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Detox Medications

Substance abuse disorders impact more than 10% of Americans ages 12 or older. Drug and alcohol use is still common among teens and high schoolers, with more than half of all high schoolers experimenting with alcohol and/or marijuana within the past year. Substances like marijuana and alcohol can lead to physical and psychological addiction, while prescription medications like Xanax and Vicodin can cause serious withdrawal symptoms that usually requires the use of detox medications during recovery. When you or your teen becomes dependent on a substance, like alcohol or marijuana, withdrawal symptoms can become severe and necessitate the utilization of detox medications. Detox medications help alleviate painful withdrawal symptoms and can improve recovery outcomes during partial hospitalization programs in LA..

What are Addiction and Withdrawal?

Addiction is a chronic, incurable disease that doesn’t discriminate. Anyone regardless of age, gender, race, or education, can develop a substance abuse disorder. Addiction causes major changes to your brain which can impact your memory, judgment, and behavior. During addiction, drugs, and alcohol change your brain’s pleasure and reward center. Drugs and alcohol are neurotransmitter inhibitors, meaning that whenever you use drugs or drink, your brain releases an excessive amount of neurotransmitters. Your brain’s pleasure and reward center then connects your substance of choice with pleasure and rewards your drug or alcohol use with a pleasurable rush of neurotransmitters. Over time, your brain can become completely dependent on your substance of choice in order to release neurotransmitters. Whenever you are exposed to triggers, which can be people, places or things that remind you of your substance of choice, you experience intense cravings that make it difficult to remain abstinent. Addiction can also:

  • Damage your personal relationships
  • Cause you to spend excessive amounts of money on drugs or alcohol
  • Cause cognitive damage
  • Damage your brain’s neurotransmitter receptors
  • Worsen underlying mental health or medical conditions
  • Cause behavioral and personality changes

What are Detox Medications?

When you develop a physical or psychological addiction, you can experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop using the substance. Common withdrawal symptoms include:

  • Nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps
  • Dehydration
  • Mood changes
  • Insomnia
  • Body aches and pains
  • Seizures

Medications used in detox can help alleviate and reduce the severity of your withdrawal symptoms. Detox medications can be administered at an inpatient, outpatient or partial hospitalization program in Los Angeles. Some of the most commonly used detox medications include:

  • Suboxone and methadone
  • Gabapentin
  • Anti-anxiety medications
  • Sleeping medications
  • Nausea medications

Detox medications help prevent withdrawal symptoms from becoming serious, or even life-threatening. Certain substances, like benzodiazepines and alcohol, can cause seizures and delirium tremors, which require immediate medical treatment. Detox medications help prevent complications from occurring during withdrawal, ensuring that you are safe and healthy during treatment.

Reaching Out for Help Today

If you or your loved one is struggling with a substance abuse disorder, the first step in the recovery process is withdrawal. Detox medications make the withdrawal process more comfortable which improves your chances of recovery. Following detox, inpatient and outpatient programs offer you the support, compassion, and guidance you need to navigate recovery. If you would like to learn more about your treatment options or have questions about addiction treatment or detox medications, call us today at 877.466.0620.