What Is Detox?

Detox is the first step in many people’s recovery from addiction. It is the process of “drying out,” or getting the residual alcohol and drugs out of your system. The length of time detox takes depends on both the type of substance you’re recovering from and the intensity of past use. This step is a preliminary phase before recovery can properly begin in a therapeutic environment. Detox may be needed for any of the following substances:

• Alcohol, including beer, wine, and hard liquor
• Benzodiazepines
• Cocaine, crack, and other derivatives
• Heroin and other opioids, such as oxycodone and codeine
• Prescription pills, such as Ritalin and Fentanyl 
• Synthetic drugs, such as ecstasy

Safe Detoxification

Detox can be a hard process. While some people feel the need to endure it at home, you don’t have to go through the process by yourself. In fact, the process of initial detox can be medically dangerous for many people, including heavy users of alcohol. It is important to discuss detox and recovery with your doctor before stopping the use of any substance your body has become dependent on and to set up a medically supervised detox plan to let you start recovery in the gentlest and safest manner possible.

Our team of addiction professionals at Topsail Recovery includes addiction medicine specialists with the training and the experience to help you manage detox in a safe clinical setting. Talk to one of our intake specialists today to find out how we can help you get the ball rolling for a productive detox.

Starting Detox in Massachusetts

The details of how detox works vary somewhat from person to person, but most follow a general outline. Your admission for detox in MA starts with a clinical assessment by experienced professionals at our Andover, MA facility. During the initial phase, our team will perform a physical exam and ask about your history of drug use. It is vital that you’re as open and honest about this as possible since it shapes the chances your detox will work and you’ll be safe.

Things we ask about include:

• Your current and past medical conditions
• What drugs you’ve used and are currently using, including alcohol
• Whether you have a history of mental or emotional disorders, whether you’re being treated for them and how it’s been going during the months leading up to the present
• Medical issues and pre-existing conditions, including diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and high blood pressure

We also address how likely it is you’ll experience serious symptoms of withdrawal when you stop using the substances you’re dependent on. This information lets our staff shape a detox plan that’s customized for you. We know from experience that a personal approach like this greatly improves your chance of succeeding in detox, and in the recovery period that follows it.

The Detox Program

A lot of people go into detox wondering how long it will take and what they have to do to move on. The answer is that there is no fixed answer for this. Everybody’s addiction profile is different, which is why we shape a unique detox process around the person’s needs, rather than using a one-size-fits-some approach. As a very general rule, medically supervised detox runs from around 5-10 days, with a little room for variations on both ends. You will know when you’re ready to move on when you’re no longer taking drugs or drinking and you feel confident about moving to the next step.

People who have lived with addiction for years may have a hard time managing their emotions or knowing how to get by without the substances they’ve come to depend on. At Topsail, we understand what this feels like and are ready to help you through the confusing early days of recovery. Working with your treatment team, you’ll develop the confidence to know when you’re ready to start your recovery program in earnest.

After Detox

Detox is just the necessary first phase in your sobriety. After the medical hazards of withdrawal have passed, you’re ready to start recovery in an ongoing process that will last a lifetime. Topsail Recovery is here for you during these early days. We help newly sober people with three recovery programs that are designed to work around their recovery needs and the demands life puts on you:

• PHP – Partial Hospitalization Program
• IOP – Intensive Outpatient Program
• OP – Outpatient Program

Topsail’s approach to addiction treatment and detox is tailored around the needs of the person we’re helping get and stay sober. Some of the people we treat pass through detox and into an intensive PHP plan before gradually moving into a less closely supervised IOP or OP track. Others go straight from detox to one of our outpatient plans.

The path you take through detox and addiction recovery depends on your needs and what will work best to help you get clean and stay free from alcohol and drugs for the rest of your life. For more information, or to set up an intake assessment for detox in MA, call our addiction specialists at 978-475-0002, and find out how we can help you start your recovery today.