Why Detox from Alcohol and Drug Addiction?

Many drug addicts and alcoholics say that getting clean was the hardest thing they have ever done. Recovering from drug and alcohol addiction is not easy. It can be a lifelong process. Addiction is a disease of the mind, and the temptation to take drugs or drink can remain for years and years after becoming sober. But abstaining from drugs and alcohol has saved millions of lives. Carrying on in the path of destruction that is addiction usually either ends up with an untimely death or incarceration. Although it may seem like the hardest thing ever, it can also be the most important and positive step a person can take in order to get their life back.

Detox

Entering into a drug rehab or alcohol rehab program can be a difficult decision to make. When people become so used to living with their addiction, the idea of giving it all up and changing their life can be scary. One of the hardest and most crucial parts of drug rehab or alcohol rehab is the detox process. Whether patients are struggling with an addiction to alcohol or drugs, detoxification during the initial stages of rehabilitation may be the first period in a long time that they have gone without being under the influence of a substance. During this process, their bodies must acclimate to functioning without being drunk or on drugs.

When people become addicted to drugs or alcohol, over time their bodies become accustomed to always being under the influence. When someone stops taking drugs or alcohol all of a sudden, it can be a shock to their system. Drugs and alcohol affect the central nervous system in a way that can have long-term effects and irreparable damage. To go for months or even years on end while being under the influence of drugs and alcohol can have detrimental effects that are best controlled while being under the supervision of treatment professionals that are trained in the ways of dealing with people that are coming off of drugs or alcohol.

Withdrawal

When people enter into alcohol rehab or drug rehab, the first and one of the most difficult stages they must go through is alcohol addiction detox or drug addiction detox. During this process, they will most likely go through the various stages of withdrawal. Depending upon the severity of the addiction, symptoms of withdrawal can range from anxiety to full-on cardiac arrest. At certain stages of drug addiction detox and alcohol addiction detox, people can even go into seizures and suffer a heart attack or brain stroke. The effect of going from serious intoxication to complete sobriety is sometimes so extreme that it can send a person's body into complete shock.

Many people attempt to get clean on their own. Although this may seem like an admirable feat, enrolling into a rehab treatment center has proven to be ultimately more successful in treating addiction. Not only are people in a safe environment surrounded by medical professionals that can properly treat them for their condition, they can also rest assured that should any negative repercussions result from their withdrawal, they will be properly taken care of. Withdrawal can easily lead to death and most people do not realize the severity of the situation. Of course quitting alcohol or drugs is always a good idea, unless it is monitored under the close care of treatment professionals it may prove to be fatal.