AVENUES RECOVERY DRUG DETOX CENTER

Drug detoxification (or detox for short) is the cleansing process during which a person’s body is flushed clean of all drugs and harmful substances. Over a period of time, the body and its systems slowly regain equilibrium and return to normal function. Once detox is over, you’ll be back to your old self.

Detox usually takes anywhere from three to seven days, although this can vary from one individual to another. Withdrawal symptoms kick in as soon as the effects of the drug wear off, but should be completely gone after seven to ten days. The average length of drug detox center programs is one week.

Yes! Drug detox facilities treat substance use disorder, which is considered a valid medical condition. Therefore, heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and opiate detox programs (as well as many others) are covered by almost all insurance policies. Click here to verify your insurance, or reach out to speak to one of our skilled treatment specialists and learn more.

Detoxing at home is highly unadvisable and can be extremely dangerous at times. Drug detox is usually accompanied by strong withdrawal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, elevated heart rate, sweating, fever, tremors, stomach and muscle pain, which can result in life-threatening medical complications if not constantly monitored. Therefore, detox should always be done in an inpatient drug detox and rehab, under the careful supervision of trained medical professionals.

A range of different medications are used during detox to to alleviate pain and ease mood swings. Doctors will choose different meds for each person based on their personal health history, drugs they’ve used, length of time they’ve been using, and other individual considerations. Some medications used in drug detox facilities include Buprenorphine, Disulfiram, Methadone, Naltrexone, Suboxone, Subutex, and Vivitrol.

During drug detox, the body slowly adjusts to the sudden and total lack of substances in the bloodstream that comes from stopping drug use cold-turkey. It takes a while for the body to return to homeostasis, and during this time you might feel some unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, like nausea, fever, tremors, sweating, stomach and muscle pains, and mild irritation and depression.

Not necessarily! Although drug detox invariably comes along with a host of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms - like nausea, vomiting, headaches, fever, and tremors -  it doesn’t have to be painful. When drug detox is performed in licensed addiction detox facilities like Avenues, under the care and constant monitoring of skilled medical professionals, almost all nausea and sickness can be avoided. 

Once drug detox is over, your body will have returned to normal – but not necessarily your mind. Although you can go home if you choose, chances are that if you needed detox, your substance abuse has devolved into something beyond your control. Continuing on from a residential detox program to inpatient drug rehab will give you the best chances of treating your addiction and achieving lifelong recovery.