“Five-day detox diet” and “detox at home!” As Seen On TV advertisements make it seem like a simple and easy process to detox your body. But the diet industry uses the term “detox” in a very different way than detoxing from drugs or alcohol.
The term “detox” means to rid your body of toxins. Drugs and alcohol are potent chemicals that cause changes in the chemical system of your body.
Your body detoxes naturally on a daily basis, thanks to the work of the liver. For example, the liver neutralizes toxins that occur during digestion and the normal breakdown of cells in the body. The body renders them harmless and sends them to the excretory system where they leave the body.
A typical day’s worth of natural toxins, however, doesn’t compare to what’s going on when you take drugs or alcohol for long periods of time. Drugs and alcohol mess with your brain and body chemistry in significant ways.
Some drugs, for example, cause the release of large amounts of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that causes feelings of pleasure. Your body adapts to these and other unnatural changes. It alters how it processes these chemical messengers, too, so it can protect itself.
When you detox from drugs and alcohol too suddenly, the balance of brain chemicals and hormones throughout your body can be disrupted. This disruption can be simply uncomfortable, such as getting a headache, or it can be life-threatening, such as big spikes or drops in blood pressure and temperature. Depending on how much you’ve taken and for how long, removing drugs or alcohol suddenly can be life-threatening if your body can’t adapt quickly enough.
Sudden withdrawal from drugs and alcohol without medical supervision can cause:
- Hallucinations
- Tremors
- Seizures
- Drops or spikes in blood pressure and heart beat
- Changes in your nervous system
All of these can be life-threatening complications. The longer you’ve been taking drugs or alcohol, the more time your body has had to adjust. Removing these substances abruptly can make you very sick.
Only Detox Under Medical Supervision
So, if the “As Seen On TV” detox remedies aren’t the way, what is? The only “right” way to detox from drugs and alcohol is in a medically supervised setting. Doctors and nurses can monitor your withdrawal progress and intervene if your vital signs show your body isn’t adjusting well to withdrawal. Medications can counteract unpleasant symptoms of withdrawal.
Although detox sounds scary, under medical supervision, it can be perfectly safe. The first step is to contact JourneyPure Emerald Coast for more information. We are here to help you recover safely, so you can feel good again.
