Following acceptance of one’s substance abuse issues, the next and most difficult piece of the recovery process is detox. Often, this is the most frightening aspect of recovery for those unwilling to enter. That is why it is important for friends and family to reassure their loved ones about this aspect of care.

The Role of Detox

Detox plays an essential role in the recovery process. In fact, without detox, the rest of the process cannot move forward. Detox has various goals, the main one being to purge toxins from people with acute substance dependence.

The other main goal is to assist with any withdrawal symptoms. These can be severe, but detox must happen for a person to develop a clear mind. Without detox, a person cannot accomplish any goals of a recovery program.

What Is Involved?

When a person arrives at a treatment center, they will first undergo a full mental and physical assessment. This will determine the course of action necessary for an optimum healing experience. Part of this assessment will determine the types of substances in the individual’s system, how long they have been using them, and what course of action exists to help.

The first step in the recovery process is detox treatment. This step has several facets that can depend on the answers to the initial assessment.

Detox can last from a few days to a week and involves a complete cold-turkey approach to the addictive substances in a person’s system.

Depending on the severity of the substance abuse issues, a person may be given medication-assisted treatment (MAT), which can help to lessen some of the more difficult physical aspects of the detox process. Some of these side effects can include:

• Anxiety/depression
• Tremors
• Hot and cold sweats
• Fatigue
• Suicidal thoughts

The fact is that there are a number of side effects, none of them pleasant. Detox causes an imbalance in the brain as the toxins leave the body. At the end of the detox, the person will feel a shift back into balance.

What Is the Detox Environment?

A very important element of detox is that it is monitored 24/7. People are never alone during this process, as it can be overwhelming, frightening, and often painful. Trained medical staff will be with the individual to provide not only medical assistance but personal support.

The other thing to remember is that the physical environment is a comfortable room. Some people think they will be placed in a room until they “come down.” This could not be further from the truth. The bed will be comfortable, there is a private bathroom, and the room can be temperature-controlled depending on the needs of the resident. There is even ample fresh air and other healthy aspects to the surrounding environment to make the experience as pleasant as possible.

After years of research, recovery facilities have learned that people going through this process need to be made as comfortable as possible. This has informed every detox program and has even allowed luxury facilities to provide a level of unrivaled care and comfort.

How to Assuage Fears

It is often difficult to describe the recovery process to potential residents without them drawing the wrong conclusions. For many, the idea of what they will endure can seem like too much. This is especially true of the detox process.

Therefore, what can family, friends, and even the facilities themselves do to ease the person’s mind? It is often a matter of education. As discussed, there are plenty of misconceptions about the detox process. For people attempting to help a loved one enter a program, it is about giving them the proper information. Often, a facility can give quite a bit of information and, if necessary, can speak directly with the individual to answer their questions.

The other piece is to make sure the individual understands why the process is so important. Remind them of all the good things that are waiting for them on the other side of recovery. The idea of healthy living and being a functioning member of society may help them establish goals and come around to the idea of treatment.

How Twilight Recovery Can Help

Twilight Recovery Center is dedicated to assisting people with their recovery journey. The staff is well aware of the anxiety that comes with entering a rehab facility. In fact, due to the fact that so many people have these fears, the program is dedicated to calming these fears.

The tropical location and luxury surroundings serve to bolster the inviting nature of the program. People that have never been through the rehab and recovery process will find immediate refuge in the state-of-the-art facility.

For Twilight Recovery Center, the only real reason for existing is the well-being of its residents. People are allowed to be scared. But it is the facility’s job to make the process as easy and painless as possible.