Some people think that recovery can only happen when someone completely eliminates all unnatural substances from their body. In a perfect world, it would be easy to get clean just by refusing to drink or do drugs. But, your body doesn’t work that way, and the very nature of your physical makeup means that it is sometimes necessary to use medication to begin a safe recovery.
Ohio’s alcohol treatment centers include medical detox programs to help people avoid experiencing severe and potentially life-threatening withdrawal symptoms. When you are looking for a medical detox program, you may already suspect that you or a loved one is at risk for having a serious reaction to quitting drinking.
In mild cases of alcohol addiction, a person can simply put down the bottle and start working on handling their cravings with intense therapy. Moderate to severe cases often require some level of medical intervention. You might need medical detox assistance if any of these situations apply to your drinking habits.
•Using alcohol regularly for several months or more
•Requiring heavy amounts of alcohol to get intoxicated
•Noticing increased tolerance over time
•Experiencing intense cravings when you can’t drink
•Mixing alcohol with other substances
•Feeling extreme withdrawal symptoms
•Trying to quit and realizing that you can’t
Begin Your Recovery Safely With Medical Detox
Even with known risk factors, it is hard to predict who may have a severe reaction to withdrawing from alcohol. If you suspect that you have an alcohol addiction, then the best thing to do is check with the intake staff at a program that offers medical detox to see if they believe you’ll need this form of treatment. Usually, it is better to be on the safe side when you are quitting alcohol. If it turns out that you don’t need serious medical assistance, then you’ll still be starting your recovery off on the right foot. If you do need medical intervention, then you’ll be glad you were surrounded by professional support.
Everyone’s situation is different, but most people make it through the first stage of their recovery within three to seven days. During this time, your body is working hard to learn how to function without the chemicals that it has grown dependent on. While a couple of days doesn’t seem like a big deal to someone on the outside looking in, even a few minutes of intense cravings is enough to make a person pick up a bottle again if they are trying to recover alone at home.
When withdrawal symptoms strike, you’ll benefit from the expertise of the staff who care for people who come to the Ohio alcohol treatment center. Medical detox can involve using several different types of medication to help someone manage their symptoms. There are certain types of medication that can block the effects of alcohol and reduce the urge to drink. Other medications might be used to address symptoms such as anxiety or insomnia.
The treatment team will use information from your mental and physical health assessments to determine which types of care you’ll need for your recovery. For instance, someone who has gone through multiple relapses in the past might need to start on medication that they can continue using at home to stay on track with their recovery. Someone who has mild withdrawal symptoms may only need medication temporarily to get through the first few days.
Medication plays a vital role in medical detox, but there isn’t a magical pill that makes everything all better. From day one, you’ll also begin working on addressing the underlying reasons for your addiction. Your mental health care team will help you work through special types of therapy that all make it easier to stay sober. Whether you’ve been dealing with depression, have relationship issues or feel like you’ll never get your life back on track, you’ll find hope for healing as you progress into the next phase of you treatment.
Do you suspect that you need medical detox to begin your recovery? Call us at 833-820-2922 to connect with an Ohio alcohol treatment center today.