Alcohol and Drug Withdrawal in Staten Island, NY

One of the aspects of overcoming an addiction that many people overlook is alcohol and drug withdrawal. There are so many people suffering from addictions that try and fail to get clean and stay clean, and one of the main issues that stand in their ways is alcohol and drug withdrawal.

Alcohol and drug withdrawal can be intense and excruciating, and the pain can be so much that a person trying to detox will give in to their substance abuse problem, not because they lack the will or desire to overcome their addiction, but because those alcohol and drug withdrawal symptoms are frightening and more than they can bear.

How Alcohol and Drug Withdrawal Works

One of the common misconceptions about withdrawal is that it is somehow all in a person’s mind, meaning that they are essentially imagining it. This is far from true. Withdrawals occur as a direct result of the physical and chemical dependence that a substance abuse can cause.

When a person consumes any addictive drug or alcohol, that substance will begin sending communications to the brain. These communications are signals to the nerves in the brain to begin performing certain actions. Some of these actions trigger an active response, like the surge of dopamine that is released when a person consumes meth. They can also be a suppressive signal, like the blocking of pain receptors that occurs when a person ingests opiates.

Every time the person consumes the addictive substance, the signals are sent. The brain eventually learns that this substance is going to be present in the body frequently and will stop performing or suppressing certain actions until the substance sends the necessary signals. When this happens and the brain has changed its function and form, a person is chemically dependent on the drug.

Of course, this causes serious problems when the drug is denied to the brain, like when a person decides to detox. The brain struggles to relearn how to function normally without the drug and this sends the person into withdrawals, based on the action or lack of action in the brain.

Why Medical Detox is a Vital Choice

Detoxing is difficult business and as such, a person needs guidance and support to get through it. Medical detox is available through high-quality addiction treatment programs to help a person make it through the process safely and successfully.

Medical professionals like doctors oversee the process and can intervene using prescription medications and other treatments to help manage the intensity of withdrawal symptoms, prevent or treat severe withdrawal symptoms(seizures and hallucinations), and make the detox process proceed more quickly.

Detox in the Scope of Treatment

It is imperative that you keep in mind that while detox is necessary to overcome an addiction, it is not the only treatment you will need. Detox is a crucial first step in breaking your physical dependence on drugs or alcohol and getting you on track towards recovery.

To abstain from drug abuse in the future and find success in recovery, you will also need treatments to address the reasons you developed an addiction and come up with ways to cope with those issues so that you do not revert to self-destructive behaviors shortly after detoxing.
If you are ready to break your addiction to drugs or alcohol, contact Staten Island Drug Treatment Centers at (929) 575-5202 and make the choice to change your life for the better.