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In most drug and alcohol rehab programs, detox is a prerequisite to treatment.  Depending on the drug or substance of abuse, detox can range from very mild to severe and life-threatening.  Drug and alcohol abuse do extensive damage to the human body and brain, and detox is designed to help with the damage done to the body, and this process can last from approximately 3-10 days, depending on the addiction and its severity.  The nature of addiction is a dependence which can be physical as well as psychological.  Certain drugs such as alcohol and opiates create a physical addiction that can be very uncomfortable and dangerous during the detox process, requiring the presence of qualified medical staff to oversee adverse physical effects of withdrawal.  Some symptoms of detox from substances such as opiates include vomitting, nausea, headaches, abdominal pains, sweating, and high fever, among other similar symptoms.  For alcohol. the symptoms can be far more severe and lfe-threatening such as swaeting, nausea, vomitting, delerium tremors (DT), black outs and seizures.  Many times in addiction, it is the fear of these withdrawal symptoms that will continue abuse of these substances.  For drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamines, the symptoms of withdrawal are less physically grueling and have more adverse psychological effects such as aggitation, severe cravings, headache and extreme fatigue.
While detox is very common in drug rehab, it is generally considered to be a beginning part of the rehabilitation process and not the entire rehab process itself.  Despite this widespread opinion that deox alone is not enough, there are several drug rehab centers that use the methodology of detox as the only therapy included in the recovery process.  This methodology is based on the idea that once the physical dependence of drug and alcohol addiction is overcome, the rest is a matter of strong will and dedication to recovery and sobriety.  Often, this methodology is looked at suspiciously given the idea behind drug rehab is to gain the tools to remain sober after treatment and not just the physical withdrawal.  However, this method has worked for millions of addicts over recent years who have found that all they needed was detox treatment.  This can be a particulary difficult part of deciding on drug rehab methodology because it is very hard to assess what addictions need therapy versus which can be overcome through detox alone.  The assessment for how comprehensive drug rehab needs to be for addiction treatment is something that needs very careful consideration as there is no set formula for which addiction cases do and do not require more treatment than detox alone.  Althoug many cases of addiction require therapy and treatment beyond detox with the very nature of addiction being defined as a brain disease which does not have a quick and easy treatment.
Although it is not generally recommended, detox alone may be a good choice for cessation of prescription medication that has been legitimately prescribed.  Many prescription medications are extremely addictive and dangerous, but the difference between taking them responsibly for legitimate reasons versus recreational purposes is a deciding factor in whether or not they have been abused and require drug rehab after detox.  It is imerative to remember that drug rehab is a process of more than just physical healing after drug or alcohol abuse.  Drug rehab takes a deeper look into the addiction itself, as well as the  emotional, mental, and psychological healing.  If there has not been any damage done to the mental, emotional, or psychological apsects of an individual's life, detox alone may be a better fit.  However, when dealing with substance abuse and addiction, very rarely is there a case of addiction without some mental and emotional trauma needing drugr rehab.
Depending on the situation and the substance abuse, detox may or may not be neccessary and should be assessed prior to admission to a drug rehab facility.  While detox is an essential part of drug rehab, it is often not enough to be the only part.  Once each indovidual addiction situation has been assessed to determine the best course of action for recovery, it is only a matter of finding the right drug rehab based on individual philosophies, methodologies, and services offered.

• If we can be of any assistnace in determining which of the various methods, philosophies, and services are best for your situation, please fill out our free confidential assessment so we will be able to review it and get right back to you with our suggestions based on your answers.  If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.  We're here to help however we can.