Common Misconceptions About Detox

Substance abuse is a brutal disease that can cause a lot of pain and suffering for an individual and their loved ones.

Deciding to seek treatment for your addiction will allow you to change your negative behaviors and heal from past mistakes. The first step in the treatment process is detox, and this can be seen as the most difficult challenge during recovery. Detox is filled with uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms that must be managed in a medical setting in order to be successful. Our addiction treatment center in Chicago explains the common myths about drug detox and what you should expect during this process. Completing any drug detox is possible, and it will lead you to a successful recovery journey.

Myth #1: Detox can be completed in a fixed amount of time.

Addiction affects people in different ways. Depending on the severity and type of addiction, a drug detox will vary in length before completion. Detox is the process of your body flushing out the toxins, and this is the first step towards sobriety. Your body needs time to completely get rid of the addictive substances. During this process, you can feel intense withdrawal symptoms that may last up to 48 hours or more for some patients.

Myth #2: Detox can be completed at home.

Attempting to detox from drugs at home can be very dangerous and can lead to health complications if not medically monitored. The success of your recovery journey starts with detox. If detox is performed at home, users can relapse or not be able to handle the withdrawal symptoms. Detoxing in a safe and comfortable medical setting will be the best option for patients, and this will set the tone for a strong road to recovery.

Myth #3: The recovery journey is complete after detox.

While the substances are completely removed from the body at this time, this is only the beginning. Long-term sobriety takes individualized treatment over a certain period of time. The hard work and discipline will continue after detox, and it’s important to understand that recovery is a lifelong practice.