Alcohol and Drug Withdrawal in Joliet, IL
Joliet Drug Rehab Centers provides detoxification assistance for individuals with drug and alcohol addiction problems. Alcohol and drug withdrawal can be unpleasant experiences that often prevent individuals from completing a treatment program. Joliet Drug Rehab Centers can provide a variety of methods, including medical detox, to make the process less physically taxing, so individuals can begin their treatment faster and with a better frame of mind.
What Happens During Withdrawal
Addiction changes the chemistry in the brain. Neurotransmitters are brain chemicals that regulate many processes in the body, including producing natural substances that make people feel good, such as when they feel rewarded by food, sex or interactions with other people. Addictive substances like alcohol and drugs provide these feelings of pleasure artificially, and the normal production of feel-good chemicals is inhibited. When the substance is withdrawn, the brain cannot produce its normal chemicals and a variety of withdrawal symptoms occur. Restoring brain chemistry to normal function is part of the process of recovery from addiction.
Medical Detox Can Play An Important Role in Treatment
Withdrawal symptoms from alcohol or drugs can be severe and even life threatening. A professional treatment facility can provide medications to reduce the severity of these symptoms and ensure that withdrawal occurs without endangering the patient. A number of different types of drugs are used, depending on the symptoms that are produced.
Common Symptoms of Withdrawal
When the addictive substance is withheld, the brain and body react with unpleasant symptoms because the brain chemicals that produce good feelings are no longer available and cannot function on their own. A variety of symptoms are seen, depending on the type of substance used:
- Alcohol withdrawal symptoms – Patients experience intense cravings, anxiety, depression, sweating, tremors, paranoia and hallucinations. Medications like Paxil can reduce depression and help patients sleep. Naltrexone and bupropion can help reduce cravings.
- Opiate withdrawal symptoms – Patients withdrawing from heroin, OxyContin or Vicodon experience sweating, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, joint pain and anxiety. Methadone and buprenorphine can help reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
- Stimulant withdrawal symptoms – Patients withdrawing from Adderall or Ritalin can experience agitation, anxiety, paranoia and psychosis. Bupropion can reduce depression and sleep problems.
- Sedative withdrawal symptoms – Withdrawal from Valium or Xanax can cause sweating, anxiety, tremors, restlessness and increased heart, blood pressure and body temperature.
Detox Is the First Step
By itself, detox is not enough to change the course of alcohol or drug addiction. Individuals need a comprehensive course of therapy that teaches them about the effects of addiction and how they can regain control of their behavior and their lives. Individual and group counseling can provide insight on why they turn to substance abuse to manage emotions. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps them to recognize negative thinking patterns and how they can choose better options for behavior. Relapse prevention training helps them recognize “triggers” that can cause them to return to drug or alcohol use. Aftercare strategies give patients the support they need to sustain sobriety after a program has ended. Combined, these therapies provide the foundation for drug and alcohol-free life.
If you have a problem with drugs or alcohol and need compassion detox in a calming environment, contact Joliet Drug Rehab Centers at (779) 333-0829 to discuss your options. See more information at www.jolietdrugrehabcenters.com.
