5 Reasons Why You Need Medical Detox for Opioid Withdrawals

If you are struggling with opioid addiction, you literally are in the fight for your life. Highly addictive and dangerous, opioids such as prescription painkillers can affect your physical and psychological well-being. To break the cycle of opioid addiction, you must go through an intensive inpatient drug treatment program.

The cornerstone of any treatment program is medical detoxification. While you may feel you don’t need detox, the following article breaks down the top reasons why you need medical detoxification for opioid withdrawal. If you or a loved one need to detox from opioid addiction give us a call we have the best substance abuse treatment program in Indiana. Call Bridges of Hope at 1-765-358-7320 today!

Reason #1: Withdrawals Can Be Dangerous…and Even Life-Threatening

The main reason why you need medical detox for opioid withdrawals is the fact that the withdrawal process itself can be dangerous. If you have abused opioids for long periods of time, your brain chemistry and bodily functioning have been significantly altered. When you begin the process of weaning off opioids, you can experience physical and psychological symptoms that are extremely uncomfortable and painful. These can include the following:

• Restlessness
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Diarrhea
• Muscle cramping
• High blood pressure
• Hallucinations
• Agitation
• Seizures

While most of these withdrawal symptoms may not be life-threatening in of themselves, they can become dangerous if you have underlying health conditions. Additionally, these symptoms can also turn dangerous if you also abuse other substances. When you undergo medical detoxification for opioid withdrawal, experienced professionals can monitor your condition around the clock. Detox staff can utilize medication to help ease the discomfort as well as other interventions.

Reason #2: Increased Risk of Opioid Addiction Relapse

During the withdrawal process, you run a tremendous risk of relapse. In a medical detoxification program for opioid withdrawal, detox staff will use every intervention to reduce that risk. As mentioned earlier, detox staff will utilize medication-based therapy to help reduce the physical and emotional discomfort associated with opioid withdrawal. Additionally, you will receive a comprehensive evaluation to detect any untreated co-occurring disorders.

Oftentimes, opioid abuse is due to deeper physical and/or psychological roots. If co-occurring disorders are discovered, treatment staff can create an overall treatment plan that addresses those issues. Without the help of professional detox staff, the pain you experience in withdrawals will lead you back to active drug use. The continual cycle of abuse will help your addiction to grow worse, and you run the risk of greater physical and psychological damage.

Reason #3: Self-Detox Often Fails to Address Opioid Cravings

For many people addicted to opioids, they feel they can use self-detox methods to get clean. While attractive and much cheaper than professional programs, self-detox methods are difficult and may not produce any results. Self-detox for opioid abuse focuses mostly on the drug use itself. While self-detox methods may help curb or eliminate the use of opioids in the short term, those results will not last. Without addressing the deeper roots of the addiction, the risk of relapse and further complications are extremely high.

When you undergo medical detox for opioid addiction, experienced professionals will monitor you around the clock. As stated earlier, medications will be used to help make the withdrawal symptoms much more tolerable. As your condition improves, detox staff will gradually wean you off medication and utilize other interventions to restore your physical and mental health. Once you have been stabilized, you will enter intensive inpatient drug treatment.

Reason #4: Knowledge is Power

Making the decision to enter drug treatment is a major life decision. While there is no question that you need professional help, you can feel significant anxiety regarding the process. This is especially true regarding medical detoxification. You may have a million questions regarding the detox process for opioid addiction. You may have also heard horror stories regarding detox.

The uncertainty and fear regarding medical detox is a major reason why people avoid drug treatment. While the detox process may be daunting, experienced detox staff will educate and inform you regarding the detoxification process. During the detox process for opioid withdrawals, you will know the common withdrawal symptoms. Additionally, you will know the duration of these symptoms and the length of time you will be in detox.

The educational component is an important piece of the recovery puzzle. When you receive knowledge and resources, it gives you a sense of empowerment in your recovery. Once you know what to expect, you become more confident and are more willing to successfully complete drug treatment.

Reason #5: You No Longer Can Take Care of Yourself

You will need medical detoxification for your opioid dependence when you no longer can function on a daily basis. As more of your attention goes to taking opioids and maintaining your supply, your daily obligations to yourself decrease in importance. Hygiene, paying bills, going to work, eating right and other important daily functions take a back seat to your addiction. Even if you manage to quit taking opioid drugs on your own through self-detox methods, your ability to handle life will continue to decline.

In a medical detoxification program for opioid addiction, you will start on the road to wellness and re-establishing proper self-care. Once opioids leave your system and you have regained your health, you will transition to inpatient treatment. During treatment, you will receive the therapy, support, and life skills training needed to resume your normal daily life once you complete drug treatment.

The Decision is Yours

Making the commitment to getting professional help is difficult. The decision to stop using opioid drugs once and for all cannot be taken lightly. While medical detox may seem an unnecessary step, it is extremely beneficial and increases your chances of staying sober long term. If you have questions about the importance of medical detox in your treatment program, contact the professionals at Bridges of Hope today.

Our staff will separate fact from fiction regarding medical detox for opioid addiction. Our opioid detox and opioid abuse treatment programs have been extensively tested, proven to work, and will help you recover. Make the commitment to a healthier future right now and call B-Hope at 1-765-358-7320. Break the cycle of addiction for good.