Finding the Right Detox Process is Vital to Beginning Recovery

Going through a detox process means the body ridding itself of accumulated toxins that are beyond the body’s capacity to handle. This causes unpleasant symptoms that are usually the opposite of the effect that the substance had on the body.

When someone who has been using a substance like an opiate, a benzodiazepine, or alcohol – especially when they’ve been abusing it – there can be withdrawal symptoms if the use is abruptly stopped.

This withdrawal lasts as long as it takes the active toxins to leave the body during the detox process. In the case of some drugs, that period is accompanied by considerable physical discomfort. This is particularly true of opiates like heroin, morphine, and Oxycontin.

With alcohol, the withdrawal period can be dangerous if not handled properly. The sudden halt in consuming alcohol for a person who had been drinking heavily can be dangerous, even fatal.

As part of the detox process, there are medications that can be prescribed that will make this withdrawal period safer and less unpleasant.

The detox process for alcohol can take several days. Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal in the early stages include:

• Sweating
• Itching
• Insomnia
• Muscle spasms
• Nausea and vomiting
• Dry mouth
• An accelerated heart rate

These can be more severe in someone who was drinking more heavily. This can involve body tremors, loss of balance, seizures, and stomach pain.

There are other more long term withdrawal effects beyond the detox process that can persist for up to six months. Physically, the recovering alcoholic can face insomnia, tremors, headaches, and fatigue. Psychologically, they can be confronted by depression, anxiety, lack of concentration, poor memory, and irritability.

Heroin, of course, is known for causing major withdrawal discomfort during the detox process. This includes restlessness, muscle pain, fever, loss of appetite, sweating, and yawning. Addicts can expect to feel irritable, anxious and obsessed with getting heroin.

The worst of the withdrawal lasts around 10 days, but other effects can last up to 6 months. These include insomnia, loss of appetite, fatigue, and the inability to handle stress.