Medical Detox in Bryan, TX
Drug detoxification is the process of allowing traces of drugs or alcohol to leave your body so that your brain function can begin to return to normal. Medical detox in Bryan is a medically-supervised detox process that involves administering various medications to reduce the intensity of withdrawal symptoms and shorten the duration of the detox process.
If you've developed a dependence on drugs or alcohol, medical detox for drugs and alcohol is essential for safe, comfortable withdrawal. So if you're experiencing drug or alcohol withdrawal in Bryan, or anywhere else in the country for that matter, call us today at (877) 804-1531.
What is Dependence?
Dependence on drugs or alcohol is characterized by withdrawal symptoms that set in when you stop using. Developing a tolerance is the primary sign that you may soon become dependent.
When you chronically abuse a substance, your brain changes the way it functions chemically in order to compensate for the presence of drugs or alcohol in your system. This leads to tolerance, which means you need increasingly larger doses of drugs or alcohol to get the desired effects.
But the more you consume, the more your brain alters neurotransmitter activity to compensate. This cycle can lead to a shift in brain function wherein your brain operates more comfortably when drugs or alcohol are present than when they're not. Then, when you stop using, brain function rebounds, and withdrawal symptoms set in.
How Medical Detox in Bryan Helps
Some drugs, such as opioids like heroin and prescription painkillers like OxyContin, produce withdrawal symptoms that are excruciating, while other drugs, like marijuana, produce very mild symptoms. One thing all substances have in common is that they all produce cravings that are intense enough to cause a relapse very quickly if the withdrawal symptoms don't. For this reason, and because the discomfort of withdrawal also commonly leads to relapse, medical detox treatment is essential for helping you successfully detox.
Alcohol and benzodiazepines like Xanax and Valium can produce dangerous withdrawal symptoms that have the potential to be fatal. Withdrawing from these substances under medical supervision ensures preventive measures are taken and dangerous symptoms can be treated immediately.
Withdrawal Symptoms During Detox
Different drugs produce different withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, depending on your age, the severity of your dependence, how much of the substance is in your system at the time of detox, and other factors. Not everyone will experience every symptom associated with a particular drug, but whatever your symptoms, medical detox treatment can make withdrawal more comfortable.
Alcohol withdrawal causes symptoms like nausea and vomiting, headache, insomnia, seizures, tremors, and anxiety. Dangerous symptoms may occur with a condition called delirium tremens, or DTs, which causes hallucinations, high blood pressure and heart rate, and seizures. Around five percent of people who experience DTs die from it.
Opiate withdrawal produces flu-like symptoms, including cold chills, body aches, nausea and vomiting, and abdominal cramps and diarrhea. While opiate withdrawal isn't particularly dangerous, it can be intensely miserable.
Stimulant withdrawal from cocaine, meth, and prescription medications like Adderall and Ritalin produces a deep depression along with insomnia, agitation, and anxiety.
Sedative withdrawal from benzodiazepines and barbiturates may cause dangerous shifts in blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature. Since no medications have been approved to treat these symptoms, detox from these drugs is a matter of tapering off doses to prevent withdrawal altogether.
Medical Detox in Bryan is Not Addiction Treatment
Medical detox treatment is not the same thing as addiction treatment. While dependence is characterized by a physical reliance on drugs or alcohol, addiction is characterized by the inability to stop using drugs or alcohol despite the problems they're causing in your life, from relationship and health troubles to legal and financial woes.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse stresses that good intentions and willpower alone aren't enough to end an addiction for the long-term. Treating an addiction requires intensive therapies that address all of your needs and delve into the complex issues behind the substance abuse.
Why Most People Don't Seek Treatment
Over 23 million Americans suffer from addiction, but only around 11 percent seek help, according to the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. Some of the most common reasons why people may not seek treatment include:
- Fear that treatment won't work.
- The high cost of treatment.
- Fear of what life will be like without drugs or alcohol.
- Fear of what others will think.
- Fear of withdrawal and cravings.
Research shows that most people who seek treatment for an addiction enter recovery for the long-term. Medical detox in Bryan followed by our high quality inpatient drug rehab can help you restore your life and your sense of well-being.
Call us at (877) 804-1531 to learn more about our inpatient drug rehab in Bryan, as well as for answers to any other questions that you may have.