How does a detoxification programme work?

July 21, 2010 - PRLog -- The Oasis Counselling Centre in Plettenberg Bay will arrange an appropriate drug detoxification programme to minimise suffering and ensure patients can quit drug use safely.

The extended use of some drugs leads to physical dependence. Abruptly quitting these substances can result in withdrawal, which can be harmful or fatal. For this reason, individuals who have a physical dependence on drugs are required to undergo a professionally supervised detoxification programme before entering rehab.

Unfortunately, the range of substances that can cause physical dependence is quite broad. People can become physically dependent on prescription medications as well as recreational drugs. Alcohol also causes dependence, and, for alcoholics, suddenly quitting drinking can be very dangerous.

But not all drugs produce physical dependence. And as Oasis Director Anstice Wright explains, the effects of withdrawal will vary according to circumstances. “When an addict chooses to get help, Oasis Counselling Centre will assess the patient, and arrange for an appropriate and safe programme of detoxification,” says Wright.

Managing withdrawal
Where appropriate, patients will be treated with substances that have similar effects to the drugs they are quitting to minimise withdrawal symptoms. Patients undergoing alcohol detox may be given certain anti-anxiety medications, if this is deemed appropriate by a qualified practitioner. Heroin addicts may be given drugs like methadone.

This process must be supervised and the administration of medications should be carefully controlled.

“As with all aspects of addiction treatment, patients shouldn’t rely on quick fixes,” cautions Wright. “The effects of withdrawal might just take a couple of days, but they may last as long as a few months. At Oasis, we make sure the patient is supported for as long as necessary.”

Withdrawal can be painful, but the right programme can minimise the suffering. Oasis Counselling Centre will arrange a safe environment to help ease the pain. Experienced carers will monitor medications to help patients begin their recovery and start living a healthier life.

Will detox cure the addiction?
Drug dependence is a symptom of an underlying problem; it is not caused by the drug itself. “Managing addiction requires the addict to stop using - but this is the beginning of treatment, not the end,” says Wright.

What’s more, if the underlying causes are not treated, the chances of the addict relapsing become much higher. Relapse tends to involve drug use that is as serious as, or even worse than, it was before quitting.

Addicts need to abstain from drugs, but they also need to make the kind of internal changes that will help them cope without drugs. Oasis Counselling Centre treats the root causes of the disease of addiction. The centre believes in a holistic treatment programme that includes counselling, a 12 Step Programme and an emphasis on wellbeing.

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Oasis Counselling Centre is a registered rehab in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa. Oasis is able to facilitate detoxification from drugs and alcohol. The centre takes a holistic approach to the treatment of addictions and their treatment philosophy incorporates counselling, working a 12-Step programme and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle.