Managing withdrawal symptoms is an important part of relapse prevention, and it is what a detoxification facility specializes in. In cases of deep or long-standing addiction, the medical treatment available at such facilities may be necessary. For some substances, the withdrawal symptoms, especially during the peak period after abstinence begins, can be very intense, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Medical Support

Medical intervention and support are among the ways that a detoxification facility helps to ease the withdrawal symptoms that can contribute to relapse. Withdrawal symptoms can be severe. In the case of long-term alcohol use, withdrawal can include such extreme symptoms as seizures and delirium tremens. Other drugs, prescription and street, can result in hallucinations, erratic heart beat and blood pressure, and numerous other symptoms. The types of medical support that a detoxification facility offers includes:

• Careful monitoring of vital statistics to ensure client safety.
• Pharmaceutical support to ease withdrawal symptoms. In some cases, this involves the use of medications that mimic the abused substance in decreasing doses. For example, Valium is used sometimes to ease the withdrawals from barbiturate use.\
• Pharmaceutical-based treatment of withdrawal symptoms. In this approach, instead of preventing the worst of the withdrawal symptoms by mimicking the substance and gradually reducing medication, specific withdrawal symptoms are managed with medication, reducing significantly the discomfort of abstinence from the abused substance. For example, an alcoholic undergoing detox may receive Lorazepam for delirium tremens.
• Skilled and continuous assessment of medical needs during the detoxification process, and rock solid procedures for dealing with any sort of medical emergency that may occur. Because the staff is well experienced with managing care so as to avoid extreme withdrawal symptoms, a severe medical emergency is highly unlikely. However, some cases are complex and it is essential to be well prepared for any possibility, no matter how slight.

As noted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the fear and anxiety that addicts suffer when thinking about the potential severity of withdrawal symptoms can be a major obstacle to making the choice to obtain treatment for their addiction. Preventing and treating withdrawal symptoms can help reduce relapse potential. Using a quality detoxification facility to ease withdrawal can make a real contribution to successful recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. Things to look for when choosing a facility:

• An experienced staff
• Verifiable credentials
• Clean, professional atmosphere
• Their detox process is safe
• Up-to-date equipment
• Plenty of written material to review
• Willingness to answer questions in a manner that can be clearly understood