Table of Contents
Drug Detox – How To Detox Your Body From Drugs
What is Drug Detox?
Can I Do A Drug Detox at Home?
What Are Drug Detox Symptoms?
How Does An Inpatient Detox Work?
How Can Pemarro Recovery Help in Your Drug Detox?
What is Drug Detox?
Drug detox is a general term that many people use to describe a medically and clinically supervised process. In this managed and monitored process, someone opts to stop using a drug on which their body has become dependent, usually gradually and in a measured way. Drugs in this sense have come to mean any legal drug or illegal drug, prescribed medication or illicitly obtained, habit-forming substance.
Can I Do A Drug Detox at Home?
Many people initially attempt to stop taking drugs on their own. It is tempting to try to stop at home, minimizing interruption to one’s life. However, this is often more difficult than it first seems. Even with a doctor’s support, detoxing at home is challenging. It is hard to suddenly self-regulate the use of a drug when the reason someone needs to stop in the first place is because they lost control of that same drug. Even when we know the stakes are high, the temptation to use drugs just to “feel better” is very strong.
There are also risks to health and safety when opting to detox at home. Many people try very hard – people with plenty of willpower – to make it work but ultimately give up and end up using drugs again because it is just so tough.
What Are Drug Detox Symptoms?
Drug detox symptoms include High blood pressure, elevated pulse/heart rate, sweating, seizures, tremors, anxiety, insomnia, restlessness, diarrhea, nausea, and stroke. These are just some of the things that often occur when detoxing from drugs.
How Does An Inpatient Detox Work?
Detoxing in an inpatient or residential setting can eliminate much of the fear, discomfort, stress, and risk of detox. You are surrounded by people who care for your wellbeing and know what you are going through. Additionally, you do not have to pretend you are feeling well when you are not – everyone is supportive and understanding about addiction and detox. You are free to rest, recuperate, relax, repair, and grow your recovery at your own pace.
No two drug detox processes are the same and people often report different experiences with the same drug. In fact, people often admit thinking they know how their detox will unfold and it ends up being completely different than previous experiences.
A concerning phenomenon we have noticed lately is that people will often report they need to detox from one substance and once we drug test them, they actually test positive for drugs they had no idea was in their system. We are seeing this more and more with opiates and opioids like heroin, OxyContin, Roxicet, and other pills. People believe they have been using these substances when in fact they have been using fentanyl and other alarming additives such as methamphetamines, aspirin, and compounds and chemicals found in an array of other substances. Our clients are shocked when they thought they were taking genuine prescription pills and they were actually counterfeit pressed fentanyl. Obviously, this recent trend makes detoxing without supervised care even more risky because one does not even know what they were taking.
How Can Pemarro Recovery Help in Your Drug Detox?
Pemarro supports people detoxing from a wide range of drugs such as fentanyl, methadone, all opiates and opioids, benzos, alcohol, and amphetamines. You do not have to do it alone!
Pemarro also offers observations and stabilizations for people who have only been using a brief time but need help and monitoring. We prescribe appropriate comfort medications, anti-seizure medications, and other medications in order to keep people safe regardless of the substances they were using, while also tailoring each detox to the individual.
Are You Ready To Take Control Of Your Life Or Help A Loved One? Learn more about our services and what to expect during a drug detox.
Pemarro Recovery, a non-profit that specializes in drug and alcohol detox in San Diego, is here to answer all of your questions about withdrawal and detox, and help you down the road to recovery.
Send us a message or give us a call today at (760) 789-8070.
Written By; Sarah Zucker, PsyD
Director, Pemarro Recovery Center
