Professional addiction treatment can save your life and put a more promising future within your reach, but it will require you to make significant changes. You can lay the groundwork for success with inpatient detox, where medical professionals can help manage your symptoms and provide you with the support you need to make it past the challenging process of getting the toxic substances out of your system. 

What Happens During Inpatient Detox?

Addiction happens when alcohol or drugs change your brain’s built-in reward system. Inpatient detox is the first step in breaking these harmful behavioral patterns and restoring your brain chemistry’s equilibrium.

While detox is simple to understand, the process itself is not easy or comfortable to undergo. If you’ve been drinking or taking drugs for a long time and abruptly quit, you can expect to encounter a range of uncomfortable symptoms that vary in intensity. 

Withdrawal Symptom Management

Withdrawal symptoms differ from one person to the next, and not everyone has the same experiences. However, during detox, you can expect some of the following to occur.

• Anxiety and depression: Mood changes often accompany withdrawal, especially among people with a dual diagnosis of addiction and mental illness. Heart palpitations, an uneven pulse, and dizziness can occur alongside these mood swings.
• Sleeping problems: Insomnia and other sleep disruptions such as night terrors are also common among people experiencing detox.
• Flu-like symptoms: Body aches are another frequent problem during detox. The withdrawal process can cause chills and sweating, like having a high fever.

Benefits of Inpatient Detox

Because withdrawal symptoms can be painful and sometimes life-threatening, it is not safe to try to detox on your own. The best way to ensure your safety is to go to an accredited facility staffed by compassionate, experienced medical professionals. Your treatment team will monitor your vital signs and provide medication, as necessary, to ease discomfort and prevent severe complications. 

On their own, five to seven days of detox are usually not sufficient to foster lifelong sobriety. Once you complete this initial treatment phase and are medically stable, you can transition into the appropriate level of step-down care. A robust treatment plan that addresses your addiction’s root cause is essential for making a full recovery.

Lakeside-Milam recommends either residential inpatient or outpatient treatment for clients who complete inpatient detox. These offerings are available at nine locations throughout western Washington and include group meetings, individual counseling, family involvement, 12-step programming, meditation, relapse prevention, and continuing care. We also offer virtual sessions for anyone who cannot attend in-person treatment due to health concerns.

Transform Your Life Today

You may assume detoxing will go more smoothly if you do it in the comfort of your home. However, this is a dangerous misconception. If you try to undertake it without guidance from qualified health professionals, the detoxification process can be disorienting and maybe even life-threatening. At Lakeside-Milam, we ensure your medically supervised inpatient drug detox is effective, safe, and as comfortable as possible.

To talk to an experienced professional who can explain how to break the cycle of addiction, reach out to our admissions team today.