Why Detox is Important

It is well known that every year, millions of people struggle with drug and alcohol addiction. This complicated disease has emerged as one of the biggest impactors of the healthcare system, and society, in general. Because of this, there has been a large push to find ways of helping those struggling with addiction, and getting them back to their everyday lives. Detox is important as one of the major aspects in all forms of drug and alcohol treatment.

What is Detox?

Detox is the first step toward recovery.

Drugs and alcohol are essentially poisons. That is why they have such a drastic effect on the mind and body. Drug and alcohol detoxification, or detox as it is more commonly known, is the process of detoxifying the body of toxins related to drug or alcohol abuse. Detoxify, as defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “to remove a poisonous or harmful substance from (something).” Some of the things that detox accomplishes include:

• the removal of toxins from drugs or alcohol
• the end of physical dependence on drugs or alcohol
• the management of withdrawal symptoms
• the prevention of the reintroduction of drug and alcohol toxins

All of these benefits make detox an integral part of the recovery process, and one of the most important aspects of any treatment program.

What Is Detox Treatment?

Detox is the first step in most major drug and alcohol treatment programs. However, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, detox, in and of itself, does not meet the qualifications of treatment. Because of the complicated and multi-faceted nature of the disease of addiction, there are a number of other aspects that need to be addressed in order for a program to qualify as treatment. These include:

• mental health
• lifestyle
• lingering effects of the drugs or alcohol on physical well-being
• after-care and monitoring for relapse

All of these things must be addressed for a treatment program to be successful. Even if it does not constitute treatment itself, detox remains one of the most important aspects of drug and alcohol recovery.

Why Detox is Important

Any drug or alcohol treatment center will tell you that you can’t really recover from drug or alcohol addiction without removing that substance from your body and your life. The focus of treatment, therefore, revolves around abstinence. Achieving true abstinence is impossible as long as the effects of the drugs or alcohol are still in your system. If you are suffering from drug or alcohol abuse, seek out a detox program so that you can begin your recovery today.

The importance of detox is obvious, removing the toxins from your body is extremely important to any recovery effort. It is important to remember that detoxing off some substances can be extremely dangerous if not deadly. Medical monitoring is important and selecting the correct detox facility is crucial to make sure that you detox in a healthy if not comfortable manner. For more information on how to detox safely, call us 800-996-6135(Who Answers?) .

Sources

1. Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (n.d.). Detoxify: definition of Detoxify.
2. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2017). Frequently Asked Questions: What is Detoxification, or “detox”?