Medical Drug Detox Services

Breaking free from substance use disorder begins with a trusted detox program. Attempting this step on your own can be dangerous, painful, and even life-threatening. Our detox services are designed to support your health and keep you comfortable as you go through withdrawal and begin your recovery.

What Is Drug Detox?

A medical drug detox center is a dedicated space where you can safely withdraw from drugs or alcohol with around-the-clock support from expert clinicians. As you remove harmful substances from your body, it’s best to undergo this process in a safe, supervised environment. Withdrawal can lead to uncomfortable side effects, but medical experts can manage them with proper care. 

While detox is often the first phase of addiction treatment, it is not a complete solution on its own. This program treats the immediate physical symptoms of addiction, but whole-person healing requires a more comprehensive approach. Once you’ve safely detoxed, you can begin treatment at a center that offers therapies to explore the mental and behavioral aspects of substance use for long-term recovery. 

Why Medical Detox Matters

Detox can be uncomfortable, with common side effects that can range from mild or moderate to severe or even fatal. Going through this step with expert clinical oversight greatly reduces your risk of negative outcomes. Clinicians at Sunrise Detox know exactly how to alleviate your pain, manage your cravings, and lower your risk of relapse. 

While rare, severe symptoms can occur, especially when individuals use substances heavily for a long period of time. For instance, some people with alcohol use disorder may experience seizures, dehydration, or a condition known as delirium tremens, characterized by confusion, tremors, and disorientation. 

Risks like these are exponentially heightened when you attempt to withdraw from drugs or alcohol on your own. A medical detox team can help monitor for these symptoms and intervene as necessary to keep you safe. 

Drugs That Commonly Require Detox

It’s always best to trust the detox process to a team of professionals who know how to walk you through this initial phase of recovery. Let’s take a look at some of the different substances that require a focused detox approach, and their associated withdrawal risk.

Opioids

Withdrawing from opioids can lead to mild symptoms, such as gastrointestinal discomfort, hot or cold flashes, and feelings of anxiety. More severe side effects include tremors, joint pain, and suicidal ideation. These include: heroin, fentanyl, methadone, morphine, Percocet, Oxycodone, codeine, and Vicodin.

Benzodiazepines 

Benzodiazepines are drugs that work as central nervous system (CNS) depressants. They’re used to treat conditions like anxiety and seizures, but they have a high potential for misuse. Withdrawing from benzos can lead to sleep disturbances, depression, and cognitive difficulty. These include: Xanax, Lorazepam, and Diazepam.

Stimulants 

Unlike benzodiazepines, stimulants excite the CNS. Also called uppers, they’re used to improve attention, increase alertness, and elevate mood. Some of the side effects of stimulant withdrawal include fatigue, agitation, and depression. These include: cocaine, methamphetamine, and amphetamines.

Alcohol 

When you withdraw from alcohol, you might feel jumpy, anxious, or shaky at first. You may also notice a lack of appetite, headaches, or difficulty sleeping. If you experience disorientation, fever, hallucinations, or an increased heart rate, this could be a sign of a more serious condition, such as delirium tremens. 

Prescription Drugs

If you misuse prescription drugs for recreational purposes, it’s important to withdraw safely under a medical detox program. You might experience muscle aches, dizziness, excessive sweating, and uncomfortable flu-like symptoms.

Sunrise Detox Approach

At our inpatient drug detox center, we take a specialized approach to drug and alcohol detox. Here’s what to expect. 

Medical Evaluation 

First, we’ll perform a comprehensive medical evaluation to learn more about your current condition, the current state of your addiction, and whether you’ve attempted to detox before. We’ll use the information gathered during this evaluation to create your personalized treatment plan for drug withdrawal management.

Medication Protocols

Your care team will closely monitor your progress to keep you comfortable and determine if medication is required. As needed, our nurses can use FDA-approved medications to manage your pain and lower your relapse risk.

In our medication-assisted detox program, we use over-the-counter pain relievers for muscle pain and headaches, Librium to reduce the risk of severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and Suboxone for safe opioid withdrawal. We may also administer safe sleeping pills to help you rest, as well as Valium to lower seizure risk for clients in benzodiazepine detox.

Emotional and Therapeutic Support

Therapy is a critical component of detox, allowing you to explore the mental and emotional sides of your addiction as you treat the physical symptoms. When you’re not in treatment or resting in your room, we encourage you to attend one of our therapy groups to find support and solidarity for recovery.

We offer individual, group, and peer-based therapy sessions at our detox treatment center. These can help you explore your triggers, understand your challenges, and learn valuable coping skills to support your progress. 

Typical Drug Detox Timeline 

There isn’t a set timeline for detoxing at Sunrise Detox. Those with more serious addictions may require more time to complete the program than others. The length of time required to successfully complete our drug detox program can vary based on each individual’s physical health and history of substance use. 

Likewise, detox timelines can also vary by substance. For example, opioid withdrawal can take four to 10 days, alcohol detox can take up to 10 days, and people addicted to benzodiazepines could require weeks or months to notice improvement. 

What Happens After Detox

After your detox program is complete, we’ll help you and your loved ones navigate your next steps. Our aftercare support includes connecting you to nearby outpatient or residential treatment programs where you can continue your recovery progress and build upon the foundation you created at Sunrise Detox. 

Long-term treatment can mitigate your relapse risk, providing you with the support you need to abstain from drugs or alcohol for good. These programs address all aspects of addiction, treating your mind, body, and spirit.