To be completely accurate, detox anywhere can be cold turkey, in other words, abruptly done. Whether or not a person pays for detox, some agencies will not provide medications unless they are clinically and medically necessary. Others will give users medication to ease their way out of their addiction.

The distinction I make here is whether or not you need to go to a hospital or clinical setting. Some people can do this at home, unless they are going to suffer seizures (as from alcohol detox from long-term, chronic drinking). Most drugs can be medically withdrawn from the body without substituting other drugs. Some people prefer a detox on medications, due to the fact that coming off pain killers, heroin, and some other drugs can be excrutiating.

Detoxing at a Facilty

The average cost of detox in a facility depends on several factors. If you have insurance, it will range according to how much your insurance company will pay. If the agency provides medical detox, this can get quite pricey, because use of Suboxone or other medications to get you “clean” is expensive. It requires an medical doctor, a nurse to monitor your care, and other personnel. A nonmedical setting may give you a place to be quiet for sleep, food and opportunity to attend groups and client interaction. They will have a room and someone to monitor your progress. It depends on what substances and how long you are using.

Costs for detox facilities can range from $200 per day for a setting with no medical interventions to $10,000.00 per day for all the comforts of home (if you regularly live on a tropical island with servants!) It is possible to get clean from substance use in either setting.

Cold Turkey at Home

It can also be possible to do this in your home. There are a few exceptions, and it will be regularly repeated here that this should only be done with the oversight of your personal physician. If you are coming off of anti-anxiety medication or muscle relaxing medication, please consult your doctor before attempting detox. These drugs need to be slowly titrated from a user’s system. Stopping them abruptly is very dangerous and has serious side effects. Be sure to consult a physician!

If you opt for detox at home, the best advice is to find a friend or loved one who will help you through the worst of it, usually three to five days. During this time, they need to be sure that you do not fall, that your intake of water and other nutrients is consistent, even if it makes you sick. There is a need for your body to have liquids and electrolytes to function during detox. If you can take them, chicken broth, soda crackers, white rice and applesauce are the foods most easily digested during distress. Be sure to ask someone to help you who will not give in and give you medications to get you through. If you are coming off a drug that must be titrated down, have them go with you to the doctor so they know how much and when to give it. They need to be completely aware of danger signs to look for. A safe friend who knows how this detox business feels from personal experience may be the best help you can find.

Kelly McClanahan has an MSW in clinical social work, with a specialization in substance abuse treatment. Having worked in this field for over 20 years, she is currently working on her certification as an addictions’ counselor.

Alcohol Detox Facilities in California

Not everyone who drinks alcohol is an alcoholic, and not every alcoholic needs to undergo detox. However, for those who experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop drinking, or who have severe cravings to continue drinking alcohol, medically supervised treatment at one of the many alcohol detox facilities in California is recommended.

Alcohol use floods the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in the brain, relaxing the body and reducing inhibitions. Constant drinking decreases the GABA transmitter response, which is why the user develops a tolerance and a craving for larger and larger doses to get the same relaxation effect. When the user stops drinking alcohol, the brain becomes hyperexcited, since it can no longer receive GABA. Irritability, tremors and seizures can result. Other withdrawal symptoms can include delirium tremens, which has up to a five percent mortality rate.

Medical supervision of detox can prevent severe reactions. Diarrhea, vomiting and excessive sweating disturb the electrolyte balance in the body, so fluids may need to be administered intravenously. A benzodiazepine such as Xanax or Valium may be prescribed to prevent seizures. Long-term effects of alcohol use, such as liver damage, may also need to be treated during detox.

Your Resource for Detox Facilities in California

At SoberRecovery.com, we have compiled a listing of reputable detox facilities in California for you to use. Some of these treatment centers focus only on alcoholism, while others treat dual or multiple diagnoses. You can also use our filters to select a treatment center that specializes in a specific type of client, to find a treatment center in your area, or to select a facility that will work with you to set up a payment plan.

We strongly encourage you to go to a detox facility, since you have a better chance of recovery in that situation. Repeated attempts to detox from alcohol on your own will make the withdrawal symptoms more severe each time. Do it right the first time.

Safe Recovery at Drug Detox Centers

There are basically three methods for stopping drug abuse: cold turkey, tapering off, and detox. Which one you should use depends on several factors, including what type of drug you have been using, how long you have been using it, how much you use each day, and your own ability to control your actions.

Going cold turkey, or stopping suddenly and completely, is only recommended when you have been using a relatively less addictive drug such as marijuana, have been using for a short time, and have not been using heavily each day. In all other situations, going cold turkey will have results ranging from very uncomfortable to possibly fatal.

The brain become used to being flooded by chemicals ingested by the user, and sudden withdrawal causes a strong reaction. Heroin, for example, suppresses the middle part of the brain called the locus coeruleus, which regulates the “flight or fight” response, and makes the user feel safe. When there’s no more heroin flowing to the brain, the user rebounds into paranoia, rage, and other “flight or fight” emotions.

Tapering off your use of drugs can help moderate withdrawal symptoms, but for many people, especially those who use highly addictive drugs, it simply isn’t possible to do that. The addiction is too strong and too well engrained. In these cases, drug detox centers are the safest route to recovery.

Options in Drug Detox Centers

There are several different methods of detox, and their use will vary depending on the drug detox centers and the type of drug. One method is the substitution of a less dangerous drug, such as giving methadone to wean addicts from heroin. Other drugs, such as Clonidine, block withdrawal symptoms. There are also some drug detox centers that use a rapid detox technique that must be done under general anesthesia and calls for the use of a breathing tube. Any of these techniques can have their own side effects, and must be done in a medically supervised environment.

Most people who enter alcohol and drug rehab need alcohol or drug detox. It’s normal for people to continue drinking or taking drugs up to the day they enter drug or alcohol treatment. This is not only because they enjoy the effect, but also because by the time someone goes into alcohol or drug rehab the withdrawal symptoms are likely to be bad enough to encourage them to keep using.

Alcohol and Drug Detox Options

Some alcohol and drug detox centers offer more options than others. Some will have their own state-licensed facilities while others may contract with private companies or hospitals to provide medical detox.

Medical detox generally uses a mild form of medication to safely ease a person off of alcohol or drugs with as little discomfort as possible. Going through detox from alcohol or benzodiazepines can result in severe withdrawal symptoms, such as hallucinations or life-threatening seizures. It is always advised that someone coming into alcohol and drug rehab with these addictions receive a medical detox. Some alcohol and drug detox centers also offer holistic therapies during this process, such as acupuncture and massage, to stimulate the body to help release toxins and minimize withdrawal symptoms.

It is never recommended that individuals go “cold-turkey” off alcohol or drugs. As mentioned, this could result in life-threatening withdrawal symptoms. Some likely symptoms for withdrawal from alcohol, benzodiazepines and opiate-based drugs (codeine, hydrocodone, morphine, oxycontin, heroin) include headaches, nausea, body-aches, night sweats, night terrors, restlessness, insomnia, hallucinations and in extreme cases, convulsions. Withdrawal from stimulants such as cocaine, crack and methamphetamines generally results in heavy fatigue, depression and in severe cases, suicidal thoughts. A lot of rest is required in the initial days of detox. Medical detox serves as the safest form of withdrawal from drugs and alcohol for most drugs.

Alcohol and Drug Detox for You

Inquire about the best alcohol and drug detox for you prior to deciding on a treatment center. Some facilities may require that you arrive at check-in already detoxed. Others may offer a state-licensed facility on site. Find out what kind of detox options they have and make sure you’re comfortable with it. Remember, alcohol and drug detox is the first step toward a healthy new life in sobriety. Don’t short-change yourself and suffer through the withdrawal process if you don’t have to. It could make all the difference between staying sober and falling back into alcoholism or drug addiction.

Alcohol depresses the Central Nervous System (CNS), which has a central role in the coordination of activity and control of behavior. This is why excessive alcohol intake results in impaired judgment, movement and behavior. Ceasing the presence of alcohol by going “cold turkey” after a prolonged period of drinking can cause the CNS to rebound too quickly, resulting in anxiety, nervousness, tremors, shakes and life-threatening seizures. Alcohol detox should always be medically supervised in order to ensure a safe withdrawal.

The process of going through alcohol detox results in a variety of symptoms that range from mild to severe. Mild withdrawal symptoms include typical hangover symptoms of headache, nausea, vomiting, perspiration, restlessness, agitation, loss of appetite and insomnia. But for the alcoholic who has been drinking heavily and consistently for a long period of time, severe withdrawal symptoms can include night sweats, night terrors, auditory or visual hallucinations, convulsions and the DTs (dilirium tremens). Fear of alcohol detox and the accompanying symptoms keeps many alcoholics drinking long after they know they need to stop. There are three types of alcohol detox available:

Cold Turkey

Cold turkey derived its name from the goose bumps that arise during the process of withdrawal from alcohol, drugs or nicotine.  You just stop drinking alcohol and white knuckle through the withdrawal symptoms as they come. It’s estimated that 1 in 4 people are at risk for a seizure if they choose to go cold turkey rather than receive medical care during alcohol detox.

Medical Detox

The safest form of alcohol detox is a medical detox. Individuals receive mild prescription medication to help ease them through the most dangerous phase of alcohol detox where the potential for seizure is greatest. Hospitals or drug rehab centers state-licensed for medical detox offer these services. Individuals undergoing medical detox receive medication in tapering amounts until their body is physically stabilized and they are able to enter an inpatient alcohol rehab program. This is the most prevalent and comfortable form of alcohol detox available.

NeuroTransmiter Restoration Therapy (NTR)

NeuroTransmiter Restoration Therapy (NTR) is a relatively new alcohol detox process offered by only a few select drug and alcohol rehabs in the United States. NTR utilizes an all-natural amino acid and mineral solution that coats the brain’s neurotransmitter receptor sites where most of the damage from drug and alcohol abuse occurs. This process stimulates the body’s cells to shift into repair mode, easing withdrawal symptoms, cravings and the fogginess that can accompany alcohol detox. In spite of its benefits, NTR is generally combined with medical detox as prescription medication is often necessary to ease alcoholic individuals past the danger stage when life-threatening convulsions can occur.