Detoxing from substance abuse can be a very difficult process, and professionals recommend that people do not try to go through it alone. When the body develops a dependence on a substance, quitting it can be dangerous without the proper medical knowledge. Substance abuse rehab centers and treatment facilities often either facilitate detoxification treatments or work with specialized detox centers that do. It is here that a person looking to detox will find the expertise and supervision required to cleanse the body of toxins in a safe way.
There is more than one way to detox offered at detox facilities, and the one that is best for the individual will largely depend on what they are detoxing from. A medical detox is required when the individual’s detox could pose a threat to their physical or mental health, either because their addiction is very severe and the physical withdrawal symptoms are dangerous, or because the person has a co-occurring disorder (a mental disorder and an addiction.) This kind of detox is usually administered under 24-hour surveillance with medical staff and medication available if the person detoxing has an emergency. This form of detoxing usually lasts for a few days to a week.
The alternative to the medical detox is the natural detox. The natural detox is a good option for people whose addictions are less severe, and the withdrawals pose no immediate danger to them. The natural detoxification makes use of organic substances to rid the body of toxins. Natural remedies such as dandelion and fennel are used to flush the body of anything that does not belong there, supplemented by balanced meals of fruits, vegetables and healthy carbs and proteins. And lastly, for certain cases of addiction, a rapid detoxification is the final alternative. This detox is unique in that it only takes several hours rather than several days. The individual goes under anesthesia while medications remove all toxins from their body. This procedure usually takes no longer than six hours – by far the fastest physical recovery available. This detox is then followed up with addiction treatment in the form of counseling and therapeutic exercises.