Drug Detox in Williamsport, PA

When you decide that you need medical help to deal with an addiction, your first step is likely to be to look for excellent drug detox in Williamsport. There are many rehab and detox centers out there, however, and it can be hard to know how to make the best choice. It can help to know something about the drug detox process and the choices available before you make up your mind.

Understanding What Detox Is and Isn't For

Most addictions come with twin components -- physical dependency and psychological dependency.

In addiction, the brain at first attempts to resist the presence of drugs system, and then, when it fails, adapts to them. When fully adapted, the brain changes the way it chemically functions to accommodate for the presence of drugs.

When a user tries to quit his habit and stop taking drugs, a brain that has adapted to drugs experiences serious chemical imbalance. This condition is known as withdrawal, and can come with painful and even dangerous physical symptoms. It's possible to experience intense aches and pains all over the body, nausea, tremors, seizures, violent tendencies and life-threatening cardiac dysfunction.

It is the purpose of the drug detox in Williamsport to safely carry the addict out of these difficulties by offering symptomatic medical care. For most addictions, treatment lasts as long as a month.

Psychological dependency is an effect of drug use whereby the brain becomes emotionally attached to drugs. It is the most serious part of addiction, simply because it cannot be cured the way physical addiction can. The emotional attachment created by drug use is a permanent part of the mind.

Psychological dependency shows itself as cravings. These are not helped by detox treatment, and can remain throughout life. Rehab centers offer various long-term therapeutic solutions to help address psychological dependency. It's important to engage fully in these therapeutic treatments after detox.

Your Choices in Detox

The primary aims of detox treatment are to wean the addict off drugs, to offer medications to suppress withdrawal symptoms, and to offer personal and psychological care to help comfort the patient and build patient engagement. Detox centers may perform these services in different ways.

Outpatient detox: The patient lives at home, but comes in for anything from a couple of hours to 8 hours a day for medications and therapeutic treatment. It's entirely up to the patient to arrive at a drug rehab in Williamsport each day, to comply with instructions and do the work needed.

The primary risk is that with the lack of monitoring at home, there may be neglect to comply with doctor's orders. This type of detox works well for addicts who really want to get better and have enough self-control to not cheat. It tends to be a poor choice for those with complicated addictions -- addictions to multiple drugs, addictions with mental disorders or physical ailments.

Inpatient detox: This is considered the gold standard in addiction treatment in Williamsport. The addict checks into a facility and stays there for intensive treatment, monitoring, physical and emotional support. It's an excellent idea for patients who do experience complicated addictions to do with multiple addictions and the presence of mental or physical disorders.

Rapid detox: Treatment at a conventional center for drug detox can take weeks of treatment as the brain works to adapt to functioning in a normal environment without drugs. In rapid detox, withdrawal treatment lasts mere hours.

The patient is put under sedation, and receives heavy doses of intravenous withdrawal medications such as naltrexone. While the body and brain do experience all the unpleasant and painful symptoms of withdrawal, the patient isn't aware of them. When the patient comes around, he finds that he no longer experiences withdrawal symptoms.

While rapid detox works in theory, there are severe complications in real life. The American Society of Addiction Medicine has does not endorsed it at this time. It isn't a good idea at this time.

What Should You Choose?

When it comes to quality detox, you should look for conventional programs delivered in a professional way. You should make sure that the detox center has a policy of observing each patient and forming custom treatment plans. Such personalized care is an important sign of quality.

There are some quality centers with drug detox in Williamsport, but you do need to make sure that you choose the right one. Look for accreditation by CARF or the Joint Commission. When performed in a professional way, drug detox offers safe passage out of addiction. Call Williamsport Drug and Alcohol Rehab Centers for help (877) 804-1531.