If you want to break free from drug or alcohol addiction, detox is the first step to your recovery. You need to cleanse your body of whatever toxic substance you’ve been using and overcome your physical dependence on that substance.
Before you get started, you need to learn basic facts about detox. Information about a whole range of issues will better prepare you for the detox experience, reduce confusion, and minimize surprises that cause unnecessary stress.
Here are a few things you should know about detox.
“Do I Need to Go to Detox?”
Even after admitting an addiction problem exists and making the decision to go to detox, you may continue to question whether detox in a rehab facility is necessary. Couldn’t you just quit on your own? Even if detoxing on your own becomes too much, you could still change your mind and decide to seek help at that point.
Few people successfully navigate detox on their own.
There are two things to keep in mind before you start detox. First, very few people can successfully navigate detox on their own. When your body is in a toxic state and brain chemistry has been affected, you need more than will power to stop using.
There are two things to keep in mind before you start detox. First, very few people can successfully navigate detox on their own. When your body is in a toxic state and brain chemistry has been affected, you need more than will power to stop using.
Second, withdrawal is a difficult and often dangerous phase of your recovery. Physical withdrawal symptoms can be painful and even deadly. Withdrawal can lead to feelings of confusion, fear, and desperation. Medically supervised detox in a structured, clinical setting with doctors and counselors minimizes the risk of complications and dangerous behavior.
How Much Does a Detox Program Cost?
It’s easy to say that not going to detox will be far more costly than refusing to seek help for addiction. From a practical perspective, however, bills need to be paid. Knowing how much a detox program costs is better than getting hit with a surprise bill, which can trigger stress and poor decision-making.
The substance that requires detox and the severity of your addiction will largely determine how long detox takes. Location, amenities, treatment options, and insurance coverage can also affect price. Expect to spend at least seven days in inpatient medical detox, which typically costs $4,000-$7,000.
Your insurance provider will be able to explain out-of-pocket costs, and many facilities offer payment plans to make the cost of detox more manageable.
What Should You Expect from Detox?
Outpatient detox makes it possible to detox in a hospital or doctor’s office during the day and return home at night. Inpatient medical detox requires you to live in the facility, which means you’ll have to leave your family, job, and daily routines for a period of time.
Inpatient detox allows for 24/7 medical supervision so withdrawal symptoms can be closely managed and medication can be safely administered. This also reduces the risk of harm to yourself and others. In addition to medical care, counseling and support are available to help you deal with the psychological and emotional effects of detox and withdrawal.
The Three Stages of Detox
- Physical and psychological evaluation to determine if co-occurring disorders exist
- Stabilization, or is the management of withdrawal symptoms as the toxic substance is flushed from the body
- Preparation for treatment, which follows detox and continues the recovery process
What Happens After Detox?
Expect people to remind you that detox is the beginning of your recovery from addiction, not the end. Many people will follow detox with inpatient therapy in a rehab facility. Before you complete detox, you’ll most likely meet with a counselor to discuss treatment options, scheduling, relapse prevention strategies, and rules of rehab.
Treatment will likely include individual therapy, group therapy, and peer support group meetings. Medication might be prescribed depending on your symptoms. You may also benefit from family therapy, which can help you rebuild relationships with those who have been affected by your addiction.
Many rehab facilities have expanded their services beyond traditional approaches to treatment, offering alternative therapies that range from music and yoga to rock climbing and animal-assisted therapy. Moving outside the walls of a rehab center can help you dig deeper within yourself and express your thoughts and emotions in a productive way.
DetoxLA Offers Co-Ed Medical Detox in Los Angeles
Now that you’ve learned more of the facts about detox, let DetoxLA help you navigate this critical phase of your recovery at our co-ed medical detox center in Los Angeles. For more detox info, contact DetoxLA today.