Alcohol Detox

An essential and integral part of any addiction treatment recovery program is something known as Detoxification, or Detox for short. While detox is not specific to addiction treatment, it does form the basis of successful drug addiction recovery. But what exactly is detox and what is involved when used as part of a drug addiction treatment recovery program?

Definitions for Alcohol Detoxification

'treatment given either to fight a person's dependence on alcohol or other drugs or to rid the body of a poisonous substance and its effects'

'removal of a toxic substance such as a drug or alcohol from the body'

'the process of removing a poison or toxin or the effect of either from an area or individual'

'is the process by which a user withdraws from the effects of a drug. It usually refers to withdrawal in a safe environment (a detoxification/detox center), with help on hand to minimize the unpleasant symptoms'

The overall meaning is the same. Alcohol detox is the means by which harmful substances, alcohol in particular, and the effects of such substances are removed from the body. This is achieved with varying methods of cleansing. At Stone Hawk, we use a sauna for detoxification, as this has proven to be the most effective method of cleansing the body.

Drug abuse, especially after a long period of time, results in a collection of toxins that the body is unable to remove. These toxins are often responsible for the large percentage of cases where an ex-addict has relapsed. The collected toxins may have damaging effects and severe medical consequences on the body if left untreated, but may also contribute to recurring drug abuse problems.

Detox works to rid the body of these unwanted and potentially dangerous toxins and drug abuse by-products. Simple detox programs are often followed by people wishing to cleanse the system or improve the effectiveness of diets. Examples of such detox programs are increased water intake, single food consumption (such as soup Detox), and mineral detox plans. Detoxification regarding drug and alcohol addiction is often more intensive. Such examples of this type of detox commonly found as part of any good addiction treatment recovery program are saunas and medicinal or prescription detox. There are varying intensities of detox methods, depending on the addiction in question and the individual's personality and circumstances. Some detox methods demand a full-on approach, such as rapid detox, which, whilst effective in treating certain addiction problems, may cause some short-term but intense withdrawal and side effects. Longer term, more interactive and passive methods of detox work particularly well with less deep seated addictions and individuals with a certain degree of willpower.

Alternative therapies are becoming increasingly more common in addiction treatment recovery programs. Acupuncture, aroma therapy and homeopathy have shown to be successful in treating some types of addictions under supervised professional situations and offer a more natural and drug free approach to detoxification.

Detox is a necessary part of any good addiction recovery program in order to fully cleanse the body of any remaining by-products of drug and alcohol addiction and give the patient the best start on the road to recovery.

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