5 Reasons to Choose to Detox in a Hospital

If you’ve ever watched a toddler and their parent engaging together, give it about 5 minutes before you hear the phrase “I can do it!” proudly announced. The parent steps back and with a knowing grin, watches their little one, on wobbly legs, try to accomplish whatever “it” is. The youngster has all the best intentions, the truest courage, the ultimate bravery, and yet, what they fail to realize is that, whatever “it” is – well, they just aren’t quite equipped at this point to take it on – at least not alone.

It’s a common experience in childhood as it is in life; you try and fail to do something because you don’t know how. Then the parent, friend, or loved one steps in and says “Here is the process…Here are the secrets…Here are the steps to getting this right!” They help us to overcome our pride and understand that this new life application takes some assistance to really get right.

It’s a similar practice when things in life have gone wrong. When life has become unmanageable and we have hit the ground, wondering how to get back up again. For many an addict – they have mustered their good intentions, made their commitments, but what many fail to realize is that addiction is a battle that can no longer be won on commitments alone. When addiction has become a part of one’s life, to truly be successful at battling it, you really have to face it on all sides. The safest way to face it is by partnering with a team at a hospital, skilled and dedicated to each “side” of recovery that you will face. Here are some ways a medical team can help you walk through your recovery:

1. Counteract The Physical

During detox, one must remember that they are in the process of removing toxins from their body. Often those toxins have built up for years and have compromised their bodies in ways that only a medical professional can understand. In some situations, the toxins have latched hold to areas of your body in such a vice grip, that to remove them “cold turkey” could actually cause seizures or even death. Alcohol, Methadone and Benzodiazepines are all known to have life threatening symptoms.

Detox patients are also screened for pre-existing medical conditions. New complications can also be identified by your care team, once the damaging substances have been cleared from your body. Partnering with a treatment hospital can allow them to help you understand your specific results and what treatment your body may need to have it’s best chance at successful recovery. Individualized detox plans provided at treatment hospitals can provide resources such as medically assisted treatment to carefully step a client down from their substance abuse in a way that works with their body.

2. Provide Peace of Mind to Your Loved Ones

Detox in the hands of medical professionals means that you will be working with a team trained to anticipate and care for the symptoms and side effects that often come as the body rids itself of toxins. Nausea, vomiting, sweating, shivers, and other symptoms of withdrawal can be easily managed by trained medical professionals. Often these teams are much better equipped for what occurs during the detox process, creating safe environments where medical and clinical professional teams use medications and other techniques to ease the process of withdrawal and safely manage the side effects.

3. Identify The Unknown

For many in the Addiction community, the phrase “This worked for my friend/partner/etc., so I’m going to try that as well” is often misleading, as it’s like comparing apples and oranges. Just as no one person is the same, no one reaction to a substance will be the same. Using a medically guided detox program allows the patient to truly have an opportunity to identify their body’s baseline again, and work on rebuilding their internal systems. Medically guided detox is also able to help provide specific answers through the use of testing, often to determine the root cause of the addiction. At AAC facilities, like Laguna Treatment Center, the use of pharmacogenetics has been a tremendous asset to helping patients identify which medications work best for their system, based on their genetic composition. In many situations, the medical team is able to process these answers for the patient during detox, so that they are able to head towards rehab with a clear directive on recovery.

4. Utilize Your Private Insurance

For many struggling with addiction, it can feel overwhelming financially. Considering the cost of many treatment programs run in the thousands, the patient and their families may feel as though they have lost the race from the start. Many have spent so much money on the substance and ways to attempt to counteract the substance that there isn’t much left to pay for treatment. That’s where your private insurance comes in! Many insurance companies now offer coverage, specifically for medically supported detox programs – so that your healing can begin at a substantially lower cost to you and your family. While the levels of coverage depend on the individual company, chances are it is most likely covered under the mental health section of your insurance plan.

5. Craft a Plan

Laguna Treatment Center is Orange County’s Premier Detox and Drug Treatment Center

Partnering with a medical team to detox at a hospital also gives the patient access to resources for their next steps. It’s not just about getting the toxins out of the body, it’s about walking the patient through recovery at a holistic level – healing the whole person by evaluating the emotional, environmental factors that played a part in their addiction journey. Clinical professionals can help to educate patients about the importance of beginning therapy, seeking out a 12-step program and finding a long-term treatment solution to increase their chances of recovery. Leaning in to treatment at a hospital can help get you set up not only to survive, but to thrive again.

No one’s recovery story is the same, yet the medical detox teams in treatment hospitals have seen thousands of stories like yours. Why not get started on the best foot possible? Trust the next chapter of your recovery story to the experts.