Detox programme preferable before addressing addiction

Many of us have experienced cravings for a certain food, some f us may have gone on a diet where we denied ourselves a certain food, and a few days later that is all we can think about, and suddenly we find ourselves gorging on said food.  For many individuals who are trying to overcome a drug addiction it is a similar scenario, except in many cases a lot more severe.  Due to the physical impact that drugs have on the body and the brain, when an individual tries to stop using cocaine, for example, the body has an extreme reaction to this loss, and begins to crave it, and often when individuals do not any provisions in place to help them deal with these cravings, they will be unable to resist and may overindulge to a dangerous level.

It is for this reason that often it is important for an individual to undergo a detox programme before trying to address their addiction as a whole.  Detox programmes are intended to help the body adjust to life without the drug, and while this can be a very unpleasant experience for the individual in question, it is often necessary. 

A detox should always be carried out under the supervision of a medical professional, and part of the reason is that there is a risk associated with detox, and thus individuals need regular monitoring.  But in addition to this, often a detox will involve the use of medications that need to be administered by medical personnel.

The use of medications in drug treatment has revolutionized how we are able to treat the disease, they are most commonly used in the detox setting, and they can make the process much easier to bear, and thus help encourage individuals to become drug free long term.

A recent development in medicines to treat addiction has found that when a fine tuned combination of medicines are used for cocaine addiction, it can drastically reduce an individuals cravings, and withdrawal symptoms (Medical New Today, 2012).  Developments such as these can help smooth the process of detox and rehab a little, and may thus help encourage more individuals to try and overcome their addiction.

Medical News Today.  (2012).  Tackling cocaine addiction with 2-drug combination.  Sourced from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/248797.php

Published by on 23/08/2020.