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Apex Recovery Blog

The Dangers of Going Through Medical Detox Without Professional Help

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Are you thinking of going through a medical detox but don’t want to find a rehab center to help?

The problem with this is that it’s dangerous to go through such a difficult time without the help of a professional. Not only will you face health risks and mental stress, but you’re also more likely to fall back into bad habits. That’s why it’s always important to seek help from an expert whenever you’re ready to turn things around.

If you remain unconvinced, keep reading. We’ll go through the major problems you’ll face if you try to detox and recover all on your own.

Higher Risk of Relapse

Did you know that around 40-60% of people suffering from addiction go through a relapse? While it’s often a natural part of recovery, it’s far more likely to happen if you don’t have professional help.

Detoxing from drugs and alcohol isn’t an easy process. The lure of falling back to old habits is difficult to ignore.

Having professionals nearby at all times keep those urges at bay. It’ll be easier to avoid those bad habits because an expert will guide you through the process.

You’ll also be unable to access the source of your addiction which will help you achieve success throughout your recovery.

Unsupervised Recovery

Addiction forms a physical dependence on a substance. When you begin a detox, your body starts to go through withdrawal symptoms that could prove to be fatal if you don’t have the right care within reach. 

When you have the help of an expert on standby, they’ll know how to recognize the danger signs. They’ll know when to act to keep you from suffering.

Seizures, fever, pain, delusions, and loss of consciousness are all risk factors to keep in mind. Dehydration is another big problem when going through a detox, and it leads to a variety of other health problems.

Without medical supervision, you might not realize that you’re reaching a dangerous point in your recovery process. You’ll try to suffer through it even though you need medical help to get through the bad patch. Even if you’re well-versed in medicine, it’s almost impossible to recognize the signs as they’re happening to you.

Limited Access to Helpful Treatments

When your detox journey takes a bad turn, certain treatments could help you. The problem is that only professional experts have access to most of these helpful medicines.

Benzodiazepines, for instance, help your body go through the detox process without the risk of seizures or delusions. Clonidine helps your body ignore the symptoms of withdrawal. Gabapentin prevents convulsions that’ll lead to severe vomiting attacks.

Even if you have access to these treatments, they’re not intuitive to use. It could be that you’ll use them at the wrong time or in the wrong dosage. Instead of helping you through the withdrawal, you’ll end up doing more damage to your body.

Without these medicines to aid you, you’ll end up going through a detox that’s far more difficult than it needs to be. There’s no reason to suffer when a professional could give you all the things you need for a successful recovery.

Untrained Recovery Support

No one should go through an addiction recovery alone. It makes the entire process more difficult and dangerous for you.

If you decide to go through it all alone, you’ll have no support group to rely upon. When you go through medically-assisted detox, you’ll always have plenty of support to keep you on track.

Many people think that the friends and family that held an intervention will be able to help them through the rough times. While this is true in some respects, your friends and family don’t have the right training to give you the best defense against your addiction.

Vulnerable to Isolated Behaviors

It’s a common thing for a person to choose isolation when going through a detox. It seems as though it would be easier to deal with if we remain alone.

The biggest danger with this is that when you isolate yourself, it’s much easier to fall back into old habits.

You won’t want to include other people in your journey to recovery. When you put yourself in the hands of a professional, you’ll never need to worry about these kinds of isolated behaviors. The expert will give you many distractions and tools to keep you on track the entire time.

No Mental Health Assistance

Another aspect that many people ignore is the importance of keeping up with your mental health. Detoxing from an addiction isn’t only a physical thing. It requires mental fortitude and strength that’s difficult to have when your body is going through withdrawal.

When you’re assisted by a professional, they’ll be able to guide you through the recovery. They’ll help keep your spirits up and prevent thoughts of relapse or suicide.

They’ll also aid you in building up your mental defenses for when your addiction tries to come back into your life. When you try to recover on your own, however, you miss out on this vital step.

Unsafe Transition Back to Normal Life

Without the right mental defenses to fall back on, it’s very tricky to get back to the normal life you want. Addiction will try to thwart your attempts because you don’t know how to fight it off.

A medical professional gives you the right tools to achieve the life you dream of having.

When you try to transition back into your old life without those defenses, you risk relapse every day.

Seek Professional Help for an Effective Medical Detox

With all of these severe problems, it’s easy to see why it’s dangerous to have an unassisted medical detox. Now that you understand these issues, it’ll make your journey to recovery a lot easier.

Don’t delay in getting the professional assistance you deserve!

We’re here to help you with your detox journey. We have a variety of rehab programs that’ll get you on the right track in no time. While we are not accepting Medi-Cal at this time, we do accept self-pay options and we’ll work with you to find the right payment alternative!

Call Our Toll-Free Hotline 24/7 at 877.881.2689