If an individual has been abusing drugs or alcohol for an extended period of time, he or she will experience a wide range of associated detox symptoms as soon as use is stopped abruptly. Depending on what substance was abused, the severity of abuse and how long the individual was abusing this chemical substance, the symptoms of withdrawal can range from harshly physically uncomfortable to severe and life-threatening. Medical detox is a mandatory beginning step on every single journey of recovery. Not only does medically monitored detox allow for a safe and pain-free withdrawal experience, but clinical staff members help clients transition into the next appropriate level of clinical care. In order for sobriety to be maintained long-term, the individual must transfer into intensive inpatient or intensive outpatient treatment as soon as he or she has been deemed physically fit to do so – this way, relapse is effectively avoided.
Recovery-Related Services – Helping Our Clients Succeed Long-Term
For most individuals, medically monitored detox will last for between one and two weeks, depending on the severity of the withdrawal symptoms. Most reputable detox programs offer a wide range of therapeutic services in addition to around the clock medical care. At Chapel Hill Detox, for example, we provide a range of recovery-related services geared towards helping our clients make the most of their medical detox experience. Some of the services we provide include:
- Individual and group therapy. We offer our clients the opportunity to participate in one individual therapy session every week, as well as daily group therapy sessions. In individual therapy, clients are able to sit down with a professional and licensed therapist and discuss future treatment options, personal history with substance abuse and the presence of any underlying disorders or mental health concerns. In group therapy sessions, a wide range of recovery related topics are addressed, including addiction education and relapse prevention techniques.
- 12-step program immersion. At Chapel Hill Detox, we bring at least one 12-step meeting into our facility every day. We also offer group sessions that delve into the 12-step model of addiction recovery and explain each step in detail. We believe in the immense benefits of the 12-step methodology, and we work to introduce each of our clients to this beneficial recovery tool as thoroughly as possible.
- Relapse prevention training. Without relapse prevention, staying sober is all but impossible. We work too and still our clients with the skills and coping mechanisms they need in order to maintain sobriety long-term. We focus on identifying and working through uncomfortable emotions, identifying personal relapse triggers which can include a variety of people, places and things and we work to thoroughly educate our clients on the dangers involved in returning to substance use after a period of sobriety.
- Nutritional guidance and support. Not only does Chapel Hill detox offer clients a fully stocked kitchen which is available 24 hours a day, but we provide daily chef-prepared meals and educate our clients on why maintaining a nutritious diet is essential to facilitating the healing process. Adequate nutrition is also necessary to speed along the detoxification process. Many of our clients come to us malnourished, lacking the vitamins and minerals they need to stabilize physically and mentally. We ensure that each of our clients has access to three well-rounded meals a day and a variety of healthy and nutritious snacks.
- Rehab placement services and case management services. Upon admission to our medical detox program, each client sits down with the clinical team and his or her case manager as they conduct a personalized evaluation. This evaluation helps the case manager determine which level of clinical care is appropriate as the client continues on into the next phase of addiction recovery. We offer individualized rehab placement services, and we work closely with several reputable, gender-specific rehabs in the immediate area.
One of the best ways to make the most of your personal detox experience is by taking advantage of all provided services, considering you are feeling physically up to doing so.
Tips for Making the Most Out of Your Detox Experience
Below are several additional tips that will help you make the very most out of your detox experience.
- Do what you can to develop healthy relationships with the other men or women that you are in detox with. Because most recovery communities are close knit, there is a good chance that you will see these people again if they maintain sobriety long-term. Developing healthy and functional friendships is essential to maintaining sobriety. Practice your communication skills while understanding that you are certainly not alone in your struggles, and that many other individuals have been through similar experiences.
- Take advantage of provided services when you are feeling up to it, but remember that your main priority is physical healing. Nourish your body, eating three well-rounded meals a day if you are able to stomach them, and get as much sleep as your body needs. Medical detox allows you the opportunity to relax and heal in a safe and supportive environment, giving your body a much-needed break from the devastation of active addiction.
- Listen to the advice of the clinical and medical professionals. As addicts and alcoholics, we tend to believe that we know what is best for ourselves, even when that is clearly not the case. If a prescribing physician suggests the medication that will help alleviate psychological cravings and the more severe physical symptoms of withdrawal, it is better to heed his or her advice than attempt to take matters into your own hands. Remember that your clinical and medical team has your best interest at heart, and they would never do anything to compromise your recovery.
- Participate in as many 12-step meetings as you can. The 12-step program of recovery is heavily incorporated into most reputable rehab programs, so it is best to get thoroughly introduced as soon as possible. Show up to the meeting, and do what you can to share when clients are called upon. Stick around after the meeting and approach the speaker to further discuss his or her personal experiences with sobriety. Not only will this give you firsthand insight into the remainder of the process, but it might instill you with the hope you need to continue along in your recovery journey with confidence.
Chapel Hill Detox – A Comprehensive Detox Experience
Chapel Hill Detox provides a comprehensive experience, geared towards instilling men and women with the tools they need to maintain long-term sobriety and achieve success during every remaining phase of the early recovery process. We believe in immersing our clients in therapeutic care and effective holistic methodologies as soon as possible, and because of this we provide each and every one of our clients with a wide range of services and resources. Because medically monitored detox is only the very first stage of every effective recovery journey, we prioritize rehab placement, taking all underlying and contributing factors of substance abuse into careful consideration. For example, if an individual simultaneously suffers at the hands of a mental health condition, we will recommend a dual diagnosis rehab center that focuses on physical mental and emotional healing. For more information on our integrated and effective detox program or to begin your own personal journey of healing, please feel free to reach out to us today.