Detox vs outpatient rehab

Addiction treatment is a step-by-step process. There are no shortcuts to long term sobriety and you may face a series of obstacles in your treatment phase but these can be overcome if proper protocols are followed. We at Lantana Recovery as a Charleston outpatient rehab and we specialize in providing our clients with excellent expert guidance as well as the proper care needed for a safe and easy recovery.

At the start of the treatment program for drug and alcohol addiction, you must first undergo a thorough detox process to help purge your body of contaminants and harmful substances. This is the first step to battle drug abuse of any kind.

Before you begin your inpatient or outpatient treatment, you must cleanse your body and prepare it for the mental and physical challenges to come with being enrolled in addiction treatment programs.

After all, drug addiction treatment is not a walk in the part and requires medical professionals as well as a controlled environment that can help make the recovery process easier in the long term.

What is Drug Detox? Steps to Prepare for the Drug Addiction Treatment

Detox is the initial phase of any rehab treatment program. For addiction treatment to come to fruition, patients must purge their systems of all drug remnants and addictive substances. This can take a few days or weeks and it can be a difficult journey, especially in the early days.

The goal of drug detox is to prepare your body and mind for inpatient treatment and long-term addiction recovery. By getting rid of all toxins from the body, it is like a clean slate and fully ready to begin the intensive rehab.

Detox programs can be quite challenging as patients may feel the full force of withdrawal symptoms in the first few days or weeks. This may cause stress, anxiety, depression, irritability, anger, and frustration. But, despite this, it is critical for patients to successfully complete the program for the long-term treatment to be successful.

The main purpose of the detox process is to cleanse the body internally and reduce the discomfort caused by withdrawal symptoms. It is also meant to reduce stress levels and control anxiety, as well as help to strengthen one’s resolve. Drug detox programs also enable individuals to regain their ability to control their desires and behaviors, eventually eliminating the craving for alcohol or other harmful substances, as well as lessening the impact of withdrawal symptoms.

This cleanse is the full foundation of your journey to sobriety and helps you regain control of your body and brain so it may function optimally again. Without it, the remnants of addictive substances in your body can cause further damage, making rehabilitation completely impossible.

Things to Avoid When Detoxing

While it is a fundamental step in rehabilitation, many people often misconstrue its purpose and technique and will make poor choices during the detox process. Keep in mind the following practices when going for detoxification.

Firstly, you should never, ever detox ‘cold turkey’. This is extremely counter productive and can lead to severe withdrawal symptoms that could permanently impact your lungs, liver, heart, and mental health. The detox process must take place under careful supervision of medical professionals.

Secondly, you should always avoid detoxing yourself at home. Do not use at-home detox kits. These are not regulated by the FDA, which means there is no evidence whether they are effective. You should avoid detoxing yourself at home as there is a greater risk of medical complications and even relapsing, especially in case of opioids and alcohol.

Finally, make sure you detox under the careful supervision of medical staff that can help you when there are dips or highs in your mood and withdrawal patterns. Detox programs can be extremely tough and strenuous and they can take a toll on your mental and physical well-being if you aren’t careful. You are more likely to complete the detox process more successfully with the care and support of medical staff.

What is Rehab?

Rehabilitation is the process or treatment that helps with long time substance abuse recovery and paves a healthy way to recovery. Rehab is usually classified in two categories: outpatient treatment and inpatient treatment program. Both are extremely successful and cater to a variety of patients and their unique requirements.

After the successful completion of the detox phase, the patient is then moved to rehab for long term addiction treatment. The detox stage helps you get sober but rehab helps you stay sober. It is a vital step in achieving sobriety, as well as understanding about the self. During rehab, your body can return to stability or homeostasis that is crucial in the long term.

Rehab is also vital and builds self-confidence and as it is longer than detox programs and help you deal with withdrawal symptoms in a clear and healthy manner. Most drug rehab addiction treatment programs take approximately 20 to 30 days to build one’s coping skills as well as life management skills.

What is Outpatient Detox?

Outpatient drug abuse treatment requires patients to visit the medical facility on a daily basis to attend seminars, therapies, group counseling, educational sessions, and medical tests, etc. Unlike inpatient detox, outpatient detox programs do not require patients to stay at the facility for any duration. Outpatient treatment can either be standard, intensive outpatient program, or part-hospitalization.

You can enroll into these programs without having to take leave from work, or leave your loved ones behind. Outpatient detox allows you to fix the right time for sessions so you can accommodate your work schedule and also give your family and friends time.

Furthermore, outpatient detox programs do not provide facilities such as gyms, cafeterias, computer labs, libraries, etc. While this is expected at any good inpatient detox facility, it is not provided at outpatient detox centers.

An outpatient detox program will have a primary medical professional and therapist who conducts your daily sessions and they will keep track of your drug detox progress. They will also engage you in sessions such as family therapy, group counseling, self-evaluation, individualized therapy, etc., to help make the withdrawal process easier and manageable.

Additionally, you might also be asked to appear for routine drug tests to ensure that you are not consuming any substances while away from the medical detox facility. Unlike inpatient detox centers, an outpatient rehab facility is far more affordable and does not require health insurance coverage.

Usually, outpatient treatments are part of ongoing recovery and are a step-down phase to inpatient detox. Upon successful completion of the latter, patients are advised to enroll in outpatient care to avoid future life threatening instances, risks of relapse, severe alcohol withdrawal, etc.

Factors to Consider When Joining Outpatient Treatment

Before you enroll in an outpatient detox program, you should carefully consider what it entails and the steps involved in long term recovery to achieve sobriety.

An outpatient detox program is often short term compared to inpatient treatment. It is mostly suitable for those with mild addiction symptoms and who do not need the same level of intensive care.

It is also often a step-down phase after a successful inpatient treatment program and is suggested to patients so they can continue their recovery journey even after their inpatient treatment is completed.

This form of addiction treatment is also cheaper and allows you to stay with family whilst also continuing work on schedule.

However, if you lack the support at home from friends and family and if you are suffering from greater levels of addiction, then it is best to enroll in an inpatient detox program instead to deal with the withdrawal process effectively.