Why do Hospitals Refer to Detox Centers?

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, detoxing off certain drugs is dangerous and can be deadly if not done correctly. When you decide to detox off a drug most hospitals will refer you to one of the many detox centers available to you. There are many reasons why they defer to a full detox and rehab facility.

Type of Detox

Some types of detox are best done in the hospital while others are best done in a rehab facility. The drugs involved in a hospital detox are usually those drugs where detox can cause serious harm such as alcohol and benzodiazepines, both of which can kill. Detoxing from these and other drugs presents dangers that can only be handled in a hospital.

Drugs where withdrawal and detox takes a longer time or are not dangerous can easily be done in a detox facility where the medical attention is not as sophisticated. For some types of detox, it is better to be near an emergency facility because things can go wrong, other types of detox are safer, and it is more comfortable to do it in a detox facility.

Hospitals are Short Term Facilities

Hospitals often refer patients to detox centers so they can continue receiving needed treatment.

Hospitals are only short term facilities that offer short term solutions to detox and addiction issues. They can clear a drug from someone system but cannot help a person with counseling or any form of long term care. Most people who need detox also need addiction treatment. Very few hospitals have facilities for this treatment.

Hospitals are Equipped to Handle Emergencies

Hospitals can handle almost any medical emergency. Most people who have a medical or mental condition that detoxing off a drug makes dangerous need a hospital for their detox procedures. If a medical emergency arises, a hospital can handle it efficiently and quickly, a detox center cannot. There is 24 hour emergency medical staff, surgeries, and other facilities that only a hospital can offer.

Detox Centers are Equipped for Long Term Care

Detox centers offer long term detox. Some drugs take as much as two to four weeks to fully withdrawal from. A detox facility can handle this length where as a hospital cannot. Hospitals are short term facilities and can only handle patients for a very short time before the bed needs to be available for someone who is more critical. They normally do not keep patients for as long as it takes to completely detox off drugs that take a long time.

Detox Centers have Facilities for Drug Treatment

Most detox centers are not just detox centers; they are detox centers and addiction treatment facilities. This means they have counseling and other treatment options available to help you completely overcome the addiction not just stop using temporarily. Many complete addiction facilities have a detox center built in for both medical detox and addiction treatment.

For more information on hospital detox and detox center treatment, call us at 800-996-6135(Who Answers?) . We can help you decide which type of treatment is right for you and help you find a treatment center.