Published October 10, 2021 · Reviewed by Sergey Litvinov, MD · ~625 words

Social detox uses emotional support to get people through the side effects of withdrawal. Medical detox uses medical treatment and therapy for the same job. Social detox is for people with mild addictions. A therapist and counseling staff run it, and family members can take part, to stop the addiction going any further.

At Pines Recovery Life Detox, detox stabilization is key to the recovery process. Our team has years of experience helping people into recovery. If you or a loved one needs addiction specialists and therapists, reach out to Pines Recovery Life Detox today by calling 800.263.3869 or completing our online form. First, the differences between social detox vs. medical detox.

What is a social detox?

Social detox is the first step when it is clear a patient will not need medical intervention. A licensed therapist uses talk therapy, including cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy, to teach coping skills against the thoughts and emotions that trigger the desire to relapse.

Medical detox requires a hospital setting, with doctors and nurses monitoring the patient. That costs money. Social detox does not carry the expense of a hospital stay and 24-hour medical care, which makes it cheaper.

Social detox vs. medical detox

Which one suits a patient depends on how severe the addiction is. Several conditions get assessed first, including:

• Diagnosis of the substance use problem
• Patient’s willingness to undergo treatment
• No physical issues that could be adversely affected by treatment
• Alternative options have been presented to the patient

Medical qualifiers include:

• A heart or lung condition, or other physical limitations that may be exacerbated by opioid agonists
• A history of medication misuse
• Unmotivated to stop using drugs or alcohol
• FDA-approved medication is not able to treat the addiction
• A co-occurring substance use problem that might counteract the medication-assisted therapy

What to expect from a social detox program

Talk therapy, also called psychotherapy, is counseling sessions guided by a licensed therapist. It starts with individual sessions and adds group and family counseling. The two main forms used in most recovery programs are cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). In CBT you learn how illogical thought patterns produce actions and emotions that set you back in recovery. Act on those impulses and you lose ground. CBT retrains how you respond, so recovery becomes something you can handle. It is one of many therapies we use.

Trust is one of the biggest issues for people in addiction recovery. We use dialectical behavior therapy so our clients can trust other people while they work through their addiction. DBT involves:

• Emotional regulation
• Mindfulness
• Interpersonal effectiveness
• Distress tolerance

Learn more about social detox vs. medical detox from our team

At Pines Recovery Life Detox we use CBT and DBT in individual, group and family counseling. Our luxury residential detox lets you concentrate on the substance use while we take care of the rest. Reach us online or at 800.263.3869 to take the first step toward recovery.