More patients are trying out rapid detox programs. If you are trying to kick your drug addiction to the curb and you’re coming up short with your own efforts, seek out professional recovery assistance. If you’re short on time, though, or if traditional detox hasn’t worked for you in the past, then try out other options like a rapid detox program.

What is a Rapid Detox Program?

A traditional detox requires a longer time commitment, with patients undergoing withdrawal symptoms for days or even weeks. However, a rapid opioid detox could happen in a matter of hours. For some, the average is around 4 to 6 hours. The patients are put under sedation. Once they are, the drug is flushed out of their systems. The detoxification method is meant to speed up the withdrawal process, with the symptoms occurring while the patients are sedated. When they wake up, they won’t experience severe withdrawal symptoms.

How Does Rapid Detox Help?

A lot of patients with substance abuse problems hesitate to sign up for addiction treatment because withdrawal can be a brutal process. This is when the cravings intensify the most. However, since patients are put under sedation while they go through the worst of the withdrawal symptoms, when they wake up, they experience symptoms that are less severe and less uncomfortable.

What are the Withdrawal Symptoms?

Aside from chills and cravings, other withdrawal symptoms include sweating, constant yawning, agitation, and a runny nose. You also feel like all your muscles are aching and you might experience anxiety, too. Those are only the early symptoms of withdrawal. Late symptoms include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, dilated pupils, goosebumps and abdominal cramping. The symptoms are uncomfortable and usually start within 12 hours after the last use of heroin or within 30 hours from the last exposure to methadone.

Why Should You Undergo Detox?

Going through withdrawal on your own can be dangerous. When you sign up for treatment and undergo supervised withdrawal, you can trust the rehab center to monitor your condition. If anything goes wrong, there’s staff that can step in to help you. They know best what approach to take, how to respond in case of an unforeseen problem or issue, and they know how to make the detox process as comfortable as possible for you. If traditional detox hasn't worked for you in the past, then you should seek out other options. That’s where rapid detox programs come in. With the right rehab center, care plan and staff, you can get through that detox program successfully.

What Happens Next?

Keep in mind that detox is the first step to getting better. That means you still need to follow the care plan, go through counseling (individual and group), and more. Detox is only a small part of your recovery journey, so don’t focus too much on whether you can or can go through those withdrawal symptoms. Detox is followed by treatment. Instead of using too much of your energy on worrying about detox, think positive and look forward to the rest of what you’ll experience when you’re in rehab.