More than 21.5 million Americans struggle with a substance use disorder, according to ASAM, the American Society of Addiction Medicine. From the age of twelve and above, young adolescents, teens, young adults, older adults, and even the elderly, are struggling with an addiction to drugs and/or alcohol. Only a small percentage of those people are aware that their issues with drugs and alcohol constitute a diagnosable addiction disorder and that they need clinical help to recover. Without recognizing the need for safe practices in order to detox and start living a clean life, many face the symptoms of detox without support, leading them quickly to relapse. Relapse during detox can be especially high risk because of the body’s weak and vulnerable state. In the last year of data to be analyzed, 2015, it has been revealed that more than 52,000 people died from drug overdoses in the United States, according to the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number was higher than car accidents and gun violence fatalities combined.
Detox, treatment, and relapse prevention must be approached with the utmost care. Recovery is about more than quitting the abusive relationship with drugs and alcohol. It is also learning an entirely new way of living, it is healing the mind, the body, as well as the spirit. Getting through the first phase of detox safely is essential to starting the rest of recovery.
What To Look For In A Detox Program
- Length of stay: Detox does not take 24 hours or just a few days to complete, though it sometimes can. Depending on the severity of the addiction and how recently drugs and/or alcohol was abused, detox could take 10 days to 3 weeks. Safe detox programs should be open to treating clients as long as necessary until all toxins are cleared from the body.
- Medications: From psychiatric medications to pain relieving medications designed to assist detox, it is important for clients to regularly be evaluated in regards to medication. Detox can be extremely challenging mentally as well as physically. Medications may be short term or long term. Either way, they can provide a relief which reduces cravings for relapse.
- 24/7 Monitoring: Detox is the most vulnerable time for relapse. With cravings at their highest, it is critical for clients to be monitored 24 hours a day by a clinically trained nurse specializing in addiction.
Cypress Lakes Lodge offers excellence in addiction treatment through a full plan of residential treatment options. Settled in the lush green hills of Eastern Texas, our beautiful home offers the sanctuary of serenity clients need to truly heal. For information, call us today at 877-938-1577.