When we talk about drug detoxification, we are usually talking about the most severe of physical withdrawal symptoms that occur when a person is trying to wean himself or herself from their drug abuse. In the most extreme cases, people will literally go into shock as they begin to experience the side effects of withdrawal from drugs. These side effects include disorientation, nausea, fever, and diarrhea. Although it seems that everything goes well, it might not be the case and in the event of this happening, the person might be placed in an induced coma or worse, may even die.
Drug detoxification (Informally, detox) is the process of a total withdrawal from a drug; the physical process and encounter of a drug withdrawal syndrome; and various other treatments for immediate or long term extreme drug toxicity. The success of a drug detoxification center largely rests on the standard protocol that is followed; this being the treatment of the patients with respect to diet, nutrition, hydration, medication use, stress management, and basic health concerns. This is a very important aspect of the recovery process, as there are few medical treatments that can deal with the physiological aspects of drug detoxification such as vomiting and nausea, but there are certain medications that can also help with these issues.
To be successful, a detoxification program must provide an effective combination of medical therapy, support, counseling, support systems, and personal therapy to properly address the physical dependency as well as the psychological addiction that is at the root of the drug addiction. This combination of methods has proven to be one of the most effective ways to successfully wean individuals away from their addiction to drugs. The number of individuals who have successfully weaned themselves from their addiction through the help of a drug detoxification center is quite substantial.