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 Most drugs can be medically withdrawn from the body without substituting other drugs.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.

Methadone is a medication that is used in the treatment of opiate addiction. Methadone is a long-acting opiate that is designed to stay in the system for 24-48 hours, making it possible for addicts to only take the medication once a day, as opposed to a short-acting opiate like heroin, which many addicts use every few hours in order to avoid symptoms of withdrawal. Methadone works very similar to other painkillers such as Vicodin and Oxycontin, and can be prescribed as part of an ongoing pain management regimen, and researchers have found that it’s a very effective form of treatment when used to treat opiate addiction.

When a person is prescribed methadone to treat addiction, the person comes to a methadone clinic once a day to get a dose of methadone that is taken in front of a nurse. Methadone is usually dispensed as a liquid, although also comes in pill and wafer form. Addicts are closely monitored by a doctor to make sure they are not taking too much methadone and that there is no interaction with other medications. Addicts also provide random urine specimens on a regular basis in order to be monitored for illicit drug use. As part of treatment, addicts are also expected to attend individual and group therapy in order to address some of the issues that may have led to initial drug use.

Benefits of Methodone

There are several benefits to using methadone as a way to treat opiate addiction:

• When a person is on the correct dose of methadone, the medication allows them to feel normal, and not “high.” Methadone allows the addict to avoid symptoms of withdrawal while performing activities of daily living such as raising a family and going to work.
• Methadone only has to be taken once a day, as opposed to other opiates that need to be taken several times a day to avoid withdrawal. Addicts do not have to worry about trying to get their next “fix” and, therefore, the amount of crime and illegal activity associated with active drug use drops dramatically.
• Methadone is often times much cheaper for the addict to take, as addicts often times spend hundreds of dollars a day on street drugs.
• Methadone is regulated by the FDA and is, therefore, much safer for the addict to take than street drugs, which can be laced or cut with chemicals or poisons.
• The incidence of contracting or spreading diseases such as hepatitis C and HIV is also reduced, as addicts do not use or share needles to take methadone.
• Finally, methadone that is taken by pregnant women helps to reduce the chance of miscarriage and risky behavior while pregnant, and the fetus will not be going into withdrawal. Women also have a greater chance of seeking out healthcare and seeing an OB regularly if they are able to be on a stable dose of methadone.

Many people that subscribe to an abstinence based model of treatment believe that because methadone is still a drug, people taking methadone are not really clean and sober. When viewed from a risk-reduction model of treatment, methadone can be seen as a medication that helps opiate dependent individuals lead healthier, productive lives.

Jessica Parks is a certified alcohol and drug counselor in the state of Illinois and has her M.A. in art therapy counseling.

One thing that people addicted to drugs understand quite well is what happens when they do not have their drug of choice anymore. This has caused many to do things they may have not otherwise done to get more drugs. This is just one component of the vicious cycle of addiction. Coming down from drugs is one subject that most people suffering from addiction will try to avoid. Every drug brings about some uncomfortable symptoms when it is discontinued in the body of someone that is addicted. Sometimes the symptoms can be more mental than physical in nature but there are also times when they can be severe or even life threatening. These factors are all based on the type of drug, how long it was used for, and how often is was used.

Mild drug withdrawal symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, insomnia, headaches, the shakes, and stomach cramps. More severe symptoms can include the previous symptoms mentioned along with fever, racing heart and pulse, perspiration, difficulty breathing, and even hallucinations and seizures.

Professional help is available to help people suffering from withdrawal and the good news is that this process does not have to be uncomfortable. The first phase in recovery is admitting that there is a problem and that help is necessary. The second phase is coming off of the drugs. Until the drugs are gone from the body no progress can be made to advance through recovery.

It would be ideal to get help from a facility that offers personalized care for your specific situation. This allows for the most comfortable and uncomplicated detox possible. There are several medications that can be administered during detox that make the withdrawal symptoms very bearable. The amount of time that a patient will remain in detox also varies according to their personal situation.

If someone is addicted to cocaine the withdrawal symptoms are not generally physically manifested as much as mentally. Patients are generally paranoid, anxious, irritable, and lack the ability to sleep. The crystal meth come down is more psychological than physical and is very similar to those experienced by cocaine users but often more severe. One of the worst problems is the overwhelming craving for more cocaine. This is unlike someone that is coming down from heroin or another opiate such as Vicodin, Oxycontin, or Percocet.

Opiate withdrawal is much more complicated and intense. Without professional help one would experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, insomnia, headaches, the shakes, and stomach cramps, fever, racing heart and pulse, perspiration, difficulty breathing, and even hallucinations and seizures. Fortunately, medical professionals can make sure that withdrawal process never comes to this.

There is no longer a reason to fear drug withdrawal. It does not have to be dreaded or uncomfortable. When you reach out for professional help you will receive a treatment plan that is geared for lifelong success, sobriety, and happiness.

This article was contributed by Cheryl Hinneburg, who writes web content for KLEAN Treatment Center in Los Angeles CA. KLEAN specializes in offering dual diagnosis drug and alcohol treatment. Cheryl is currently pursuing her MS in Substance Abuse Counseling.

Get Started Now: Drug Detox in California

Detoxification is the first step in recovery for almost all drug users. Though someone who uses less dangerous drugs such as marijuana and uses only occasionally may not need to go through detox, anyone who uses drugs consistently will probably go through withdrawal when they stop. This is especially true with the most powerfully addictive drugs such as heroin and other opiates, cocaine (especially crack cocaine), prescription medications and methamphetamines. Without medical supervision, and intervention if needed, withdrawal from these drugs can be extremely distressing and even fatal.

The initial phase of detox involves ridding the body of the drug itself, and can take anywhere from several days to several weeks. The second phase aims to rid the body of the accumulated toxins that have built up in the body, often over years of drug use. This phase can take a year or more.

California Drug Detox Is Only the Beginning

Once the actual drug has passed out of the user’s body, the real treatment can begin. It’s important to realize that detoxification in and of itself will do little to prevent relapse into drug usage. Detox must be followed up with counseling and therapy in order to allow the addict to gain insight into the causes of addiction and learn ways of coping with cravings and the stresses of ordinary life. Facilities for short-term drug detox in California may require only two or three weeks of treatment. More often, an addict will need to stay in residential treatment for 60 to 90 days. Sober living houses and therapeutic communities can continue to support the recovering addict for as long as necessary.

Use our filters to find appropriate facilities for drug detox in California. Under “States and Regions,” click “By Individual State” and then “California Programs.” A menu of cities and communities will help you find the nearest drug treatment facilities.

Drug Detox for Crack Addicts

Crack cocaine is considered the most addictive drug ever encountered. The dependency process begins with the first use, and develops very rapidly into full-blown addiction.

Crack is essentially freebased cocaine. Freebasing is a process that mixes cocaine powder with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate to make a smokable rock. Because crack is inhaled into the lungs rather than snorted into the nasal passages, its effect is more powerful and immediate. However, it also passes more quickly, often in only seven to ten minutes, leaving the user depressed and craving another hit. This constant craving is one reason crack is considered one of the most dangerous drugs, because the potential for overdose is so high. Also, since the drug is smoked rather than snorted or injected, it is difficult to estimate dosage. Overdose quickly leads to convulsions, heart failure, stroke and death.

Affordable Drug Detox

The affordability of crack and its wide availability has made its use epidemic, especially in urban areas and among the poor. Since the addictive qualities of crack are so powerful and the effects so dangerous, it is almost impossible for an addict to quit without supervised detoxification. Fortunately, there are many resources available to the crack addict for affordable drug detox.

The easiest way to find affordable drug detox is to use our location filters to find public or non-profit facilities in your area. On our home page, under the heading “States & Regions,” click on “by individual state” and then your home state. Some states, such as California, will have a menu of cities and towns you can choose from, while others will give statewide resources. Crack addiction is far too dangerous to wait and see what happens. If someone you love is using crack, get him or her to rehab now.