How to Detox Your System From Drugs
Substance abusers who decide to get clean and sober typically go through a period of detoxification, which is the time spent allowing drugs or alcohol to leave the body. The effects of detoxing vary from one person to the next and from one drug to the next, with side effects ranging from mild to severe. Understanding how to safely detox from drugs and alcohol is the first step on a substance abuser's road to recovery.
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Instructions
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Determine if you will need medical detox. Medical detox is typically recommended for long-term substance abusers due to the harmful effects of withdrawal. Medical detox can take place anywhere there is medical staff on duty around the clock, such as a hospital or rehab facility.
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Visit your doctor and have him gradually take you off any medications such as Xanax, Valium and similar drugs. Stopping these medications cold turkey can lead to seizures. It's best to be weaned slowly from these medications before entering a detox unit, unless the detox unit contains medical personnel.
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Check yourself into a treatment center for detox. If you can't afford it, there are state-funded treatment centers nationwide (see resources). Being in a detox center not only provides support, but makes it less likely that you will continue using your drug of choice during withdrawal.
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Tips & Warnings
Heroin withdrawal won't kill you, though you'll feel as if you're dying. Frequent hot baths with Epsom salt can help the extreme pain of withdrawal. Eating bananas, because of the potassium content, can help with the heavy cramping.
Seek medical detox for alcohol if you've been drinking for a long time. For someone who has been drinking heavily his whole life, withdrawing from alcohol can cause hallucinations and severe convulsions. You can die from alcohol withdrawal.
