When a person is going through the detoxification phase of addiction recovery, whether it is for drugs or alcohol, the body and mind is actually being deprived of a substance that it became dependent on. Whether the dependence is physical and mental, or strictly mental (as some dependencies can be), the fact is that the body and mind are still expecting that substance to be introduced into the body in some way.
Depending on if one is going through drug detoxification or alcohol detoxification, the withdrawal symptoms may be different. For instance, when a person is going through alcohol withdrawal, a common occurrence during the withdrawal phase is a condition called delirium tremens, or the DTs. This can cause shaking, sweating, and feelings that a person’s skin is crawling or that something is crawling on the person. Some people going through the DTs even hallucinate.
In drug detoxification, especially if the drug was intended for pain relief, the pain may be no more severe than it ever was, but because the person is not used to feeling any pain, or very little at least, it may seem much worse or seem to last much longer. Illicit drugs such as heroin or cocaine can cause nausea, sweating, and stomach cramps, among other symptoms.
Because of the intense symptoms associated with alcohol detoxification and drug detoxification, it is usually best if the withdrawal stage is accomplished while a person is in a detox center. In this way, the person can receive medical attention if it is necessary, as well as receive palliative care, such as IV fluids to combat dehydration, and—what may be the most important of all—someone who truly cares to simply hold their hand and wipe their face while they are going through the worst of it.
For information on a detox center in your region, please contact us at http://www.detox-center.com/ or 1-866-923-1134.
