Published January 8, 2021 · Reviewed by Sergey Litvinov, MD · ~674 words

The first detox is the one nobody can picture. You know it is going to be hard, and that is about the extent of what you know going in. Pines Recovery Life Detox provides drug and alcohol detoxification services to people with substance use disorders in South Florida, and for most of our patients this is the first time, with our therapists and medical staff alongside them. Below is what the days actually involve.

What is detox?

If you are addicted to drugs or alcohol, detox is how the remaining substance leaves your body, and it is the first step of recovery. Stopping on your own hurts, and depending on the drug, withdrawal symptoms can be mild, severe or life-threatening. That is the case for doing it supervised and structured, somewhere like Pines Recovery Life Detox.

Detox handles the physical side of a substance use disorder. The psychological side comes later, in a recovery or rehab program.

Expectations during detox

During detox we clear the drugs and alcohol out of your system, which gives you the physical stability to start substance use therapy. Your brain and body have gotten used to the substance and depend on it, so the withdrawal symptoms are unpleasant.

To minimize the symptoms of withdrawal, we offer medically assisted detox. Our patients get medication to take the edge off the discomfort and pain of withdrawal, given under the care of doctors and other medical staff. Plenty of people try to quit on their own, and few of them manage it.

Medically-assisted detox

We start with a thorough treatment evaluation, which gives the medical and therapeutic staff a baseline of where your body is on the day you arrive. Someone goes through your medical history with you and talks about the addiction. Tell them about everything you use. The plan is built from that, and it is only as good as what you tell us.

After noting the amount and number of drugs and alcohol in your body, we start clearing them out slowly. Withdrawal symptoms come as the drugs and alcohol leave. How bad it gets depends on how long you misused the drug, which drug it was, and how much you were taking. Your mental and physical health going in matters too.

What are the typical withdrawal symptoms?

Withdrawal brings psychological and physical symptoms. They vary with the substance used and the factors above, and people react to detox differently. That is why medical supervision matters so much.

Physical withdrawal

We monitor you around the clock, physically and mentally, for the whole of detox.

Physical withdrawal symptoms differ from person to person, but may include:

• Sweating
• Runny nose
• Nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting
• Shaking and shivering
• Increased heart rate
• Increased blood pressure
• Abdominal cramps
• Exhaustion
• Muscle and bone pain
• Headaches
• Unpleasant dreams

Psychological withdrawal

There are as many psychological withdrawal symptoms as physical ones. They may include:

• Irritability and paranoia
• Anxiety and agitation
• Insomnia
• Depression or confusion
• Poor concentration
• Intense cravings or mood swings

In severe cases, you may suffer from seizures, delirium, and hallucinations.

How long will you remain in detox?

We can give you a better estimate once your treatment evaluation is done. How long you stay in detox is what the medical and clinical team decide is right for you, depending on the substance misused.

Substance use detox in South Florida

After your condition stabilizes, we have an aftercare program to help you move into a recovery program. If you are ready to put weeks, months or years of substance use behind you, Pines Recovery Life Detox in South Florida can take it from here. Contact us at 800.263.3869, or contact us online for information on how to get started today.