Drug Detox Symptoms and Treatment in Boston Massachusetts

Drug Detox – Symptoms and Treatment

From Drug Consumption to Drug Dependence

Most users of substances started using with the idea that they would try the substance, and maybe use it recreationally.  No one plans to become dependent, and many don’t even realize it’s happening.  Casual consumption turns to dependence psychologically and physically.  As use becomes more frequent, drug tolerance is developed, which can start the path to drug dependence, and drug addiction.  Drug tolerance simply means that the drug effects diminish, and more of the drug is needed to achieve the same feeling.  As users take more and more to get the desired effect, the risk of drug overdose becomes higher.

 Drug Addiction and Drug Withdrawal

As drug consumption continues, and drug tolerance is increased, our brains change to account for the increased use.  Stopping or reducing use, with many substances, can lead to drug withdrawal, as drug detoxification takes place in the body.  With opiates/opioids, cocaine, alcohol, and even nicotine, this physical drug withdrawal can be very uncomfortable.  People feel physically sick, and their brain craves the drug, often motivating individuals to take actions that they would not normally take- like stealing, skipping work, and lying to family and friends.

Drug Detox and Drug rehabilitation

Drug detoxification serves multiple purposes.  It provides external accountability to help people not give up and use, it provides medical care to ensure that the user is safe during the body’s detox process, and it also serves to keep the user more comfortable through the process.  Detox is still hard, but a professional detoxification can make the process considerably safer and more comfortable, than doing it on your own.  Once the body is detoxed, the process of rehabilitation can start.

What does it mean to enter drug rehabilitation?

Drug rehabilitation is the process of making changes in your life to avoid falling back into drug use and drug addiction.  There are a great number of ways that people can start a path in recovery, and many times this starts after drug detox, with some kind of treatment.  If the user has the opportunity to engage an inpatient or residential treatment, this is often a great start to the recovery process.  What’s commonly referred to as “rehab” is this kind of treatment, where someone lives at the treatment center for a period of time; this allows for the focus to be placed solely on recovery, and it also helps the person remain accountable to their sobriety.

After treatment has taken place, it’s time for the person in recovery to re-enter their lives.  This may include returning to work or family.  It may also include designing a new life that is very different from what they engaged during active addiction.  At Tharros, we focus on this stage of recovery.  To learn more about our approach, and what you can expect at Tharros, visit our website at www.TharrosHouse.com

 

Types of drug abuse in Boston Massachusetts

Treating Drug Abuse in Massachusetts

There can be a fine line between regular use of drugs and drug abuse. To find out whether or not someone that is using drugs is dependent on them or just taking them recreationally you can ask yourself these two questions:

  1. Why does the personal use drugs?
  2. What happens when they are under the influence of drugs?

What makes someone abuse drugs?

Many times people with alcohol dependence and/or drug problems use the drugs to acquire a specific effect, such as escaping emotions.  While there may be many reasons for someone to use drugs, the people that become addicted usually all desire the escape.

It is still possible to like the escape / feeling that comes with alcohol and drug use while not having a drug problem, which brings us to the second question of ‘What happens when they are under the influence of drugs?”. Behaviors such as blacking out, uncontrolled drinking, and not caring about the negative consequences that come from drinking alcohol / taking drugs can all point towards a drug abuse problem.

Ignoring the Consequences

A major sign that someone has a drug abuse issue is that the user will continue using despite all the negative consequences of their actions. Take a DUI for example – a normal users would try to ensure that they never get in this situation again and avoid it completely. People with drug abuse disorders would recognize that they definitely don’t want another DUI but would continue to get themselves in the same situations and still take the risk.

Treating Drug Abuse

Once someone has accepted that they have a drug problem the first step, depending on the severity of the problem, is to go to a drug detox facility. Going cold turkey after years of abusing drugs or alcohol can have serious life threatening consequences, so it’s important to do it the right way.

Once completely detoxed the most important thing to do is to go through primary treatment, aka rehab. Rehab is essential to drug recovery as it removes the person from all the daily stresses and triggers in everyday life that play a role in their addiction. When the person leaves rehab there are oftentimes many challenges in the day to day life.

This is where sober living comes in. Living in a sober house helps by giving you the tools you need to succeed in everyday life. At Tharros, we work with people who have already finished some form of major alcohol or drug treatment.  Our clients are sober and free from drugs.  A commitment to staying free from all mind changing drugs is a condition of living at Tharros House.  People usually stay between 4-6 months, however some reside as long as a year, or longer.

We believe that learning how to live life without having to pick up a drink or a drug is seriously important, but it’s just part of the process.  At Tharros House, we concentrate on skills to maintain sobriety, but also on helping each client to build a life that they want to live in being sober.  Our staff helps each client to recognize how to include purpose, meaning, success, and other key factors of a joyful life.  Clients direct their personal recovery with support, suggestions, and accountability provided by our team and community.  Learning the skills of life are incorporated both on an individual basis through activities like grocery shopping, meal planning, and service commitments, and on a group basis, like cooking classes.

Rehabilitation from drug abuse isn’t usually a quick process.  It requires effort, and it takes time.  Building a solid foundation will serve you for your entire life, which is the reason why we solely accept clients ready to put sobriety and recovery as their top priority.  To learn more about our approach and get answers to common questions, please visit https://tharroshouse.com/faq/.