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Why DIY Detoxing from Drugs Is Dangerous

a person lays sadly in bed while DIY detoxing from drugs

Formal drug detox and rehab are well-established norms for treating drug addiction effectively. That’s true because, when conducted by experienced professionals, they provide the best possible recovery support. Despite this fact, some people undertake DIY detox efforts that omit any kind of supervised care. Addiction specialists strongly advise you not to follow suit. Why? Detoxing from drugs on your own is dangerous in more ways than one.

Symptoms of Detoxing from Drugs

What happens to you when you detox from drugs? The exact answer to this question depends on the substance in your system. But broadly speaking, you run the real risk of going into some form of drug withdrawal. Not everyone affected by addiction will develop withdrawal symptoms. However, such symptoms are common, especially among heavily addicted people. They may include physical symptoms such as:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Aching or trembling muscles
  • Diarrhea
  • Fatigue
  • Excessive sweating

You may also experience intense drug cravings and a variety of other mental or emotional symptoms.

Reasons for Not Detoxing from Drugs Without Support

Regardless of the drug in your system, the withdrawal will almost certainly cause distress or discomfort. Depending on your situation, the intensity of these feelings may range from mild to severe. But regardless of their intensity, such feelings share one crucial thing in common. Namely, they can bother you enough to seriously consider restarting your active drug use. In other words, when you’re detoxing from drugs, symptoms of withdrawal can destabilize your recovery.

The best way to avoid this outcome is to tone down the effects of withdrawal from drugs as much as possible. If you detox independently, you have limited resources to help you achieve this goal. However, supervised detox focuses on providing you with just this kind of support. That support won’t eliminate your withdrawal symptoms. But it should significantly increase your comfort level. In this way, it helps you avoid drug relapse.

The Health Dangers of DIY Drug Detox

In some cases, the process of drug detox does much more than make you profoundly uncomfortable. It can also pose a severe risk to your well-being. As a rule, the most dangerous drugs to come off of are benzodiazepine medications. A sudden halt in the use of these medications can trigger symptoms such as:

  • Delusional thinking
  • Hallucinations
  • Paranoia
  • A sense of detachment from reality

In some cases, it can also trigger potentially fatal health issues. One such issue is delirium, similar to that sometimes found in people withdrawing from alcohol. Another is the onset of severe seizures. Given these kinds of risks, DIY benzodiazepine detox is dangerous at best. You can also expose yourself to unnecessary risk while detoxing from other drugs or medications.

Want to maximize your safety during detox? Enroll in a supervised program. In this program, trained professionals monitor your safety during drug withdrawal. They also provide a rapid response to any emergencies that arise. The result is a much higher margin of safety during the detox process.

Find Out More About Safely Detoxing from Drugs at Northpoint Colorado

Need more information on the many dangers of DIY drug detox? Consult the experts at Northpoint Colorado. We can provide you with further details on the potential effects of withdrawing from drugs. We can also give you a full rundown of the reasons for choosing a supervised detox program.

Supervised drug detox is one of the many recovery services offered at Northpoint. Whether you need inpatient or outpatient support, you’ll find it here. All detox plans are customized to suit your particular needs. Call us today at 888.231.1281 to get started. You can also complete our online contact form.