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How To Drug Detox?

How To Drug Detox: Psychological Abstinence?

By Mustafa RangoonwalaPublished 3 years ago 8 min read
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Drug withdrawal occurs when a person who has used a particular substance for long enough and in sufficient quantities to become addicted to the drug, whether it is physically, psychologically, or both, stops using it. Read full article on How to Drug Detox below:

Abstinence is the process by which that person's system readjusts to the absence of substance; During this period of readjustment, a variety of symptoms (usually unpleasant) may appear, collectively known as withdrawal symptoms or withdrawal syndrome.

Withdrawal varies in terms of its effects and duration depending on a number of factors, including the addict's age and physiology, the type of drug used, the duration of the addiction, the doses are taken, the pattern of use, and more.

Abstinence lasts until a person's system has fully readjusted to life without the substance in question; With psychological dependence, it can mean several months or even years after the last dose, although weaning is usually completed in one or two weeks.

How To Drug Detox: Psychological Abstinence?

How To Drug Detox

Psychological withdrawal occurs when a person is dependent on a drug that is not necessarily physically addictive but on which they have become psychologically dependent.

This means that they will take the drug knowing that it is having adverse effects on their lives; and that they will obsessively think about obtaining and constantly using the drug. Drugs will dominate your daily life and could have very negative long-term consequences on your mental health.

Psychological withdrawal tends not to produce physical withdrawal symptoms (although many addicts have psychosomatic symptoms); Instead, psychological symptoms are likely to manifest, which may include constant cravings, insomnia, mood swings, and depression, etc.

Because psychological addiction cannot simply be "broken" in the same way as physical addiction through detoxification, it often lasts much longer than drug addiction, and psychological withdrawal symptoms, especially depression, can They persist for decades, months, or even years, while drug addicts can experience cravings, sporadically for many years and possibly even for the rest of their lives.

Therapy is invariably necessary to overcome a deep psychological addiction and can be invaluable in combating relapses, as the temptation to give in to temptation is psychological in nature.

What is physical abstinence?

Physical withdrawal occurs when a person has become physically dependent on a substance. This means that the parts of the brain responsible for regulating certain bodily functions have become dependent on the presence of this drug in the system and require this drug to function normally.

When the drug is withdrawn from the system (that is when the user stops taking the drug), the aforementioned parts of the brain enter a period of abnormal functioning during the withdrawal period (that is, until a person's system readjustment to the absence of drug) and a number of physical symptoms of this abnormal behavior can occur.

As noted above, some substances, especially alcohol and benzodiazepines, are so physically addictive that withdrawal can be fatal without proper medical attention. Other substances, notoriously opiates, including heroin and many prescription drugs, are unlikely to pose a risk of death during withdrawal, but they can create extremely unpleasant and painful withdrawal symptoms that are known to lead individuals to suicide.

Physical abstinence tends to last between a week and a fortnight depending on various factors; the symptoms disappear once the user's body gets used to the absence of the drug again.

What Medications Cause Withdrawal Symptoms?

In fact, any addictive drug can cause withdrawal symptoms when you stop using it: if a person has become psychologically dependent on a substance, they will almost certainly suffer some form of withdrawal once they stop using it. Withdrawal symptoms aren't just one factor in illicit drug addiction - prescription drugs, while used therapeutically, can also be addictive.

Similarly, legal recreational substances, including alcohol, as noted above, one of the most dangerous substances in terms of withdrawal, can also cause withdrawal symptoms. In other words, the legal status of the substance is irrelevant when it comes to whether or not it poses a risk of withdrawal symptoms.

Opioids and opioids, including heroin, morphine, and various prescription drugs, are highly addictive physically and psychologically, and withdrawal symptoms are notoriously unpleasant and often painful; They can include stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, and other flu symptoms, muscle cramps, and spasms, sweating, urinary problems, diarrhea, headache, restlessness, and irritability.

Drug addicts frequently resort to relapse during withdrawal even though they are determined to overcome their addiction, simply because of the severity of the physical withdrawal symptoms.

Some of these symptoms can be dangerous or even, in the case of some drugs such as alcohol and benzodiazepines, fatal; Also, withdrawal symptoms can be so unpleasant that some drug addicts experience suicidal thoughts while going through them. Here are some of the most common withdrawal symptoms:

Is abstinence dangerous?

As noted above, withdrawal can be extremely dangerous and even fatal without proper medical care. In terms of physical dependence, drug addicts, especially long-term drug addicts, can become so dependent on the substance of abuse to function normally that their systems can malfunction in dangerous ways, including the possible manifestation of seizures: which can be fatal, and high body temperature. And high blood pressure can lead to organ failure.

In the case of alcohol and benzodiazepines, abrupt discontinuation of use is strongly discouraged, as the sudden absence of these substances in the system can lead to fatal reactions. Even in cases where the withdrawal syndrome is not directly fatal, the person going through the withdrawal syndrome can experience such negative feelings and emotions that they can lead to self-harm or even suicide.

Furthermore, the consequences of withdrawal can be such that the risk of accidents is greatly increased, while particularly volatile behaviors, which can lead to violence and associated dangers, are not uncommon. For this reason, going through withdrawal independently without proper medical advice and assistance is strongly discouraged, and it is especially important that no one withdraws from a substance on their own.

How long does the withdrawal last?

Generally speaking, weaning from physical dependence will last between one and two weeks (although in a severe and prolonged addiction, it may take much longer, and it is important to remember that substance abuse prolonged use of certain substances can cause permanent damage to the health of the addict, with symptoms that may resemble withdrawal but do not go away over time).

Symptoms will peak after two to three days and may stabilize for several days but will generally begin to subside in the second week, and in most cases, most symptoms will disappear after two weeks.

Psychological Dependency

You tend to have longer-lasting withdrawal symptoms associated with it. Sleep patterns can be altered for weeks or even months, while disorders like depression can also persist significantly for more than fifteen days. If symptoms persist for much longer than this period, the drug user almost certainly has developed post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS), a long-term condition that generally requires extensive treatment to combat.

What is a medically assisted detox cure?

Medically assisted detoxification is the process of detoxification with the help of certain medications that can make the withdrawal process more bearable. It can mean treating some of the withdrawal symptoms with medication, for example, using hypnotics to combat insomnia, but it can also mean that the user gives up their addiction with the help of replacement medication.

Many long-term addicts benefit enormously from this substitution process because it reduces the impact of the initial shock of stopping use and allows the manifestation of much less severe withdrawal symptoms, which tend to disappear much faster than those associated with the initial substance.

What Medications Are Used For Medically Assisted Drug Rehab?

The drugs used in medically assisted drug rehab will depend on the substance of abuse in question and the nature of the withdrawal symptoms the person experiences. For example, antidepressants may be prescribed to combat depression (especially in the case of long-term withdrawal or post-acute withdrawal syndrome), while, as noted above, hypnotics may be prescribed to combat insomnia.

In the case of withdrawal and substitution, heroin addicts may be given methadone or buprenorphine/naloxone (which are opioids similar to heroin but have milder effects and are associated with less severe withdrawal symptoms), whereas Benzodiazepines are often prescribed to counteract alcohol withdrawal.

It is essential to note that many medications used in medically assisted detoxification are themselves potentially common and should never be administered by experienced healthcare professionals for more than a limited-time - no one should attempt to take them. Medically assisted detox regardless, as it could be fatal.

What are the benefits of drug detoxification?

For any drug addict, drug rehab can literally change her life. First, it will break the immediate cycle of addiction and abuse that will dominate the life of an addict; Although withdrawal can be extremely unpleasant, it is not intolerable, and once on the other side, free from the immediate pressures of your system's demand for your substance of abuse, you will feel a great weight being lifted from your shoulders and you can move on to the Next recovery phase without your days being dominated by drug buying and drunkenness.

Simply put, no one can live a drug-free life until they stop taking medication, and detoxification is the crucial first step in freeing yourself from the immediate need to take medication to feel "normal."

What happens after the detox?

What happens after the detox depends on the circumstances in which a person went through the detox. In drug rehab, detoxification is only the first phase of a holistic treatment program that will be provided to the person during their stay.

The next phase is a combination of therapies, both individual and group, during which we will address the root causes of addiction to understand the steps they have previously taken that led to the condition and how to avoid it, and will have defense mechanisms to protect them from the temptation to relapse.

They will also benefit from the benefits of a tailored diet and fitness plan to have the strongest possible foundation in terms of physical and mental health on which to approach their recovery.

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About the Creator

Mustafa Rangoonwala

Hello Reader,

My Name is Mustafa Rangoonwala, I am an Holistic Practitioner since last 7+ Years. I am a Graphologist, NLPMP, Reiki Master Practitioner, Ganotherapist and Vastu Consultant.

I have recently joined Vocal..Support me !!!!!!

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