When seeking a detox center for your loved one or yourself, be sure to consider their experience and past successes. Any reputable treatment facility will be able to provide you with references to patients who have completed their detox and overcome addictions.
The medical staff should be knowledgeable about any medication allergies or other medical conditions that may be contributing factors. Be sure to find out if they offer follow-up support services in case your loved one needs them.
After a detox south florida center for alcoholism has successfully treated your loved one, he or she will be treated the same way at the detox center for other individuals with severe withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms may include intense cravings, shaking, anxiety, restlessness, irritability, depression, and feelings of impending doom or death.
To treat these symptoms effectively, a skilled therapist must use behavioral and cognitive therapies. Cognitive therapy addresses the patient’s thought processes and the misconceptions that support his or her behaviors. Behavioral therapy addresses the patient’s fears and thoughts about leaving his or her drug or alcohol dependence behind, and how they can help him or her avoid those temptations.
In detoxification centers for alcoholism, withdrawal symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, cold flashes, muscle aches, insomnia, restlessness, fever, chills, sweating, hot flashes, and tingling sensations.
If a patient experiences these symptoms for longer than two weeks or experiences them in succession, he or she may be suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms from his or her addiction. Some symptoms can be treated using benzodiazepines. Other patients may need an anticonvulsant, which can be administered by a trained professional. However, benzo drugs should never be used without proper medical supervision.
For more serious cases, like those that result from benzodiazepine addiction, medical care is not enough to alleviate the symptoms. When this happens, the most effective course of action is to undergo detoxification. One of the most common medications used to treat detox center patients with benzodiazepine addiction is suboxone.
Suboxone can prevent the patient from experiencing withdrawal symptoms when he or she receives their medication. Suboxone causes extremely low blood pressure and constricts the airways, which prevents the patient from reflexive movements that may trigger a withdrawal from heroin.
The last stage of detox center treatment is supervision in the detox center. Patients are under 24-hour surveillance in the detox center to make sure that they do not go back to their alcohol addiction. Patients are under surveillance not just while they receive their treatment, but during the first few days right after their treatment as well.
A detox center can only be completely successful if they have supervision during the entire period of detox. This stage is necessary so that social workers and other support staff can monitor the patients’ behavior, and make sure that they are still receiving the proper assistance needed by them in the early stages of their recovery.
If you or a loved one needs help with an addiction, you should consult a local medical professional for more information. Medical professionals can provide the latest in addiction treatment programs and find the best medication for your type of condition. They can also instruct you on the best way to maintain your sobriety once you leave the facility. It is imperative to seek the counsel of medical professionals before you decide on a course of treatment for your substance abuse.