What Is Medical Detox?

Medical detox is a fundamental first step in addiction treatment. During a medically supervised detox, the body removes drugs and alcohol from its system, which can involve uncomfortable or dangerous withdrawal symptoms. Our medical team provides 24/7 supervision and treatment for symptoms to make detox as safe and comfortable as possible.

OUR PROCESS

What to Expect During the Detox Process

Because each patient is unique, The Recovery Village takes great care to ensure that all medical detox treatment plans are carefully customized to meet every individual’s needs. Before the medical detox process begins, a member of our 24-hour nursing staff sits down with each new resident to better understand the complexities of their condition.

This initial evaluation may include some or all of the following components:

• Personalized assessment
• Drug and alcohol screening
• Co-occurring disorders evaluation
• Comprehensive medical assessment
• Psychological assessment
• Risk assessment
• Social assessment

Once this evaluation is complete, patients begin the detoxification process at our inpatient medical detox center. While the average period of medical detox lasts between five and ten days, it’s important to keep in mind that every case is different. For some, medical detox may be longer. For others, shorter. Generally, it is one of the most difficult parts of the recovery process.

As the detox process begins, withdrawal symptoms and drug or alcohol cravings quickly set in. The intensity, length and variety of these side effects may be different for every person depending on the type and amount of substances used, length of addiction, family history, biochemistry and co-occurring conditions. The side effects of withdrawal can range from mild annoyances like headaches, mood swings and irritability, to more severe symptoms like tremors, vomiting and muscle tension.