Drug detox is vital to substance use recovery, as it helps you purify your body of all substances. However, there are different routes to achieving complete drug detoxification.
For instance, you can do drug detox naturally or medically, depending on the extent of your substance abuse habit.
You need to pick the best drug detox method for success in your addiction recovery process.
This article will discuss some of the most common types of drug detox methods. Here’s what you need to know before your consultation session.
Types of Drug Detox Methods
Here are some of the best drug detox programs you may undergo;
Natural Detox
Detoxing at home is usually the preferred option amongst addicts because it only requires natural substances. Mainly, this type of addiction detox occurs in the home under supervision from the family.
Considering that one out of five Canadians develops mental illnesses due to addiction, the accessibility of this method is applaudable. Although, without strict supervision, natural at-home detox can have severe consequences — especially for long-term addicts.
Natural detoxing involves diet changes, exercises, and increasing water intake, amongst other things. However, close relatives need to monitor your movements, especially when you’re close to your addiction triggers.
Some of the steps involved in natural detox include:
- Involving experts and close relatives: You can never do drug detox alone without help. It’s always better to have an expert evaluate what you need first; then, your family watches closely.
- Changing diet: You need to change your diet to healthy foods to supply the necessary nutrients lost. These meals may not appeal to you, and you may need help eating them. But sticking to meals like eggs, fruits, fish, and others will help the detox journey.
- Drinking lots of water: Water is a great way to purify your body of addictive substances. You need to increase your water intake by 100% during natural detox. The recommended water intake for men and women is about four and three litres daily, respectively.
- Exercise often: The sweat that comes out helps detoxify your body from dangerous items. Moreso, exercising keeps your mind in better shape and away from addiction.
Natural addiction is effective but is the slowest form of drug detox.
Related Article: The 4 Best Detox to Help You Kick Drug Addiction and Alcohol Habit
Medical Detox
A medical detoxification program is the best drug detox method you can opt for. Submitting yourself to proper medical care is the best option for detoxing.
Detoxing from drugs usually introduces some dangerous withdrawal symptoms. Some of these symptoms include;
- Vomiting
- Hallucinations
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Mental Illness
- Death, in some cases.
Handling these symptoms with another drug or natural detox isn’t ideal. Instead, medical detox is better because it includes onsite medical attention and professional help with any withdrawal symptoms.
The problem you may have with medical detox is having to stay in dedicated detox facilities for the duration of your program. However, some flexible medical drug detox programs allow you to detox from home. You may still need to remain in the hospital if the addiction case is severe.
Two of the most common medical detox programs include;
- Inpatient: Inpatient drug detox is usually for severe cases of addiction. When the doctor can’t predict the withdrawal symptoms, they need to keep you under close watch. If after using drugs and other items, they’ll discharge and continue the program from home.
- Outpatient: Outpatient treatment is a more flexible program that allows you to visit the hospital regularly. Most times, the specialist keeps someone in charge of checking your progress.
Medical detox programs use medication to reduce any withdrawal symptoms you may have. It’s possible to get addicted to these prescription drugs, which is why they prefer close supervision.
Cold Turkey
If you want to stop being an addict, the ideal step is to stop taking the substance. It’s never an easy step, and it’s primarily unsuccessful. However, cold turkey drug detox follows this process, but this time, under medical supervision.
The idea of the cold turkey drug detox method is to stop the drugs and face immediate consequences. That way, once you can survive the withdrawal symptoms, you know you’re free.
You shouldn’t try the cold turkey method independently, as the risks are high. If you involve the right medical personnel, they can prescribe drugs to suppress the reactions.
The cold turkey method doesn’t work for every addiction. So, don’t try this method without recommendations from your specialist.
Direct Tapering
Direct Tapering drug detox method is a more relaxed version of cold turkey. Here, you’re stopping the drug, but not immediately.
In this method, you start reducing the amounts of the substance you take daily. For instance, if you used to take two blunts of weed daily, you can reduce it to one.
The advantage of direct tapering is that your brain and body system get used to the gradual reduction of the drugs. Therefore, when you stop the drugs completely, the reactions are minimal.
Direct tapering drugs detox method also requires you to use some drugs alongside. The type and frequency of drug use depend on the following;
- The addiction extent
- The addiction substance
- The reactions to withdrawal
Titration Tapering
Some drug addictions are dangerous to stop. If you stop abruptly or gradually, you’ll still experience the deadly symptoms. For drug addicts in this category, titration tapering is the best solution.
These drug detox programs involve the reduction of the drug concentration by diluting it in water before use. This dilution will remove a bit of the drug concentration, reducing the drug intake slowly.
This drug addiction detox style may be the slowest, but it’s the best for some addiction types.
Substitution Tapering
As the name suggests, substitute tapering involves changing the addictive substance. It’s a more effective drug detox method than titration tapering.
This method involves getting your body addicted to another drug whose intake you can reduce gradually. Your body gets used to this new drug, and you can reduce your intake.
The new drug introduced must have a similar effect to the existing substance. A good example is the case of heroin and methadone. They have similar results when taken, but methadone has a low concentration.
Hence, switching addiction to methadone gives you a better chance at natural tapering.
Related Article: How to Do Addiction Detox Naturally
Choose the Right Drug Detox Method
Every drug detox method has its unique advantages. The golden rule for all methods is you must involve experienced medical personnel. An addiction treatment specialist is best positioned to determine the right drug detox approach.
They also know the best way to ensure you follow through with this method, the right medication, and the best treatment models for your post-detox care.
This is the level of attention and care we offer at Medical Detox Ontario. We offer flexible drug detox programs backed by industry-standard facilities and experienced addiction detox specialists.
Call 1 (888) 899-9458 to book an appointment for an in-person consultation.
