Alcohol or drug detox at home can seem like a good idea at first. Unfortunately, there are many dangers of detoxing from alcohol at home or going through the distress of at-home detox from drugs. In both cases, cold turkey detox at home tends to be extremely ineffective and even dangerous. Being in a top-rated inpatient detox program in Ohio offers a safer option. With medical professionals supervising your care 24/7, you not only avoid the physical dangers of detoxing on your own. You also set yourself up to prevent relapses and maintain sobriety in the future.
Would you like a safer, more effective alternative to at-home detox? Contact us a Georgetown Behavioral Hospital to begin your journey to sobriety.
What Is Detox?
Have you ever thought about what drug and alcohol detox really is? The chances are that you do know detox means quitting alcohol or drugs and that it is a difficult, painful, and perhaps scary process. You likely also know that many people try and fail. However, it is important to recognize that detox is not just what you do. It actually refers to your body’s reaction to the withdrawal of alcohol or drugs.
Dangers of Detoxing at Home
Detox, then, is the process your body goes through to cleanse all the toxins from your body that you accumulated while using alcohol or other harmful drugs. This cleansing process can happen fast and cause severe symptoms. These rapid, harsh changes in your body and mind are the primary reasons for the dangers of cold turkey detox at home.
The Dangers of Drug or Alcohol Detox at Home
Can you detox from drugs at home? It may not be purely impossible, but it is highly unlikely unless you are otherwise very healthy and have a very mild drug or alcohol problem. Relapse is extremely likely because you do not have the supervision, support, and evidence-based treatments needed for the best outcomes. In fact, you may even find that the withdrawal symptoms are so distressing that you go back to drugs or alcohol before you completely detox from them.
However, in addition to relapse, there are more immediate physical dangers and psychological risks. Here are some of the things you could experience if you try drug detox at home.
- Seizures
- Nausea and vomiting
- Heart problems
- Delirium tremens
- Mental health symptoms, such as severe anxiety, depression, or anger
- Suicide or harming someone else
- Overdose
Can you detox off drugs at home? The truth is that it will not likely work. However, a better question is, is this the best alternative for you? Do you want to face the dangers of detoxing from alcohol at home? Can you manage the excruciating physical and mental symptoms of drug detox at home without medical supervision and social support? Or would you prefer the best chance of success in a safe setting?
Can You Die from Detox?
Many factors go into answering the question of whether you can die from detox. The type of drug you use partly determines what symptoms you will face during at-home detox from drugs. Some of these symptoms can be life-threatening.
If the cold turkey detox leads to a Grand Mal seizure, a heart attack, or the severe physical effects of delirium tremens, it could lead to death. Depression could lead you to suicide, or relapse that leads to overdose could cause you to die. These effects are more likely when you choose at-home detox from drugs or alcohol.
Is At-Home Detox Right for You?
Very few people can safely manage cold turkey detox, especially without medical support. Only those who meet certain criteria should even consider at-home detox from drugs or alcohol. The dangers of detoxing from alcohol at home or trying drug detox at home are usually too great.
That is why anyone thinking about quitting drugs or alcohol can benefit from talking to a doctor about it first. They will take your history and evaluate your drug or alcohol use as well as your physical condition before recommending the type of detox that would be safest and surest for you.
Inpatient Detox
In inpatient detox, you have round-the-clock supervision and support. If, at any point, day or night, you have intense symptoms, there is always someone available to help you right away. There is much less danger that you will harm yourself or someone else because the staff is there to protect you.
During drug detox, a medical professional can prescribe you medications to ease the withdrawal symptoms, thus reducing the danger. They can also give you meds that reduce risks such as heart problems or seizures. In addition, they may prescribe medications to relieve the less dangerous but still less scary symptoms, like nausea or sleep problems.
Furthermore, when the most severe medical threats come, you have a team right where you are, ready to take any steps needed to save your life and protect you from physical or psychological harm.
Outpatient Detox
If your drug or alcohol problem is not severe enough to require inpatient detox, your doctor may advise you to go through outpatient detox. With this type of program, you engage in individual and group therapies during the days. You see a doctor regularly so they can assess your physical and mental condition. If they see problems with your health or mental wellbeing, they can adjust your medications or make other changes to your treatment.
In outpatient detox, you get some of the benefits of inpatient detox. However, you do not have 24-hour care, attention, and protection. That is why outpatient treatment is usually reserved for people who do not have the most severe dependence on the most dangerous drugs. In addition, people who have underlying medical conditions or mental illnesses usually need the extra support they receive in inpatient programs.
Benefits of Rehab
Because the process of clearing toxins out of your symptoms is so intense, it makes sense to go where you can receive help in both detox and rehab. Inpatient detox allows you to receive help whenever you need it. Rehab continues your treatment.
- Doctors and other medical staff use reliable, proven strategies to proactively prevent problems for you.
- Rehab is the best way to prevent relapse. Since you have so much support and the right medical care for your needs, you have what you need to keep going when it is tough. Then, you can get past the point where your intense symptoms could push you to use drugs or alcohol to relieve the misery. You avoid the dangers of detoxing from alcohol at home or cold-turkey detox from drugs.
- With inpatient detox and rehab, you go beyond the physiological effects of withdrawal. You go on to learn how to recognize triggers, build a more helpful social network for yourself, and deal with close personal relationships.
- You receive psychotherapy and other types of therapeutic services to prepare you for facing the world again, but this time without drugs or alcohol.
- In an inpatient program, you benefit from the social aspects of rehab as well. Engaging in group therapy with people who are going through similar things can help you feel understood and sometimes even inspired. In our inpatient detox program in Ohio, just being with others who are working to regain their sobriety can help you work out social issues in a safe, supervised environment.
Choosing an Inpatient Detox Program in Ohio
When you are ready to quit alcohol or drugs in an inpatient detox program, Ohio offers a treatment facility for people in Ohio and nearby states. To find the right fit for you, look for a team that understands detox, uses the most advanced and beneficial treatments, and offers patient-centered support.
In our inpatient detox program in Ohio, your drug detox medical professional team works together to provide you with all the treatments and constant care to keep you safe and headed toward recovery. Then, after the initial detox phase, the team goes on to assist you in developing the skills and gaining the support you need to keep you on that path for the long term.
The Georgetown Behavioral Hospital detox program in Ohio has all the ingredients you need to avoid the danger of at-home detox from drugs or alcohol. With a complete, knowledgeable medical staff as well as therapists and other team members, we create a space where you can accomplish your goals in the safest way. We are here for you when you are ready. Your suffering does not have to continue. If you are ready to begin, we are ready to help.
If you could use more support during detox, call Georgetown Behavioral Health for comprehensive detox and recovery solutions today.
