If you’ve ever used drugs or alcohol excessively, you might have reached a point where you’ve considered detox. It can be a way to get clean that has benefited many individuals. Detox is never guaranteed to work, but there’s a good chance it will if you have the right support system.
In this article, we’ll talk about the benefits of medical detox and social detox. They’re not the same thing, and you might find success with one if you have a problem with drugs or alcohol and the other method doesn’t work. Some people seem to respond better to one of these detox forms, and some find better results with the other.
What Exactly is Medical Detox?
Let’s start by discussing medical detox. Medical detox means you’re getting assistance from medical professionals. The process usually takes place in a clinic where you can be monitored 100% of the time, particularly when you’re just starting to wean yourself off of alcohol or drugs.
Often, you will take medication to keep you calm and sedated while the drugs or alcohol work their way out of your system and your body adjusts. This process usually lasts anywhere from 5-10 days. By the end of that time, your body should be done with the physical withdrawal symptoms, though the mental and psychological ones may still be going strong.
What Does Social Detox Mean?
As for social detox, that is usually considered to be a little more mild and not as demanding as a medical detox. In this situation, you will still have professionals monitoring you, but you will not use medication to keep you sedated while your body adjusts. You will be using therapy and counseling for treatment instead of calming drugs.
You can go through social detox at home, or you might prefer a clinic or similar facility. Many times, individuals will choose to go through social detox at a facility with trained staff around to help them if they have the urge to begin using their drug of choice again.
Which is the Better Option?
Most people who are full-blown addicts, meaning they have a serious physical addiction to drugs or alcohol, will need to go through medical detox if they have any chance of getting clean. They can rely on calming drugs to keep them sedated as they go through the worst of their withdrawal symptoms in the early going.
Social detox is often thought of as being less severe. You might be at a clinic while you’re going through it, but that’s mostly for psychological support with trained mental health professionals. You may have a mild addiction to a drug or alcohol, but it’s not so bad that you need to go through the harsher process of a medical detox.
Social detox is usually easier to undergo than medical detox, but each individual must decide for themselves the method that’s most likely to get them well again. Consulting a doctor who’s an expert in addiction treatment should help you choose.
