Safe Prescription Drug Detox
We believe safe detoxification is the answer to the uncomfortable side effects of drug withdrawal. Our goal is for every patient to be comfortable and safe throughout their detoxification process. For this reason, our addiction treatment experts first take time to assess a patient’s drug use via an initial assessment, then make an informed decision on how to approach the treatment programme.
Our detox programme is not strictly limited to medication-assisted detox. Only clients with severe levels of drug addiction and life-threatening withdrawal symptoms enter our medicated-assisted detox programme. For patients experiencing minor withdrawal complications, we provide around-the-clock supervision and supportive care until they overcome their withdrawals.
Prescription drugs are, by nature, highly addictive because of the powerful effects they have on the body’s neurological system. While these medications offer much-needed chronic pain relief, they also release pleasurable sensations. Users misuse prescriptions just to experience these sensations.
Withdrawal and detox are unavoidable if you’re battling an addiction to them.
What Is Prescription Drug Withdrawal?
Withdrawal involves using less and less of the prescription medication until you no longer need it, or halting the use of the prescription drugs at once. When withdrawal happens, negative withdrawal symptoms develop. The best and safest way to get off an addictive prescription drug is by seeking medical assistance for withdrawal. You’ll not get the outcome you desire when you opt to withdraw on your own.
In your roughest withdrawal moments, always remember that just as your body became dependent on that particular substance, it will, over time, adapt to its abstinence. Overcoming withdrawal may be overwhelming, but certainly not impossible.
Prescription Drug Withdrawal Symptoms
You may badly want to stay clean from substances. Sadly, your body will always have something to “say” when you try to stop using an addictive medication. Since the body develops physical and psychological dependence on prescription drugs, the withdrawal symptoms experienced are mostly negative physical and psychological effects.
Just to assure you, no matter how unbearable the withdrawal symptoms may be, sobriety from prescription drug addiction is still within your reach.
The common symptoms that develop during prescription drug withdrawal include:
- Insomnia
- Restlessness
- Muscle pain
- Watery eyes and a runny nose
- Feelings of anxiety
- Sweating uncontrollably
- Increased heartbeat
- Hallucinations
- Agitation
A person battling amphetamines addiction is likely to experience more physiological than physical withdrawal symptoms — irritability, slurred speech, anxious thoughts, difficulties concentrating, fatigue, high appetite, and depression.
Opiates have unpleasant physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. These include diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting, gastrointestinal pains, inability to sleep, lack of sleep, abdominal cramping, and goosebumps.
Possible withdrawal symptoms associated with benzodiazepines range from slightly uncomfortable to downright life-threatening. They include headaches, sweating, hand tremors, racing pulse, nausea and vomiting, visual problems, regular panic attacks, extreme sensitivity to stimuli such as touch or light, depression, seizures, and irritability.
Timeline of Withdrawal Symptoms
The timeline differs from one prescription medication to another. On average, though, the withdrawal symptoms develop a few days after stopping the use of the substance or drastically reducing the amount used.
For opiates, withdrawal symptoms manifest a few hours or within three days after quitting or lessening the dosage. If misuse was high, the withdrawal symptoms can last for close to 20 days.
For benzodiazepines, the timeline depends on the type of benzodiazepines — if it’s short-acting or long-acting. The withdrawal symptoms of short-acting benzodiazepines develop quickly: less than 24 hours after quitting.
For long-acting benzodiazepines, withdrawal symptoms start between two to seven days after quitting. If dependence for benzos was severe, withdrawal symptoms can last for a month or more. With amphetamines, withdrawal symptoms typically develop a day after quitting and may last about seven days. If amphetamines dependence was high, the symptoms can last for weeks.
Before you Begin your Detox from Prescription Drugs
To begin the detox treatment from dependence, we first carry out an in-depth evaluation of the patient’s withdrawal symptoms and addiction history.
We believe that every patient’s addiction is unique, hence the need to tailor a detox treatment plan that’s entirely safe, tolerable, and specific to each client’s symptoms. Our detox treatment is not solely medicated-assisted. For individuals with long-term dependence on prescription medications, we recommend medical detox to flush out the substance build-up from their system.
However, medical detox won’t be necessary for persons with short-term dependency. Instead, the detox plan will entail guiding you to slowly reduce your use of the addictive prescription drug until you attain abstinence.
How Long Does Prescription Drug Detox Last?
The period it takes to complete a prescription drug detox depends on specific factors:
- The type of prescription drug abused
- The severity of the prescription drug addiction
Generally, prescription drug detox lasts about 14 days.
This number goes up if the drug was abused in high doses. In this case, it will take more time to get rid of the prescription drug from the body. Detoxifying the body from opiates can take a week. The benzodiazepines detox process can take anywhere between a week to a month. As for amphetamines, the detox process may take anywhere between 7-14 days
Why Choose Us?
At Providence Projects, we understand how distressing it can be for you or a loved one. We firmly believe anyone can be free from substance abuse, regardless of how severe your state of prescription drug addiction is.
Our skilled and compassionate addiction treatment specialists offer an unmatched level of clinical care. With us, you are assured of holistic recovery.
How so? As we provide you with an effective, safe, comfortable, and professionally-supervised prescription drug detox, you will also receive medical and therapeutic care for any underlying health issues you might have that can complicate your withdrawal journey.
Get Help with Drug Addiction
Is a Detox Enough to Tackle Prescription Drug Addiction?
The journey to a life free from prescription drugs starts with detox. Detoxification sets a strong foundation for recovery. The reality, though, is that you can’t win the battle for long-term sobriety from prescription drug dependence with detox alone.
After completing a detox programme, a person battling this addiction needs to build healthy habits and coping skills to manage their cravings and avoid relapse episodes. Here at the Providence Projects, we offer a comprehensive rehab & therapy programme to help combat the root causes of prescription drug dependence.
Taking part in aftercare services such as therapy, support groups, and fellowship groups (where the main agenda is prescription drug addiction sobriety) gives you access to these coping skills and healthy habits.
Besides prescription drug detox, being involved in aftercare activities will help you stay committed to your sobriety goals and connected to people who share these same goals.
The aftercare activities will keep you actively engaged in your dependence recovery, ultimately maximising your chances of overcoming the dependence.
