Is It Safe to Detox at Home?

Conducting DIY detox at home is risky. While getting clean in the privacy of your own home is a less expensive option than seeking professional help, the physical symptoms of withdrawal are dangerous. That is only part of the problem. Going cold turkey alone does not begin to address the psychological cravings caused by drugs or alcohol. It is precisely these cravings that cause so many people to relapse.

This article discusses why it is not usually recommended that a person try to detox from drugs naturally at home. What are the potential dangers? Why is it the wiser course to have medical supervision when detoxing?

Natural Drug Rehab vs. Medical Detox

Withdrawal from any substance addiction can be extremely uncomfortable. The side effects and craving for drugs and alcohol make it almost impossible for the substance user to avoid relapse without a consistent and professional medical presence.

Understanding the dangers of detoxing alone involves knowing the various steps that the body goes through when recovering from drugs or alcohol abuse.

The symptoms can include:

• Sweating
• Excessive yawning
• Anxiety and agitation
• Watery eyes and nose
• Muscle and bone aches
• Insomnia
• Tremors
• Lightheadedness
• Hallucinations
• Extreme fatigue
• Mood swings
• Rapid heart rate
• Seizures
• Diarrhea
• Violence or symptoms of psychosis
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Depression and suicidal thoughts
• Intense cravings for the drug

The severity and length of these symptoms vary by the type of addiction. Part of why natural detox may be ineffective is that it cannot help with any of these symptoms, which can be severe. But there are other effects that will start to come through after the drug begins to leave the body.

For example, if you were originally put on opioids for pain, when you go through withdrawal, that pain will return. If you are on medication for depression, the withdrawal will cause these feelings to return.

The cravings for the substance can be intense, but a natural detox lacks any of the support mechanisms put in place to help a person combat the physical and psychological symptoms of substance use.

Medical detox can help with the symptoms of withdrawal 24-hours a day if necessary. These facilities can provide ongoing medical care while also providing individual and group therapeutic approaches to help people cope with the intense cravings and psychological addiction caused by substance use disorder.

Getting Help With Professional Treatment

Why would you go through this alone when there are detox centers standing by to help? Inpatient medical detox facilities can get you through the most difficult and dangerous physical stages of withdrawal. When you make it out the other side, there is inpatient and outpatient work that can be done to help heal your body and mind.

The Recovery Village Ridgefield offers professional help that can ensure your safety while you detox. To learn more about admissions, contact us today!