Drug Withdrawal in North Texas
Rehab centers for drug withdrawal in North Texas can make the detox process much smoother for people recovering from drug or alcohol addiction. It's common for many people to assume that quitting drugs or alcohol means getting through a rough few days of detox before they're somehow miraculously cured.
What those people don't recognize is that detox is just the first step in the recovery process. Treatments for drug withdrawal in North Texas can help reduce many of the symptoms associated with the detox process.
What is Drug and Alcohol Withdrawal?
Drug or alcohol withdrawal is the process of detoxing from a substance of addiction after a period of prolonged use. When a person stops taking drugs or alcohol suddenly, it's likely that a range of withdrawal symptoms may emerge.
Most people attempt to quit use by going ‘cold turkey', or simply stopping use. However, depending on the type of drug being taken, stopping usage suddenly could cause symptoms of withdrawal that can be dangerous.
By comparison, seeking treatment for drug withdrawal in North Texas can provide the recovering person with medical supervision, as well as prescription medications to help relieve the worst symptoms of detox.
What Causes Drug and Alcohol Withdrawal?
When a person takes any mind-altering substance, the brain's chemistry goes through a variety of changes. Drugs and alcohol create an artificial trigger for the brain to release a range of hormones and neurotransmitters normally associated with rewards. The brain interprets the act of using with the reward and stores it into long-term memory.
Continues abuse of the substance causes the brain to adapt to the presence of the substance in the system. Over a period of time, the brain eventually becomes unable to produce certain hormones or neurotransmitters unless it continues to receive more of the substance to trigger the response.
As the brain adapts to the repeated exposure to the substance, it begins to develop tolerance. On the outside, the person may appear to be able to drink a large volume of alcohol without appearing to get drunk, or may need to take larger doses of a drug in order to achieve the same effects.
If the user tries to stop intake of drugs or alcohol suddenly, the brain can't adapt back quickly. The user may experience a complete lack of hormones that were once naturally occurring. In some cases, the brain can even enter into a hyper-excitable state.
Either way, the user experiences a range of unpleasant and potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms associated with withdrawal. At this point, the user is considered physically dependent on the substance, or addicted.
Is Drug and Alcohol Withdrawal Dangerous?
It's common for many people to try detoxing from drugs or alcohol at home, believing it's just a few days of discomfort. Yet, depending on the type of drug being taken, some of the symptoms of withdrawal can be potentially life-threatening. In some cases, withdrawal symptoms may require emergency medical assistance.
It's also common for people caught in the grip of addiction to underestimate how fiercely intent the cravings can be to return to a self-destructive pattern of behavior. As the brain can't adapt to the sudden lack of a substance, it triggers an overwhelming desire response in the user to continue taking drugs that can be so powerful the user will do almost anything to get more of the substance.
Drug and Alcohol Withdrawal Treatment Options
There are two primary options for treating drug withdrawal in North Texas: inpatient and outpatient.
Outpatient drug rehab centers offer highly-structured treatment programs designed to help a person caught in the grip of addiction begin the recovery process. Despite the fact that the person isn't required to live at the facility, outpatient drug and alcohol rehab centers still require a significant time commitment from recovering people.
Inpatient rehab in North Texas costs more but provides a more holistic and integrated experience to ensure that recovery of the patient cannot go wrong with uncontrollable factors.
The first step in a comprehensive treatment program is the detox process. Drug and alcohol detox treatment is the process of eliminating the effects of the substance from the system.
Depending on the type of substance being taken, specialists within drug rehab centers may administer prescription medications to help alleviate the worst of any withdrawal symptoms that may arise during detox. Patients recovering from opiate addiction may be given methadone or Suboxone during detox.
People detoxing from other substances may be given antidepressants, anticonvulsants, anti-psychotic medications, or non-addictive medications to assist with sleeping problems.
It's common for many people to associate the drug withdrawal process, or detox, as the hardest part of recovering from a pattern of drug or alcohol abuse. However, detox is just the first step in comprehensive drug and alcohol rehab treatment programs in North Texas.
Specialists in drug rehab centers tailor a comprehensive treatment program designed to address each individual person's needs during the recovery process. A drug and alcohol rehab program may integrate behavioral therapies, individual counseling sessions, group support meetings, and a range of alternative and holistic therapies in an effort to determine the best course of treatment for each person's needs.
People respond differently to various treatments. Just as the triggers behind each person's addictions are different, the treatments and therapies needed to motivate the recovering person to remain sober will also need to be tailored to suit. The result is an increased likelihood of the person staying clean and sober long after leaving rehab. Call us now at (877) 804-1531 to get started.