Withdrawal and cravings are exactly why so many people resist entering recovery. But professional medical withdrawal can help ease the burden and reduce both the negative side effects and the cravings associated with certain addictions. The overall goal of a professional medical withdrawal is not only to detox and overcome a drug or alcohol dependency, but also to help shape healthy behaviors, and to prevent dangerous side effects. Our San Diego detox program offers professional medical services to help ease you through the withdrawal and detox process.
Withdrawal and Dependency
Drug dependency forms when our brain relies on a particular substance to feel “normal.” Many Americans are addicted to coffee, for example. Without it, we feel sluggish and have difficulty performing at our full potential. For someone dependent on caffeine, going without it can cause headaches, restlessness, and fatigue.
As the strength of the drug increases, often times so do the withdrawal symptoms. Each drug and dependence can have its own symptoms, ranging from mild discomfort to more serious health risks, like seizures. A professional medical withdrawal will mitigate these symptoms and provide relief during the detox process.
Managing Symptoms with Professional Withdrawal Therapies
Our detox program in San Diego focuses on research-driven techniques to not only overcome addiction and manage the symptoms but to also prepare our patients for recovery following treatment. Because the world we live in isn’t as perfect, peaceful, or serene as a professional care facility, we have to realize our patients will be facing a variety of life stressors in the real world. Many of these stressors don’t go away in post detox, such as financial stress, job stress, or physical health.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has been proven to help patients manage their withdrawal symptoms and their cravings post-graduation. Teaching patients to allocate time for important self-care behaviors like this is statistically proven to lower relapse rates and promote a healthy, successful recovery. We also offer a variety of other therapeutic modalities that are empirically supported.
The Hidden Risks of Withdrawal
The most important reason to enroll in a professional withdrawal and detox center is to manage the risk of relapse. For some drugs, the risk of detox can be extremely potent. In many cases, a sudden withdrawal from certain substances can be dangerous or fatal.
There’s also a hidden risk with withdrawal. In one study, as many as 91% of patients experienced a relapse after coming clean from opiates. When you recover from addiction, your body tends to “return to normal.” This can mean a number of health benefits, such as feeling happy or energetic without the need for drugs. However, this return to a normal state also means your tolerance to drugs is reduced. What can be considered a “normal” dose to a frequent opiate user is fatal to someone with little to no tolerance. This tolerance drop is a common reason for relapse-related deaths.
In a professional medical withdrawal, sometimes baby steps are taken to ensure that the recovery process is complete, manageable, and tolerable. Throughout the process, CBT and other therapies are introduced, based on the patient’s needs to help them manage cravings in the future to reduce the risk of relapse.
