To find drug treatment help, the individual must embark on a long journey.  The first step of this recovery process (after admitting that you have a problem) is detox.   Detox is the process of allowing harmful drug toxins to leave the system so that the individual is ready to continue on with the remainder of treatment.  Drug detox can take place at a stand-alone clinic, or onsite at a drug rehab facility.

What are the Different Types of Drug Detox Treatment?

There are two primary forms of drug detox treatment:   natural and medical.   Each one has their positive and negatives, but both are designed to help the individual overcome their physical addiction to drugs.

Natural Drug Detox Treatment

Natural drug detox treatment.   Natural drug detox is, in common parlance, going “cold turkey” while under the care of detox professionals.   Why do professionals need to be a part of the process if all the individual is doing is quitting?   The answer is that many individuals will go through withdrawal during detox.   Medical professionals help keep the individual safe and healthy while going though these symptoms.   The symptoms of detox withdrawal are not life-threatening as a general rule, but they can cause discomfort to the point where relapse becomes a serious threat.

Medical Drug Detox Treatment

Drug addiction treatment programs for heroin addiction (or addiction to other powerful opiates) may offer medical detox.   The most well-known form of medical detox is methadone treatment.   Methadone is a synthetic opiate that mirrors many of the physiological effects of heroin.   The individual is given smaller and smaller doses of the methadone over time until detox is complete.   The primary advantage of medical drug detox is that withdrawal symptoms are greatly diminished.   The biggest potential problem with medical detox is that a small percentage of people may become addicted to the methadone itself.

If you need help choosing the best drug detox treatment program, contact our helpline today at .  There is a helpline professional standing by to answer your questions and get you the help you need.