Addictive disorders are among the most common neuropsychological disorders in Western societies; In the case of Spain, it is estimated that around 15% of the population suffers from a drug addiction. Furthermore, the most consumed drug is also one of the most harmful: alcohol, which is currently very normalized and socially accepted despite being a public health problem.
In this context, there are many people who at some point in their lives wonder how can you detoxify a drug addict, usually thinking of a family member or friend; The situation is very frustrating and there is a need to do something as soon as possible to prevent someone who has developed a dependency of this type from entering a state from which it is very difficult to get out.
How can a person suffering from drug addiction detoxify?
The first thing you should know about detoxification for people who have developed a dependency on hard drugs such as alcohol or cocaine is that, as a general rule, this process cannot be carried out by oneself. And it cannot be carried out by the union between the addicted person and one or more people from his family or circle of friends who help him. In practically all cases it is necessary to have specialized professional help.
What is this about? Above all, to two factors. On the one hand, addictive disorders are health problems that are disabling enough to greatly influence a person’s ability to self-regulate their behavior patterns without anyone’s help; the risk of relapse is very high because a certain emotional ambivalence towards the drug is maintained, and the addict notices that although he wants to overcome this dependence, in certain circumstances he defends it as another aspect of his lifestyle.
Secondly, there are several hard drugs that, if they are stopped suddenly after a dynamic of consuming them a lot, They can put a person’s life at risk by triggering cardiovascular accidents. This risk occurs, for example, in the case of addiction to benzodiazepines, barbiturates, or even alcohol (whose addiction can lead to delirium tremens). But that does not mean that it is impossible to “get off” these drugs; What it does imply is that the withdrawal of its consumption must be carried out gradually and with medical assistance.
So, if you are a friend or family member of someone with drug abuse problems and that situation has led you to ask yourself “how to detoxify a drug addict?”, you should know that your main role should consist of convince that person to start addiction treatment since only specialized health centers have the necessary personnel and equipment to offer full guarantees.
The keys to the drug detoxification process
These are the main blocks of intervention when detoxifying a drug addict in an addiction treatment center:
1. First interviews and data collection
In this initial phase, therapists collect information about the patient and their life context, to, from there, establish working hypotheses and design a treatment program adapted to your needs.
2. Detox
In this stage, the detoxification itself within the treatment for drug addictions, health professionals assist the person during the first days of abstinence, providing medical and psychotherapeutic resources to cope with an experience associated with a certain degree of discomfort and in the that the risk of relapse to the drug must be reduced to a minimum. The use of medications to mitigate symptoms linked to anxiety is common and the patient’s condition is strictly monitored.
In this part of the detoxification applied by professionals, a series of very short-term tasks and objectives are offered so that the patient can focus on these goals and escape the inertia of thought linked to the drug.
In this part, psychotherapy gains importance, since it can be understood as the implementation of a new way of living life without depending on substance use. However, medical monitoring is still important, because the body (and specifically, the nervous system) is also adapting to a reality that has nothing to do with the previous one. Therefore, it is recommended that patients complete this phase through residential treatment, entering the center’s facilities and staying overnight there.
4. Rehabilitation
At this point in treatment, the patient is significantly more autonomous than when they began therapy, but still needs a professional and social support system.
To do this, activities such as group therapy or carrying out group projects are usually used, areas such as training in social skills and management of one’s own emotions are worked on to limit the risks of relapses and having unnecessary conflicts with others, etc. The goal here is that the person prepares to have a normal life, internalizes responsibilities linked to a real day-to-day context (and not just limited to the addiction treatment center), and knows how to prevent himself from situations that could lead him to relapse once he does not have the help of therapists.
5. Reintegration
As its name indicates, what we are talking about here is continuing to offer assistance to the person who is in the process of returning “to the world” while maintaining certain rules of emotional and behavioral self-regulation. To do this, the patient is offered a lot of autonomy, and the objective is to consolidate the change once the patient has returned to a way of life as an adult and self-reliant person. To do this, guidance and help sessions are offered somewhat more spaced out in time.
If you are interested in starting a drug detox process or know someone who needs addiction treatment, the team of professionals at CITA Clinics it is what you are looking for.
Our center specializes in psychotherapeutic and medical assistance for people suffering from addictive disorders with or without drug use. We can help you through outpatient care and through residential treatment in our facilities, surrounded by nature and fully equipped. You will find us in Barcelona.
