Drug Withdrawal Treatment in Pasadena, TX

Drug withdrawal sets in when you stop using drugs after you've developed a physical dependence on them. Drug withdrawal treatment in Pasadena is essential for safe, comfortable detox, which is the process of allowing all traces of drugs to leave your body so that brain function can begin to return to normal.

Why Withdrawal Occurs

Drugs are psychoactive substances that act on the brain. When you use drugs, your brain compensates by changing the way it operates chemically in an attempt to maintain equilibrium. This chemical compensation results in tolerance, which means that you need increasingly larger doses of the drug to get the desired effects.

The heavier your drug use becomes, the more the brain changes the way it uses chemicals, or neurotransmitters. At some point, brain function may shift so that it now operates more comfortably when drugs are present. When you withhold the drug, brain function begins to rebound. Neurotransmitters that were suppressed are released in force, and those that were increased slow down. This causes physical symptoms that can be excruciating if not dangerous.

Drug Withdrawal Treatment Programs Are Essential for Detoxing

In some cases, such as with alcohol and benzodiazepines, withdrawal can produce dangerous shifts in body functions like blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature. In rare cases--about five percent of the time in the case of alcohol--these symptoms are fatal.

Withdrawing from these substances requires medical supervision to ensure the highest possible level of safety. Drug detox in Pasadena offers around-the-clock supervision as well as a high level of emotional support during withdrawal. Medical staff are on hand to administer medications as needed to prevent the onset of dangerous medical conditions and reduce the intensity of some of the symptoms to improve your comfort and sense of well-being during detox.

Even when withdrawal isn't particularly dangerous, it can be severe. People who detox on their own typically return to drugs very quickly just to end the withdrawal symptoms. Drug withdrawal treatment centers dramatically improve your chances of successful detox.

Symptoms of Withdrawal

Different substances produce different symptoms of withdrawal, although intense cravings occur during withdrawal from every substance. Cravings alone can be intense enough to send you right back to using before detox is complete.

Symptoms may range from mild to severe, depending on factors like how long you've been addicted and how much of the drug is in the system at the time of detox. Not everyone will necessarily experience all of the symptoms of withdrawal associated with a particular drug.

Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal may include nausea, vomiting, tremors, anxiety, and insomnia. In some cases, seizures, a high fever, or a spike in blood pressure and heart rate can occur, and these may be dangerous or fatal.

Opioid withdrawal from heroin and prescription painkillers can be extremely intense and includes flulike symptoms such as body aches, chills, vomiting and diarrhea, and a runny nose. While these symptoms aren't generally dangerous, many people who withdraw from opioids report feeling like they're dying.

Stimulant withdrawal from cocaine, meth, and prescription drugs like Adderall can produce deep depression, agitation, insomnia, and extremely intense cravings.

Sedative withdrawal from benzodiazepines like Xanax or Valium can be dangerous and include nausea and vomiting, depression and anxiety, and restlessness and insomnia. Because of the dangers of benzodiazepine withdrawal and the lack of drugs available to treat symptoms, detoxing from these drugs is a matter of weaning off over time.

Drug withdrawal treatment in Pasadena includes using medication to reduce the intensity of many symptoms, including nausea, anxiety and depression, and insomnia. Medication helps to ensure the highest possible level of comfort during withdrawal, and it can even shorten the duration of detox. Most treatment programs in Pasadena offer complementary therapies like yoga, acupuncture, massage, or meditation to help reduce cravings and stress and improve your sense of well-being during detox.

Drug Withdrawal Treatment in Pasadena is Not Addiction Treatment

Detox is only the first step in addiction treatment. It treats only the physical dependence on drugs and is ineffective for addressing the far more complex issues that underlie an addiction. The National Institute on Drug Abuse stresses that in most cases, professional treatment is needed to end an addiction for the long-term. Addiction treatment involves a variety of traditional and complementary therapies that address the underlying issues behind your drug abuse and help you change destructive thought and behavior patterns caused by the brain changes that occur with addiction.

A high quality, holistic addiction treatment program should always follow drug withdrawal treatment in Pasadena to help you overcome an addiction for the long-term. Call us now for help (877) 804-1531.