Essentially, you can detox yourself, but it takes a lot of self-control and the will to stop. If you’ve already decided that you need professional help or medical supervision by the time you’re thinking about detoxing, your body may be in an advanced stage of addiction. Also, some drugs are dangerous if someone isn’t experienced enough with them. This puts them at risk of head trauma or other injuries that can cause permanent disability or death. This piece will discuss how you can tell if you can detox yourself or if you need help in a treatment center.
1. Consider Your Health
If you have a serious medical condition or injury, it may be best to check into a detox center. Heavy painkiller addiction can lead to seizures and even heart failure—and if your body is already damaged from years of drug abuse, you could make the situation worse by trying to do it on your own. On the same note, people who become addicted after getting prescriptions for legitimate reasons may need medical assistance with overcoming their cravings – especially if they’ve been taking high doses for a significant length of time. Your doctor will be able to help you find an appropriate detox center that specializes in helping patients overcome addictions related to long-term prescription drug use.
2. Have You Tried To Quit And Failed?
Undergoing treatment for drug addiction is an important step in recovery. If you’ve already tried quitting on your own but experienced intense cravings or withdrawal symptoms that made it impossible, don’t try to go through with cold turkey again. In the short term, quitting drugs may give you a small high, but it will likely cause a much bigger letdown – both physically and emotionally – in the long term. You’ll have to deal with painful withdrawal symptoms that last for weeks if you detox without medical supervision, and this discomfort can keep you from staying clean after your treatment program ends.
3. Tolerance And Dependence
According to the NIDA, “Tolerance is a condition in which the person no longer responds to the drug as he or she initially did, while dependence produces withdrawal symptoms when drug use stops.” This is why it’s important not to stop using drugs suddenly without medical supervision. It can cause serious—and possibly fatal—harm if you’re dependent on these substances and they leave your body all at once.
4. The Length Of Time You’ve Been Using Drugs
If you’ve abused drugs or alcohol for years, it may take longer than a week to detox. It could even take months—and during that time, you will need help managing your cravings and withdrawal symptoms. No matter what substance you’re addicted to, the only way to overcome an addiction is through professional support.
5. The Number Of Different Drugs You Use On A Regular Basis
If you have been using multiple kinds of substances for a significant period of time, there’s no telling how many different effects they might have on your body. Some medications can interact with each other, so it’s best not to take any chances if you’ve been taking drugs for a long time. It’s possible that you might not even know which ones are safe to use by yourself.
6. Other Unhealthy Habits
In addition to using drugs, do you drink alcohol excessively? Have you been smoking cigarettes for a long time? It’s important to address any bad habits related to addiction before you try going cold turkey or seek treatment. In short, if your body is already in a weakened state from abusing numerous substances, it will make your detox symptoms much worse and could put your health at risk too.
7. How Bad Are Your Cravings?
Do you frequently think about using drugs, or do you go out of your way to make sure that they’re accessible at all times? If so, you may have already developed an addiction. When people become addicted, cravings can pop up at any time – and even if your trip was “successful” the last time around, there’s no guarantee that this will happen again. You could end up taking part in risky behaviors like stealing or selling your belongings to get another high.
In conclusion, the only way to get rid of an addiction is through professional help. You should never try and do it by yourself, especially if you’ve already tried and failed. If you want to get started, be sure to contact us today at 833-364-0736.