There comes a time when an addict wants to regain his/her independence from drugs and confidently feel that they can finish the last leg of the journey on their own. This can be due to cost considerations, convenience and need for privacy, which is hard to come by in a licensed detox facility. Detoxing at home is not a light decision. It should be made with the counsel of a Huntington Beach outpatient detox professional to help you achieve independence from drug and substance abuse. Detox professionals are well-versed in the risks that come with detoxing at home, which can have long-lasting implications on your mental and physical health or, at worst, fatal repercussions. Should you decide to use this route in your later stages of fighting drug abuse, specialists at Genesis New Beginning can help prepare you for challenges you are likely to face ahead.
Risks of Detoxing Without Medical Supervision
During detoxification, whether at home or in a rehabilitation facility, it is advisable to be ready for withdrawal symptoms. However, some unforeseen challenges may arise when doing this at home, which requires to be handled professionally. These include:
- Relapse. It is challenging for a recovering addict to stay sober. You will struggle not to use the drug again once it runs out of the system. After you have identified what triggers your addiction, it becomes even more difficult to avoid its cravings. This can easily make you relapse if professional supervision is not near.
- An overdose. After relapse, you will likely consume a higher amount of drugs than before starting to detox. Since you have been using detox medication and it has been a while since your body interacted with drugs, their effect may not be felt. This makes you consume more of the drug, which can cause an overdose. Drug overdose can be fatal.
- Facing drug-specific risks. The use of detox drugs without supervision can also pose a threat to you. When detoxing at home, you can miss a procedure when preparing medication, which can make you helpless when symptoms strike. Failure to know which medications are needed during specific times, such as when you have hallucinations or become irritable, can cause you to harm yourself or those around you.
Why you Should Seek Professional Help
When detoxing at home, severe withdrawal symptoms can strike and cause you permanent mental and physical disorders. Intense withdrawal symptoms such as relapse can cause overdose, which can lead to death. If you have pre-existing medical conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart conditions, detoxing at home is not the best choice since these can potentially increase withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms can also be increased by factors such as the number of earlier withdrawal episodes and age.
Specialists provide services to help you cope with the challenges faced during the detox period. They offer helpful insights into what to expect including withdrawal symptoms and how to deal with relapse. They provide a conducive environment for detox and avoiding relapse.