Drug detox, the process of weaning your body off its dependence on drugs and/or alcohol, is the first and most important step in addiction recovery. With 40 – 60% of people relapsing during recovery, getting professional treatment is essential to helping Los Angeles residents successfully overcome an addiction.
What To Expect From Detox
Medically assisted detox is the safest and most effective way to get past withdrawal symptoms and prepare you for counseling and therapy, both of which are essential parts of a lasting recovery.
So, what can you expect from detox programs in Los Angeles? The exact process varies depending on whether you are looking at an inpatient, outpatient, or in-home program, but the fundamentals are similar for all three types of programs whether you’re in LA or elsewhere.
In general, you can expect:
- Initial evaluation: You will have a preliminary consultation with a certified clinician to develop an understanding of your addiction, your concerns, your goals, your health, and any preexisting conditions. This evaluation typically includes both a physical and psychological assessment to help your detox team recommend the best treatment for your situation and needs.
- Detox: After you stop taking drugs or alcohol, your body starts to go into withdrawal. Detox is a gradual process that helps you overcome your body’s reliance on drugs and/or alcohol in a safe way. Your medical team monitors you throughout detox so they can provide support, intervene and prevent relapse as needed, and/or prescribe medications to help improve your comfort.
- Support groups, therapy, and/or counseling: Most detox centers offer individual or group counseling. These programs provide support and encouragement to patients during and after detox, ultimately reinforcing a drug-free lifestyle.
- After detox: Following a successful detox, you are ready to return to your normal life.
- Additional programs: Many detox centers offer additional after programs to help support ongoing sobriety, including counseling, coaching, sober companionship, case management, and more.
Whether you choose in-home, inpatient, or outpatient detox, these professional services are the safest and most effective ways to start your journey to a drug-free lifestyle. Your medical team is always available to support you, help you reach your sobriety goals, and prevent relapse.
What About Self-Detox?
Since cost is a big consideration for many people seeking treatment, self-detox may sound like a budget-friendly alternative to traditional and in-home addiction recovery programs. After all, there are no shortage of detox kits, detox drinks, and DIY detox manuals on the internet. These often claim to help you overcome your addiction in days, you don’t have to travel to or stay at a traditional facility, and a few days of discomfort is far less hassle than the weeks or months required by inpatient centers. Right?
It’s true that self-detox is low-cost, convenient, and can be done on your schedule. However, depending on the drug you are detoxing from, self-detoxing can be potentially dangerous.
In addition, self-detox may not work, and any results may not last since DIY kits do not help you develop coping mechanisms, identify drug use triggers, or build action plans to help prevent relapse. Self-detox also does not address underlying mental health conditions that may contribute to drug use.
Getting professional care is crucial for successfully overcoming addiction. As discussed, some types of drugs can cause potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms, so medically assisted detox is not only preferable but essential. In addition to this, medically assisted detox includes treatment for co-existing health conditions as well as any underlying mental health issues for comprehensive care.
In-Home Detox
In-home detox is a new way to detoxify your body from drugs and alcohol under medically managed supervision. We aren’t talking about a kit or a pill, but instead a professional service such as Elite Home Detox Los Angeles. With this type of in-home service, a registered nurse stays onsite at your house 24/7 during detox to monitor your progress, adjust any medications you are taking to help improve your withdrawal symptoms, and offer coaching and support to prevent relapse.
In-home detox gives you the privacy and dedicated attention that traditional detox centers cannot offer, and also ensures that you are as comfortable as possible during withdrawals.