Drug Detox Centers and Addiction Treatment

There are several stages, of phases, to addiction treatment of which detox, or detoxification, at a drug detox center is very important, although not always necessary. Whether you need detox or not depends on several factors; such as what drug you have been abusing and become addicted to (such as alcohol, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, etc.), how long you have been abusing the drug, or been addicted to it, and your medical condition. If you are in need of acute detox services, you will most likely find yourself in a hospital where there are staff nurses and doctors around the clock to closely oversee your detox. This is typically used in a situation where detox could result in death. However, in other instances, where the possibility of death is not so profound but the patient should still be closely watched, you would find yourself in a sub-acute detox center. These are centers that specialize in detox where patients are closely monitored, a nurse is usually present around the clock and the patient’s detox will be at the supervision of a medical doctor.

Although alcohol detox may require closer supervision, alcohol is a drug and therefore alcohol detox is done either at a hospital or a drug addiction detox center. People who abuse alcohol, or alcoholics, tend to have abused the drug for much longer typically than, say, a heroin addict or meth addict. Simply stopping the intake of alcohol can be very dangerous. In fact, alcohol detox is the most potentially fatal of any detox situation. It is important that the patient’s condition be thoroughly assessed and that the detox be overseen by a medical doctor with around the clock care, to avoid seizures or death or delirium tremens, for example. Additionally, psychiatric conditions may also result, including disorientation, anxiety, depression and sleeplessness. All of these could lead to relapse. It is crucial that the patient get sleep to aid in the healing process.

Not every situation requires a drug addiction detox. In cases where detox is in order for patients coming to LANNA for treatment we typically have our local hospital perform the detox. That way we know the patient is in the best care possible in a place that can handle any emergency that may arise. Since many of our patients come from other countries, it is common for them to go through detox there before coming to LANNA and we will typically coordinate the detox services. Then, once they’ve completed detoxification, we can fly them here in the company of a sober companion or they can come with a family member. We highly recommend the use off a sober companion who is trained in helping keep someone from relapsing before arriving here at LANNA. Whatever the situation and wherever you’re coming from, we can help arrange everything that will work best in your circumstance.