During detox, you will be faced with oftentimes overwhelming withdrawal symptoms, such as intense cravings, muscle spasms, depression, hallucinations, seizures or even heart attacks. Therefore, detoxing alone, otherwise called going cold turkey, is never recommended by rehab experts. Not only is this DIY process less effective than a medically supervised one; it is also unsafe and poses multiple health risks.
Here are 10 major benefits of going to a drug and alcohol rehab over detoxing on your own.
1. Professional, Evidence-Based Rehab Process
Detoxing alone is a whimsical approach and thus a futile attempt to become sober. On the other hand, medically supervised detox conducted at drug and alcohol treatment centers is professionally structured to make rehabilitation and recovery a safe success. We also recommend reaching out to Los Angeles Addiction support groups for additional info.
2. Medical Support
Medical professionals are trained in helping clients through a safe and successful rehab journey. Whether it is inpatient or outpatient detox, the success rate of cases under medical supervision is infinitely higher.
3. Moral Support
More than just medical professional aid, clients can also benefit from individual, family and group therapies that provide much-needed moral support and guidance crucial to recovery progress. Detoxing alone means having no solid support group to help you through detox and relapse prevention.
4. Safe and Secure
If you detox alone, you rely on no one else but yourself. If you suffer a heart attack as an effect of withdrawal during an attempt at detox, no one can run to your aid ASAP. At a rehab facility, on the other hand, you can receive careful monitoring, also considering possible underlying medical conditions. Furthermore, you are a lot safer from falling back into your drug or alcohol habit since you will be constantly reminded and encouraged to lead a healthier lifestyle with the help of counseling, therapy, and support groups. This safety net is made even stronger in an inpatient approach since clients will stay in a residential facility that is conducive to recovery and which can somehow restrict clients from accessing drugs and alcohol to sustain their habit.
5. Dual Diagnosis Approach
Specialists can thoroughly assess and diagnose other co-occurring mental health disorders along with addiction. More often than not, clients with addiction problems tend to also have mental issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and others. Receiving mental health treatment side by side with addiction treatment ensures a better chance of recovery progress and success.
6. A More Comfortable and Tolerable Detox Experience
Withdrawal symptoms experienced during detox varies from one client to another. Whether mild or severe, rehab professionals can make your detox experience somehow more comfortable. Going cold turkey is often unsuccessful because the withdrawal effects can be painfully unbearable on your own and thus you are forced to give in to your cravings. A medically assisted detox, however, involves various support groups, which include a medical staff, therapists, and counselors, as well as fellow recovering clients to motivate and encourage you to stay on track. In addition, your doctor can prescribe medication to ease the otherwise overwhelming withdrawal symptoms.
7. Holistic Therapeutic Approach
Aside from the conventional detox and counseling, you can benefit from various alternative wellness options such as meditation, Yoga and Pilates exercise, massage therapy, music and art therapy, and more. These regular activities render clients more receptive to treatment and make the detox process a whole lot smoother, more comfortable and more effective.
8. Recovery Tools
Detoxing under the care of rehab experts also means acquiring the necessary tools for recovery, whereas you learn basically nothing when detoxing alone. Aside from assisting you through a safer and more successful detox process, specialists can arm you with much-needed knowledge and practical skills that you can apply during detox and even after getting out of the program. These essential life tools will be taught and shared with you through an individualized treatment plan that may include personal, group and family therapy, as well as other therapeutic approaches.
9. Aftercare and Relapse Prevention
Even if you somehow succeed and make it through detox on your own, you will still have to deal with the issue of relapse. Addiction is a relapsing disease and thus requires strict adherence to a treatment plan designed by rehab pros to overcome withdrawal symptoms and prevent relapses.
10. Peace of Mind
By subjecting yourself to a drug and alcohol rehab, your family and loved ones can sleep better at night knowing that you are under the care of specialists.
