What Can I Expect?

Becoming sober from drugs and alcohol is not a cut-and-dry process for the many people around the world suffering from addiction. It is a more involved process including therapy, aftercare and ongoing work. The first stages of becoming sober can often be the most feared and difficult. This includes making the decision to become sober and detoxing from the addictive substances. However, there is a wealth knowledge for what to expect, as well as medicated assisted detox options available to you to make sure you detox in the most comfortable way possible. Pinelands works closely with different medical assisted treatment options under the supervision of our our medical staff that include an Addictionologist, RN’s LVN’s and therapists.

Stages of Detox

The beginning stages of detox can be extremely intense for most clients, and it can be the time when relapse is most likely. Cravings are at an all-time high and the general uncomfortable feeling may prove to be too much for people to handle if they do not have medical and psychiatric support on hand during this time. Turning back to drugs or alcohol in order to feed their brain’s need for it is extremely tempting, however, help is available to get through it.

Some general uncomfortable symptoms include nausea, vomiting, sweating, tremors, hallucinations, anxiety, agitation, insomnia and seizures. While these are common symptoms, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to what detox is like. Detox can be different for everyone, and the severity of withdrawal symptoms depend on the length and severity of the addiction, as well as if there are any co-occurring mental disorders or the dosage in which a patient enters treatment with. Taking advantage of medicated assisted detox can help you feel more comfortable when unexpected symptoms arise.

Alcohol Detox

Alcohol withdrawal is extremely dangerous and should be done under the supervision of a medical professional. Some cases of heavy and prolonged alcohol abuse may lead to Delirium tremens, which is a severe form of alcohol withdrawal. It is associated with sudden changes to the nervous system, and is a medical emergency. It can be fatal if it is left untreated, and occurs in about 10% of those experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Some symptoms to look out for associated with this condition include:

  • Hallucinations
  • Seizures
  • Agitation
  • Changes in mental function
  • Deep sleep that lasts for one or more days
  • Confusion or disorientation

Common side effects of alcohol withdrawal that aren’t dangerous or fatal include:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Insomnia
  • Sweating
  • Shivering
  • Anxiety
  • Slow movements or thoughts

Medicated assisted detox can help with subsiding these uncomfortable symptoms so you can focus on therapy and getting to the root cause of your addiction. In addition, we work with a 24 hour on-site medical staff to give you immediate medical attention, should you begin to experience Delirium tremens. Since alcohol withdrawal could lead to death, it is extremely dangerous to attempt alone and should be done under medical supervision.

Opioid Detox

Opioid use is on the rise and is more rampant now than ever. Prescription painkillers are being prescribed at an alarming rate. While people who are prescription painkillers may be well intentioned, such as taking the medication during recovery from surgery or a painful injury, it can easily lead to addiction. Taking more than prescribed, having multiple prescriptions and ultimately abusing heroin are common red flags for opioid addiction.

When someone is detoxing from opioids, they may experience the following withdrawal symptoms:

  • Muscle pain
  • Diarrhea
  • Vomiting
  • Nausea
  • Restlessness
  • Sweating
  • Anxiety
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Insomnia
  • Tremors

Medication is available during the detox process to help slowly wean the client off of the drug, curb any cravings and help with the withdrawal symptoms. Being able to experience a comfortable detox process with medicated assisted detox is extremely beneficial to the therapy process, as well as helping to resist the urge to use.

Stimulant Detox

Detoxing from stimulants, such as cocaine and methamphetamines, is very difficult as well. The detox symptoms of stimulants can cause not only physical discomfort, but mental health complications as well. This is because stimulants work by release extreme amounts of dopamine, causing a euphoric high. When dopamine is no longer being released in those amounts during detox, it can cause emotional issues. These can include:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Suicidal thoughts

Stimulants are short-acting drugs, meaning withdrawal symptoms come on very quickly – within minutes or hours – and they leave the body relatively quickly, as well. Withdrawal symptoms from stimulants can subside in a matter of days. This doesn’t discredit how uncomfortable it can be, and being able to have medical and psychological help during this time is vital, especially if someone is feeling depressed or suicidal.

About Pinelands Recovery Center

If you are ready to become sober, or are encouraging a loved one to go to treatment, medicated assisted detox is a powerful tool to help you begin your sobriety. The detox process is one of the biggest reasons people do not want to enter treatment because they do not want to experience the extreme withdrawal symptoms. Knowing that you will be in good hands and have 24/7 medical attention to help you be as pain-free as possible is very comforting. There are medications available to help you wean off of drugs, curb withdrawal symptoms and stop your cravings. Pinelands works with you to help find the best medicated assisted detox options available, as well as maintain treatment after you have completed our program.

Pinelands Recovery Center of Medford is widely known as one of New Jersey’s finest, most respected addiction treatment facilities. With comfortable 30-bed accommodations and a 24-hour professional staff, we can offer clients a serene, relaxing environment amid the lush piney woods. This stress-free setting with its sense of warmth and welcoming enables you to feel comfortable and confident about your clean and sober life ahead.

We will establish clear goals, both general in nature and specific to your needs. We continue to monitor those goals, to make sure that our clients are progressing and buying into their recovery plan. We thrive on assisting clients in feeling connected to the recovery community, share and demonstrate effective coping techniques, help clients to modify attitudes and patterns of behavior and everything else you will need to be happy and productive living a sober, healthy life.

For more information, visit pinelandsrecovery.com