Detox is considered the scary part of addiction treatment for many. You’re used to the drugs, they’re your normal, your coping mechanism and in some ways your everything. Detox is the proverbial line in the sand and that can be intimidating.
Some folks have been on the drink or drugs for so long they can scarcely remember their sober lives. That’s an uncomfortable position to be in to say the least.
There’s also just a plain fear of the unknown. How is my body going to react? What will my mind do? How long does it all last?

What if I fail?

All reasonable thoughts to be honest. The prospect of losing your crutch is a difficult one to bear but, and this is stating the obvious, getting sober requires going through detox.

Detoxification Treatment Plan

Let’s address the elephant in the room: withdrawal.
Withdrawal is what our bodies and minds go through when we stop taking a drug or drinking alcohol. It’s the reaction to having those chemicals that we’ve grown used to and dependent on…not be there anymore. It throws us into a state of disarray and the symptoms of withdrawal start very soon after your last drink or high.

Yes, there is discomfort involved.

Each substance has its own unique ways of presenting and the length of time detoxing varies as well. In addition, keep in mind that detox and withdrawal from some substances is a potentially lethal proposition. Benzos and alcohol, in particular, both coming with that risk of death, so supervision is without a doubt imperative for those.
In general though, some common symptoms that many will experience are:

• Mood swings and irritability
• Fatigue
• Changes in appetite
• Nausea
• Difficulty sleeping
• Sweating
• Vomiting
• Muscle pain
• Shakiness and tremors
• Depression
• Anxiety

It’s not comfortable, no bones about it, but you can overcome it.
At the moment it’s a seemingly gargantuan task but the further you get from it; the hurdle of detox appears smaller and smaller in the rearview. Ultimately a small price to pay for the freedom your newfound sobriety affords you.

What Are Drug Detox Programs?

Detox programs serve to alleviate as much of the suffering that comes with withdrawal as possible. Medically supervised detox under the caring and watchful eye of trained professionals is by far the safest way to go. On top of being in a dedicated facility, in cases of severe substance abuse medication can be administered to counteract the harshest symptoms allowing you to get through it easier.
Additionally, being supervised and working with someone who understands what you’re going through helps in fighting the cravings. Something you may otherwise succumb to if going it alone.
At the end of the day, you can’t start treatment in any serious way until you’ve gone through detox.
The idea is to get you clean of the substances and you can arrive in any state. Don’t worry if you’re under the influence of drugs or alcohol when you show up, it’s a non-issue. If that’s the moment you need help, so be it. Come as you are.

Why Should I Do A Detoxification Treatment Plan?

The unfortunate reality of detoxing alone leads to an increased risk of relapse. The same goes for only doing detox and not proceeding further with treatment. It’s somewhat of a common misconception, that detox is the end of the story. In many ways, it’s just the beginning.

That’s why having a detox treatment plan is important. Drug detox programs should be seen as the transitionary step to your full-fledged treatment program, not an end in itself. At Addiction Treatment Solutions we work with a wide range of drug detox programs in California and can help you find the one that works best for you.

We all have our preconceived notions about what constitutes rehab. In the main, we most likely picture the one on one counseling and group therapy that traditional rehab is centered around. Those visuals are reinforced by countless movies and tv shows on the topic.

Traditional rehab is effective and the reason those images are conjured in our mind’s eye is because their techniques and methodologies that work. However, lately we’ve seen the emergence, and almost mainstreaming, of a new branch in the rehab tree known as alternative therapies. Holistic rehab treatment methods are another way to phrase it.

They aren’t intended to replace traditional treatment though, it’s complementary to the more evidenced-based techniques of the traditional approach.

What it’s all about can be found in the definition of the word holistic, which is, “relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts”.

Defining Holistic Addiction Treatment

Jumping off from what holistic means, it starts to paint a picture of what holistic rehab looks like.

It’s a form of treatment that aims to treat the whole person and not just the addiction. Taking into account the effects of addiction on the entirety of the mind, body and spirit, together. It certainly can have a new-age type feel to it but numerous types of holistic treatment are a normalized part of our day to day lives. Things like yoga and acupuncture, for example, are prominently featured in holistic addiction treatment programs around the country.

Harvard noted that yoga provides natural anxiety relief and helps people deal with stress and depression.

But the world of holistic treatment is of course much larger than just yoga and acupuncture. You have an absolute abundance of options that include:

• Mediation
• Equine Therapy
• Art and Music Therapy
• Massage Therapy
• Biofeedback
• Reiki
• Nutritional Therapy
• Nature Therapy

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health has an exhaustively robust list of holistic therapies and practices.

Viewing and treating addiction and substance abuse through this prism of the whole opens the door to a person seeing themselves differently and knowing themselves even better. Particularly when combined with the rigorous work of traditional therapy.

How Holistic Rehab Centers Are Different from Others

Given that holistic rehab is in and of itself different from traditional rehab, rehab centers that focus specifically on the holistic and alternative & complementary approaches are different as well.

There will be a much more thorough emphasis on building a sort of mindfulness of how everything is connected in addiction. The promotion of self-care and wellness are prominent as well.

Holistic rehabs also acknowledge that the 12-step programs which are so well known and utilized in traditional rehab programs aren’t, in fact, a great fit for everyone. Just as each person’s addiction is unique so too is their path to recovery and rehabs centered in the alternative tend to eschew the rigidity of the 12-step model.

The great thing about considering different options, i.e. how deep you’d like to dive into holistic methods, is that you’ve already taken the major first step on the path to sobriety: acknowledging that you need to make a change.

Weighing the possibilities in how to best do that for you personally feels like a whole new ballgame though with all these choices. If you’re going to opt for a more holistic approach, which of the myriad of treatments is right for you? You can find yourself swimming in too much information these days and that’s why it’s important to have a resource you can go to for answers. That’s where Addiction Treatment Solutions comes in. We provide comprehensive guidance and support and are partnered with the leading, accredited facilities so not only can we help you figure out what you need but also the options that best fit your goals and budget.