Drug Detox in Bay City, TX

At our drug and alcohol rehab for drug detox in Bay City, we often see that our patients attempt to draw comparisons between the detoxification that New Age health clinics promote, and the detoxification practiced at rehab centers. The process favored by health enthusiasts is dubious science. In the context of addiction, however, detoxification is fully valid.

The term detoxification as used in addiction science is a misnomer, however. It is a leftover, from an era when researchers believed that treating addiction required a cleansing or purging of the system. Today, while the term sticks, it indicates a completely different concept, one backed by modern, evidence-based science.

What is Detoxification?

Addictive substances, when they are allowed to course through the brain over an extended period of time, cause far-reaching change to various critical areas of chemical balance. The brain tends to adapt to the altered chemical levels that drugs cause. This is part of the process by which addiction is a step establishes itself in the brain.

When an addict goes off drugs, the sudden change creates chemical imbalances in the brain. The equilibrium established to that point no longer works, because drugs have been taken out of the equation. The brain does act to readapt to life without drugs; unfortunately, it is a process that takes weeks. During this period, the brain's chemical balance remains erratic, in a state of flux. The term detoxification indicates the period of time during which the brain regroups.

Detoxification can be a very high risk to the addict. The brain, when it is in a state of disruption, can experience all manner of adverse symptoms. Cocaine addicts detoxifying experience severe anxiety, sleeplessness and mood disorders. Alcoholics experience pain, lethargy and agitation. Both types of addict can experience arrhythmia of the heart, erratic blood pressure levels, hallucinations and seizures.

Detoxification is about more than having to go through a period of discomfort. These symptoms can be dangerous. In a significant proportion of addicts experiencing detoxification, the symptoms can be serious enough to cause death through cardiac arrest or stroke. That's why seeking treatment at our center for drug detox in Bay City is essential.

Inpatient Vs. Outpatient Rehab

The detoxification process does not have to be as fraught with risk. Addicts attempting to quit are recommended to undergo the process through a drug detoxification program at a licensed center for drug detox. A drug detox program aims to help patients through detoxification through the administration of medications capable of suppressing harmful or painful effects. Drug detox programs, when correctly planned and deployed, can be very effective. Patients have the option of accepting treatment on an outpatient basis, for checking in for inpatient care.

In outpatient care, patients are expected to show up for treatment 30 minutes a day. In some cases, patient care can be put together with a day hospital program. Depending on the drug and the seriousness of the addiction in question, drug detox can last between two and four weeks.

In our inpatient rehab in Bay City, patients check into a facility for detox. They are housed in a drug-free environment under medical supervision. Medical care and support are offered night and day, and medications are offered to help tame the intensity of symptoms. Inpatient care also includes long-term therapy, education and counseling to help patients understand and engage in their treatment.

Which Treatment Approach Is Better?

Typically, outpatient detoxification is recommended for people with mild addictions uncomplicated by other problems such as psychiatric disorders. Patients with mild addictions tend to be highly motivated; since there is no around-the-clock care, board or lodging offered, treatments tend to be cheaper. Outpatient care tends to be a good idea for people who have jobs to go to.

The downside to outpatient treatment for the drug detox process is that with the level of freedom offered, patients often fall off the wagon, even when they are highly motivated. The draw of drugs can simply be too much for them.

Inpatient addicts rarely quit treatment partway. The fact that they are not free to cheat, helps. The approach is suitable for patients who have serious addictions to substances such as alcohol, cocaine and benzodiazepines that come with the risk of seizure. It is also well-suited to patients with psychiatric disorders, those with serious health deterioration, suicidal or other violent tendencies, or those with poor levels of family support.

It has been established that inpatient treatment programs in Bay City are better in every case. While some studies do point to the possibility that there isn't much difference of outcome when these approaches are compared, these studies tend to mislead. In reality, success rates at outpatient drug detox centers usually only appear encouraging because they tend to take on easier patients.

Inpatient care is superior on many metrics and offers better outcomes because there is a greater level of engagement by both the addiction specialist and the patient. The inpatient environment demands it. At our center for drug detox in Bay City, we recommend inpatient rehab, as well. If you would like to seek more information, all you need to do is to contact us at (877) 804-1531.