When overcoming drug or alcohol dependence, at home detox may seem like a desirable option, however, experts agree that there are dangers in detoxing at home. [1]Therefore, it is much safer to seek medically supported detox because of the severity of certain withdrawal effects.
Relapse and overdose are also significant risks of at-home detox. When at home, a person is more easily able to feed the intense cravings that come on during withdrawal. As well, if a person were to relapse, depending on the duration of the detox, the body chemistry would already have changed to reduce tolerance to the substance, making the patient much more likely to overdose.
When detoxing from opioids or other drugs, withdrawal symptoms include high blood pressure and rapid heartbeat, both of which can result in heart failure. Persistent vomiting and diarrhea may also occur during the withdrawal process, which can dehydrate you without proper treatments.
If detoxing from alcohol, you may experience rapid heart rate, high fevers, and intense sweating—all of which can be deadly without proper medical care. As well, one of the most severe side effects of alcohol withdrawal is delirium tremens, which is the nervous system responding to lack of presence of alcohol by making you confused and causing hallucinations, shaking, headaches, and high blood pressure. These can lead to cardiac issues or even seizures, and are life threatening without proper monitoring and treatment.
When detoxing in a medical setting under the care of experts, the likelihood of preventing adverse symptoms as well as handling potential medical crises is much higher. If you are in search of a detox program that is right for you, Livengrin can help. Our sub-acute detox program is a non-hospital program that is medically monitored by addiction treatment experts.
If you or a loved one is in need of alcohol addiction treatment or any of our professional detox services, reach out to Livengrin. Contact us at 215-638-5200 or at info@livengrin.org.
[1] https://americanaddictioncenters.org/drug-detox
