The Hidden Dangers of Detoxing at Home

The Reality and Risks of Cold Turkey Detox Methods

At first, it might seem like a good option to simply go through alcohol detox at home. After all, you are comfortable in your own home, so you might think that you can just deal with the withdrawal symptoms until they pass and then move on with the rest of your recovery.

It’s admirable to think about taking on this process alone, but it is ill-advised for a number of reasons.

Below, we’ll look in to the dangers of detoxing at home isn’t a great idea, and what you might want to consider doing as an alternative.

Speaking of an alternative, one of the best options available to you is calling Ingrained Recovery to learn more about how our treatment options can help you pave the way to a brighter future. Don’t wait another moment to make this call and put the wheels in motion.

Understanding Detox and Its Risks

While alcohol detox or drug detox are extremely important starting points on the road to recovery, they are often misunderstood or used incorrectly. Knowing what should and shouldn’t happen during detox is a good starting point for this process.

Definition of Detox and Its Purpose

The process of clearing habit-forming or mind-altering substances from the body is known as detoxification or detox. The most structured and supportive form of detox, is a medically supervised detox. This can include many different types of things but is most closely associated with drugs and alcohol. While not always required, detox is commonly the first step when an individual has decided to work on overcoming substance abuse.

Detox has a relatively simple purpose – to get rid of the toxins that have accumulated throughout the body through the use of drugs or alcohol.

Substance abuse is going to lead to a buildup of toxins in the body and it’s not really practical to start recovery without first addressing that problem. However, it should be said that detox from alcohol or drugs is not the same as a “cure”, or even being in recovery. This is simply a necessary starting point for addiction treatment that will hopefully lead to lasting recovery moving forward.

The Importance of Medical Supervision

Medical supervision can be important because detox from alcohol or drugs can be dangerous in addition to difficult. It is possible that life-threatening complications can develop while going through detox, so severe withdrawal symptoms are more than just a matter of discomfort.

A medical professional being on hand for the detox process makes things much safer, as the individual can be monitored, medications can be administered, and interventions can be used when serious health risks come up.

The Most Common Symptoms of Withdrawal

It’s common for detoxing at home to start innocently enough before it starts to get out of hand. There are many different symptoms that are possible, including the following –

• Sweating
• Nausea and vomiting
• Muscle aches
• Rapid heart rate
• Tremors
• Insomnia

Severe Symptoms Requiring Medical Attention

While they aren’t necessarily common, problems like seizures and significant confusion can arise during detox from alcohol or drugs. When going through severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms, confusion can be surprisingly dangerous because of the actions that might be taken by the individual while not understanding where they are or what is going on.

One specific condition called delirium tremens can come up when detoxing from alcohol abuse is particularly concerning and needs prompt care from a medical professional. Those who are trying to break free from alcohol addiction may go through this experience, which includes shaking, hallucinations, confusion, high blood pressure, and more.

Other severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms can include particularly high fevers that threaten the health of the individual, along with cardiac arrhythmias. With so many very serious withdrawal symptoms possible during an at home detox, it’s easy to see why getting professional help at a facility like Ingrained Recovery is a better choice.

What are the Risks of Unsupervised Detox?

For some people, only mild withdrawal symptoms will present, but that’s not always the case with alcohol detox. There are plenty of dangerous withdrawal symptoms, some of which we have discussed above.

The risk of experiencing a serious medical event is reason enough to go through this process with medical professionals helping you, but there are even more reasons to go in this direction.

Relapse and Overdose Risks

In addition to the possibility of health complications, you will also experience a very strong likelihood of relapse when trying to do detox on your own. The problem here is the detox can be so overwhelming that the easiest course of action will be to simply return to the substance that you were using in order to alleviate the symptoms.

Not only that, but if you attempt to stick with your detox at home for a while only to give in and relapse later, there will be a greater risk of overdose due to your reduced tolerance for the substance.

Vitamin Depletion

While your body is working to get rid of the toxins as fast as possible, it may cause you to vomit, not want to eat, go through diarrhea, and more.

All of that can lead you to a point where you are low in essential vitamins and experiencing health complications as a result. With a medical professional helping with the detox, you’ll be provided supplements to avoid this outcome.

The Importance of Medical Assistance

There are simply too many advantages of having medical professionals on your side to skip this step when you are serious about detox.

Benefits of Medically Supervised Withdrawal

Safety is the primary advantage of going through a medically supervised detox process. You will be closely monitored and any health problems that are developing as a result of the detox process will be quickly addressed and resolved before they reach the point of becoming dangerous.

Also, as mentioned above, the risk of relapse is lower during a detox that is supervised by medical professionals than with an at home process.

Continual Supervision and Symptom Relief

Detox is difficult not only during the day but throughout the night, as well. This is why monitoring during a medically supervised detox will take place at all hours of the day and night. It will still be a challenge to get through this entire process, but you’ll be in good hands and will be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Physical and Emotional Challenges

If it hasn’t been made clear already on this page, let there be no doubt that detoxing at home – or anywhere – is a significant challenge. After a period of substance abuse, the body has become physiologically dependent on the substance or substances that are being used. That dependence is not going to go away easily.

The challenges are both physical and emotional and getting through it all and reaching the other side is going to be one of the toughest things you have done. Putting a team like the professionals at Ingrained Recovery on your side is going to make it far more likely that you are able to succeed while staying safe.

Structure and Routine in Detox

There is also something to be said about the structure that using medical professionals provides with detox. For many who try detoxing at home, there is no structure – they simply stop using the substances without any plan for what comes next. This isn’t a recipe for success and will often lead to relapse.

When you go into a formal detox program, there will be a team in place and a plan for your success. That structure will give you something to focus on while enduring the difficult symptoms of alcohol withdrawal or drug withdrawal.

Having a routine to follow, including rest periods, meals, therapy, and more, should help you get through the moments of struggle.

Medical Detoxing and Medication Assisted Treatment

Some patients will benefit from the use of detox medications like Suboxone or methadone, but this can only be done safely through the help of medical professionals.

Medications can cut down on drug or alcohol cravings while in detox, and the risk of relapse will be lower as a result.

When to Seek Professional Help

Ideally, you will start the detox process under the supervision of a medical professional. Getting started with professional help is the best way to know that things are going to stay on track and that any health complications that develop will be handled properly and immediately.

However, if you have already started the detox process, you might need to know when it is time to get help rather than continuing to do it on your own. Look through the signs below for information on that important point.

• Feeling like you are going to need to relapse
• Starting to feel confused about where you are or what is going on
• Having powerful physical symptoms that aren’t getting better

Call Ingrained Recovery for a Professional Detox Process

There are too many dangers of detoxing at home to go ahead with this plan. Instead, you should be putting yourself or a loved one in the hands of an experienced professional who can guide this process in a safe and controlled manner. With medical supervision in place, it will be far more likely that detox will be completed successfully and without any undue risk.

If you have been thinking about getting started with detox but want to make sure it is done right, call Ingrained Recovery right away for more information. You can speak with one of our representatives at any time of day or night to discuss your concerns and get answers to your questions.

The power of withdrawal symptoms cannot be overstated and having a medical team on your side is the right way to go. We hope to play an important role in this critical process that can start you on the road to recovery.

FAQs on the Dangers of Detoxing at Home

What is the safest way to detox?

Without a doubt, the safest way to detox is doing so under professional supervision at a detox center or other medical facility. In this setting, medical professionals can monitor your health and offer medications to ease the discomfort.

If I taper my drug usage gradually, can I safely detox at home?

That might be a safer approach than going cold turkey, but it’s still far better to go through this process under the care of a medical professional.

What if I can’t afford to visit a detox center?

There may be more options available than you think, such as having insurance cover the detox process. Contact Ingrained Recovery to discuss the financial side of this process.