Drug Detox

At Sovereign Health of California, we ourselves do not detox patients. However, we do refer patients to an excellent local hospital for inpatient medical detox.

Some people who are addicted to drugs feel a strong sense of responsibility for their actions and attempt to detox on their own. The detox process can be very dangerous and painful, however, and in severe cases, it can lead to death. If you are looking to stop using drugs, we strongly recommend that you seek professional help.

DRUG DETOX—What you should know

There are as many varieties and combinations of drugs used as there are drug detox protocols to treat various drug problems. We have found few people who use one particular drug exclusively. For example, it is common in outpatient drug detox programs to see patients who use combinations of alcohol and cocaine, or of alcohol and prescription drugs. Some drug detox centers offer outpatient medical detox, while others do not. Some offer day treatment services as well as outpatient detox services.

Heroin detox is painful without medication in drug rehab. Therefore, some outpatient drug detox centers use medication to help heroin users get through detox comfortably. Alcohol detox, on the other hand, may not feel as painful, but certainly requires medication and medical monitoring to ensure safety.

When alcohol is combined with anxiety medications, it is even more important to prescribe the correct levels of medication because anxiety drugs may render normal detox drugs useless. In these cases, medical drug detox is done using alternative medications that are just as effective. Even marijuana addiction treatment can begin with a detox phase.

Persons with histories of methamphetamine or cocaine use may suffer from intrusive thoughts that interfere with their ability to stay in treatment. These thoughts and the resultant paranoia tend to go away over a period of time, but it is important to stabilize these patients using medication during cocaine or meth detox if necessary until the drugs completely leave the body.

Detox is not enough

Complete recovery does not result from simply removing the drugs from a person's body. After detox is complete, it is crucial that the patient go into day treatment to avoid relapse. Only combined with follow-up treatment does drug rehab give patients the tools to remain drug addiction-free for life. Sovereign Health of California's diverse team of highly qualified professionals will be by your side every step of the way after you have finished detox.