This means that the body has been operating with the drug or substance in the bloodstream for so long that it can no longer function normally without it. Additionally, neurological pathways begin to be built in the brain that, unabated, always leads to full-blown addiction . By the time these stages of physical dependency and psychological addiction occur, the user will experience varying degrees of detox when they discontinue using the drug or alcohol. At this point, a person will need the help of a professional drug addiction detox or alcohol detox center.

Detox is the process whereby the body returns to a chemical state of normalcy- or close to it. Once the drugs or alcohol are no longer being introduced to the central nervous system, the body will reverse the changes it made to cope with the foreign substances. These changes can cause serious side effects including nausea and vomiting, dizziness, lethargy, insomnia, paranoia, muscle soreness, and other symptoms. With some substances such as alcohol and barbiturates, symptoms can be deadly if not properly managed. This process is known as Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, but most people just call it detox.

Anyone suffering from drug addiction or alcoholism should always detox in a professional medical setting. Symptoms can be managed and medications can be administered as needed to alleviate pain and discomfort. Additionally, treatment in the form of various therapies can begin that will help a person stay clean long after they have detoxed successfully. In fact, most residential inpatient treatment centers as well as intensive outpatient programs require that a person undergo detox at a facility designed for that purpose before they can progress to the next level of treatment.

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