Tag: Detox

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9 Ways To Help Someone With An Addiction

If your loved one is addicted to drugs or alcohol, you can make an impact in their life by supporting their recovery journey. Being a positive support for your loved one can help them navigate the transition to treatment, and life afterwards. If the addicted person doesn’t have a strong support network, they could easily fall back to old patterns. You can be that powerful motivator.

There are resources available to help work through addiction at all stages of rehabilitation. You can start the journey by finding addiction treatment to start the healing process today.

What To Do: How to Help Someone With an Addiction

Here are 9 ways you can help a loved one who’s struggling with addiction.

1. Educate Yourself

Addiction is not necessarily “curable,” but with understanding and guidance, it is possible to successfully manage the ups and downs of it. Education is key for family and loved ones to provide the best support to those affected by addiction. Empowering yourself through knowledge helps you through the recovery process.

The Biology of Addiction

When you take drugs, they interrupt how neurotransmitters communicate in the brain1. Addiction begins when your brain produces less of its natural neurotransmitters due to high, constant drug use. You can build up a tolerance and need to take more of the substance. At first, using drugs or drinking alcohol is a choice, but it can soon spiral out of control.

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Eventually, some neurotransmitter networks and areas of the brain become damaged from the constant disruption. Because of this, addiction changes your brain chemistry, so many scientists believe that it is a disease. In some ways, you can look at addiction like cancer or diabetes. It’s an ongoing disease that, luckily, can be treatable. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) thoughtfully puts it, “addiction is a disease, not a character flaw2.”

2. Recognize The Signs of Relapse

Just like other diseases, relapse is always possible. So, being aware of warning signs is crucial. Everyone’s triggers are different, but common ones include stress and trauma. 

If your loved one is about to relapse, you might notice them fudging the truth, keeping secrets, or lying about their whereabouts. They could also show other changes in behavior such as:

  • Being withdrawn or distant
  • Showing a loss of interest in activities they like
  • Displaying mood swings

If you notice this, you may want to start gathering resources for help and talk to a professional. 

3. Listen

Be compassionate with your loved one. Ask them questions about why they drink or use drugs. And speak without judgment. Getting them to trust you with this vulnerable information is the first step towards getting them the help they need.

3A. Be open-minded: Ask questions that can help your loved one reflect on their addiction and their progress. Don’t judge the person or their decisions. Show that you are open to different approaches and solutions.

4. Be Patient

This process can be a great opportunity to show your loved one how much you care. Being patient and empathetic throughout their recovery journey will help them through difficult times and be greatly appreciated. Let the person know that you care and understand what they are going through. Your presence and support will be invaluable to them.

5. Vocalize Your Support

Sometimes, we think actions speak louder than words, but voicing your support of this journey is so important. Just saying, “I love you, and we’re going to get through this together” can encourage your loved one during a confusing and difficult time. Here are some more supportive phrases for recovery:

1. “I’m here for you no matter what.”

2. “I’m proud of you for seeking help.”

3. “I believe in you.”

4. “I’m here to help.”

5. “You can do this.”

Words of Support and Encouragement for Your Loved One During Their Recovery Journey.

6. Set Healthy Boundaries

Prioritize yourself and your wellbeing while helping your loved one. It is a difficult process, so remember to take a break when needed. It’s okay if you are unable to be involved in every aspect of their healing. If a situation becomes heated, consider setting a boundary such as taking a break from the conversation to reflect and come back to it in a more peaceful mindset. 

7. Have Realistic Expectations

Change doesn’t happen overnight. Be patient and supportive of your family member/friend’s journey of recovery. Celebrate each step of progress they make and encourage them to keep going. Don’t expect instant results, as change takes time and effort. Remind them that with perseverance, anything is possible. Be their source of hope and strength.

8. Offer resources

Suggest helpful resources or support groups that may be beneficial. Your loved one may want to look into different groups like Alcoholics/Narcotics Anonymous3, Women for Sobriety4, or SMART Recovery5. They can also explore our resource center with different articles to learn more about their condition or recovery in general.

9. Research Treatment and Recovery Resources

One of the biggest ways you can help your loved one is by getting them professional treatment. Rehab, outpatient programs, and/or therapy all teach clients the tools they need to regulate their emotions and behaviors to reinforce their sobriety. 

What Not To Do:

This is a sensitive time, and there are some things you might want to avoid to keep the recovery journey on track.

1. Don’t Enable

While you want to support your loved one, there’s a fine line between support and enabling. Don’t give your loved one money or a place to stay if their predicament results from drug use. Don’t tolerate negative behavior. And don’t rescue them every time they mess up. Instead, hold them accountable and practice tough love.

2. Don’t Blame Yourself or Them

Many factors go into how addiction forms, and you could end up wasting a lot of energy trying to pinpoint the cause. Instead, you can focus on taking action and moving forward to overcome this struggle.

3. Don’t Force Them To Quit

If your loved one feels like they can’t trust you because you demand they quit, that could make matters worse. They might start sneaking around or lying about their actions. And the less you know about their addiction, the less likely you’ll know how to help.

Offer to help them, but don’t demand sobriety immediately.

4. Don’t Ignore The Problem

Pretending an issue doesn’t exist doesn’t make it go away, especially for addiction. By ignoring it, you’re enabling it. You can take concrete steps to better your loved one’s life.

Find a Treatment Program For Addiction

So your loved one admits they need help, now what?

Doing some research to find the best kind of treatment for their needs is a great start. 

A good, and often necessary, first step in the healing journey is detox. Medically monitored detox safely rids your body of drugs and alcohol and can help you feel clear minded and ready to tackle treatment.

Many people then need residential rehab to overcome their addiction. Residential care can help them replace their unhealthy coping mechanism, substances, with positive habits. They’ll learn new techniques with therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to be well equipped to face the uncomfortable feelings that come with addiction recovery. And they’ll likely engage in holistic activities like yoga for well-rounded healing.

If you’re a family member, you may want to look into a program that offers family therapy. Usually, you’ll work with a therapist and your loved one. Or, they might offer a family weekend for on-site visits. Another key component of family therapy is addiction education. You’ll learn more about the addiction and recovery process, so post-treatment your loved one will have a healthy environment to come home to.

Post-residential care, sober living homes offer more flexibility while providing a comfortable place for your loved one to focus on their sobriety. They’ll likely attend an outpatient program, go to work or school, and grow with other peers in recovery. This is especially great for those who need a stable environment to heal in.

Recovery starts with a single step. You can make an impact in your loved one’s life by reaching out to addiction treatment centers.

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What Is Gas Station Heroin (Tianeptine)?

Gas station heroin, or tianeptine, acts like an opioid. It closely mimics heroin and often sells in gas stations and online stores, earning it the name “gas station heroin.” And like opioids, tianeptine can be highly addictive. 

Some states have made tianeptine illegal. Other states heed the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) regulation1, which states “…it is an unsafe food additive, and dietary supplements containing tianeptine are adulterated under the FD&C Act.” As such, tianeptine sellers can’t say it’s meant for consumption—or really anything else but “laboratory research.” 

But that doesn’t make gas station heroin any less addictive or any harder to get. To help you or your loved one recover, your care team might suggest going to rehab for drug addiction. 

Understanding Gas Station Heroin

Gas station heroin goes by several street names: ZaZa, Tianna, Pegasus, and TD Red. Tianeptine was created and patented as an antidepressant2 and still has that function in some European, Asian, and Latin American countries. But in the U.S., some use tianeptine as a pseudo-opioid. Because it’s not a controlled substance across the whole U.S. (yet), the legality of tianeptine proves tempting. 

Tianeptine acts like an opioid2 because it’s also a mu-opioid receptor agonist, which means it causes an influx of dopamine along your brain’s pleasure circuit. That’s why it’s effects can be compared to heroin. Tianeptine also causes opioid-like withdrawal symptoms—some say it’s even worse3.   

Despite being marketed as a demure dietary supplement, a nootropic, or a novel way to treat depression, tianeptine is far from safe. Smaller doses may prove harmless or even beneficial for non-U.S. patients taking it as prescribed. But, like heroin, tianeptine use could easily spiral into a costly addiction. 

What Are the Dangers of Gas Station Heroin?

Unknown Risks and Consequences

One of the dangers of tianeptine comes from the public’s general lack of how it’s used4 and the resulting effects. For example, gas station heroin coagulates when it gets wet3. If you try to inject it, as you would heroin, the coagulation could cause vein damage. Snorting it creates the same problems, since your nose and nasal cavity are wet, too. 

But many don’t know that. They might also assume that snorting or injecting tianeptine causes a “better” high3 than ingesting it, like heroin. In reality, that’s not true. Snorting tianeptine also hurts quite bad.  

Many also don’t know tianeptine can be addictive and have painful withdrawal symptoms. That’s understandable, since many sellers present tianeptine as a nootropic (cognitive enhancer) or as an innocent dietary supplement. Though more and more have realized the true nature of tianeptine, including the states fighting to illegalize it, it’s been too little too late for some.  

Overdose, Tolerance, and Withdrawals

Taking a seemingly safe drug with unknown effects could lead to overdoses, which have been fatal. You might not know how much is safe, how often you can take it, and what doesn’t pair well with tianeptine. These factors all increase your chance of an overdose. 

Even within “safe” doses, your tolerance will build. As time goes on, you may need to take higher and higher doses to feel the same positive effects. The more you take, the more likely an overdose becomes. And the higher and riskier your dose goes, the worse your withdrawals could feel4.    

Withdrawing from tianeptine feels like withdrawing from opioids, or worse. Tianeptine has a short half-life4, meaning withdrawal symptoms can set in fast. Symptoms can also last up to 2 weeks3. These symptoms include mental and physical effects4, like

  • Agitation
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Drowsiness
  • Rapid heart rate (tachycardia)
  • High blood pressure
  • Stomach pain and digestive issues
  • Vomiting 
  • Suicidal thoughts

In a recent localized study, over half the calls to poison control centers for tianeptine withdrawals resulted in medical care5. Tianeptine does, thankfully, respond to naloxone, which reverses the effects of an overdose. If you or someone you know needs help because of an overdose, call 911 or talk to poison control. 

Easy Access

As the nickname “gas station heroin” suggests, you can find tianeptine in some gas stations, smoke shops, and online websites. It’s highly accessible and can be all-too-easy to get a hold of (in bulk or by the bottle). But its accessibility doesn’t mean it’s safe. Here’s just a few of the reasons why:

  • 1. Unregulated Quality: The FDA doesn’t regulate gas station drugs, meaning there’s no guarantee of the quality or purity of the product. This could lead to serious health risks since the product could contain dangerous contaminants or chemicals.
  • 2. Unknown Ingredients: Many gas station drugs contain ingredients that aren’t labeled or disclosed to the consumer. This could lead to serious health risks if you’re unaware of the active ingredients in the product.
  • 3. Dosing Instructions: Gas station drugs often rarely include dosing instructions, which can lead to overdosing or underdosing, both of which can be dangerous.
  • 4. Contamination: Gas station drugs may have contaminants like bacteria, fungi, and others, which can lead to serious health risks.
  • 5. Addiction Risk: Gas station drugs can be highly addictive, leading to a dependence on the substance. This can lead to serious health risks, like withdrawal symptoms.

Despite these challenges, you do have recovery resources to find the healing you need.

Getting Help for Drug Addiction

Tianeptine could reel you in with its legality, easy access, and promises of newfound wellbeing. But you can get out of its grip. 

Many treatments for drug addiction use a combination of therapy and medications. Your doctor may prescribe benzodiazepines to ease your detox6 symptoms. Fluids and vitamins7 can help, too. 

After detoxing, you’ll begin to navigate the trauma, circumstance, or untrue thought(s) that may have led to using tianeptine. Therapies like CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy), and ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) can change your perspective and offer new coping tools for your future. Your therapist will likely introduce you to these therapies in group and individual settings. 

During or after rehab, you can also start Narcotics Anonymous (NA). As a 12-Step peer group, NA connects you to others in recovery and helps keep you accountable. Meetings take place worldwide.
View our list of drug addiction rehabs to see photos, reviews, insurance information, and more.

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What Are Designer Drugs?

Designer drugs are synthetic drugs created to mimic traditional drugs. They sell through gray areas in drug legislations—and can adapt as quickly as legislations change. For those reasons, they’re sometimes called “legal highs”.

Designer drugs carry risks health professionals and law enforcement haven’t fully realized yet. And designer drugs can evolve and change with relative ease, making all the types and variants hard to keep track of. 

But for each new designer drug, a way to heal exists. For example, you can go to rehab for designer drug use.  

What Exactly Is a Designer Drug?

Here, designer doesn’t mean fancy. The “designer” class of drugs just means someone designed the drug to act in a certain way1. It also means it was designed to skirt the law through cracks in controlled substance legislations. 

They’re sold in packaging that says they’re “not for human consumption,” which can keep their manufacturers somewhat safe from legal trouble.

Some designer drugs began as a research project2. Shady scientists can hijack the research made on the brain and tailor a drug to have a particular reaction. Designer drugs originated overseas, produced in places like China and Europe before shipping to America. 

Young teens and military members use designer drugs1 more often since they don’t always appear in drug tests. The packaging and names of designer drugs also cater to young teens, with bright colors, fun designs, and names like Green Giant and Joker.

Are Designer Drugs The Same As Synthetic Drugs?

Synthetic drugs don’t always have illegal connotations, as designer drugs do. For example, morphine is a synthetic drug. Though someone could abuse it, morphine wasn’t designed, manufactured, and sold with that in mind. 

Designer drugs specifically mimic other illegal drugs—but with chemical properties most toxicology screens won’t notice. Chemicals like fentanyl, morphine, and LSD would show.

And like any other drug, natural or synthetic, designer drugs come with a unique set of risks and side effects.

Common Risks And Side Effects of Designer Drug Use

No drug is without risk. But for designer drugs, their sneaky manufacturing and profit-motivated sellers create problems we’re yet to fully understand.

For example, most designer drug users don’t take just one2. They may combine 2 or more designer stimulants, or make a speedball with a depressant and stimulant. The process of making designer drugs hasn’t been regulated in any way either, meaning you could take a much higher dose than intended or something you never meant to take. 

The general side effects of designer drug3 use include

  • Serotonin syndrome
  • Seizures
  • Hyperthermia
  • Psychosis
  • Insomnia
  • Paranoia
  • Hypertension
  • Heart attack
  • Kidney failure
  • Tachycardia

The more precise effects of designer drugs vary based on the kind you take. 

The 7 Different Types of Designer Drugs

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)4 recognizes 7 different kinds of designer drugs. They might add more in the future, but for now, these 7 are what they’ve been able to identify.

Synthetic Cannabinoids

Most synthetic cannabinoids began as an innocent research project5. Synthetic cannabinoids affect receptors throughout the body in the same way as THC (found in marijuana). It creates an elevated mood and sense of relaxation5. Almost all synthetic cannabinoids go by the street name Spice.

Compared to natural marijuana, Spice usually has a stronger effect5 and higher potential for toxicity. 

The chemical compound of Spice coats plant material, making it look like marijuana. You can smoke Spice like regular weed, snort it, or eat it. Its side effects include acute psychosis, anxiety, tachycardia, confusion, paranoia, and delusions. 

Phenethylamines

Phenethylamines are synthetic hallucinogens6, called 2Cs for their 2 connecting carbon molecules. Other street names include N-Bomb, based on the chemical name 25I-NBOMe. They communicate with serotonin receptors in the brain7. 

Phenethylamines recently hit the U.S. market after they were made to research serotonin receptors7. You can snort, smoke, inject, or swallow N-Bomb as a liquid or powder. After use, side effects like depersonalization, delirium, extreme confusion, violence, tachycardia, hyperreflexia, bizarre behavior, and heart failure can occur. 

Arylcyclohexylamines

Arylcyclohexylamines cause a dissociative high. The drug compounds of arylcyclohexylamines include ketamine, phencyclidines (PCP)8, and more. PCP goes by the street name “angel dust” as it’s typically “dusted” over marijuana and tobacco before smoking. Many synthetic arylcyclohexylamines were originally designed as anesthetics. PCP began that way too, before retiring to a veterinary anesthetic for its side effects. 

Ketamine isn’t as strong as PCP but still has addictive potential, especially at higher doses. Smaller doses, however, can be therapeutic. 

These designer drugs can cause violent behavior, hallucinations, amnesia, coma, ataxia, catatonia, and tachycardia. 

Tryptamines

Everyone has naturally occurring tryptamines—serotonin, melatonin, and others. But synthetic tryptamines act as hallucinogens9. They typically mimic the effects of LSD and DMT (psychedelic found in plants and animals). Street names include “Foxy”, “Foxy-Methoxy”, “Alpha-O”, and “5-MEO”. 

Tryptamines cause hallucinations and some stimulant effects9. They can also cause agitation, muscle tension, death, and rhabdomyolysis. Designer tryptamines come as pills, capsules, powders, or a liquid. 

Piperazines

Piperazines cause many of the same effects as ecstasy10, a stimulant. Similar to ecstasy, they’re marketed toward party-goers and even created to look like ecstasy. Its slang names include “party pills”, “Jax”, “Legal E”, “Flying Angel”, and “Pep X”.

Piperazines gained popularity worldwide as a mislabeled legal alternative to meth and MDMA (ecstasy)10. There’s little regulation or control over piperazines, making them an especially risky designer drug.

After taking piperazines, which come as a pill or powder, you might experience seizures, hallucinations, kidney failure, and respiratory acidosis.  

Pipradrol

Pipradrol, a stimulant11, was first used as an antidepressant. It was also used to treat dementia and obesity. But pipradrol was quickly recalled due to its potential for abuse. Its effects mirror amphetamines—without some of the undesirable side effects. Pipradrols suppress appetite and don’t cause noticeable overexcitement, like other stimulants.

Pipradrol’s street names include MRD-108 and Alpha. Its toxic effects include hallucinations, death, anxiety, nausea, and convulsions. 

Cathinones

Cathinones mimic cocaine12, ecstasy, and MDMA as designer central nervous system stimulant. They’re commonly called bath salts and cause a sense of euphoria. Being marketed as a designer drug, you can find bath salts online, in gas stations, smoke shops, and adult stores. 

Other street names include “Bliss,” “Blue Silk,” “Glass Cleaner,” and “Super Coke.” The active ingredient in cathinone comes from a khat plant. Scientists synthesized a drug based on the khat plant to form bath salts, which look like small, opaque rocks. Taking bath salts can cause psychosis, confusion, violence, hypertension, seizures, death, paranoia, and delusions. 

The makers of designer drugs suggest they’re a fun alternative to “real” drugs. Or, a way to take drugs without getting caught—or without accidentally hurting yourself. 

But neither proves true.

Are Designer Drugs Addictive?

Yes. Some designer drugs could be even more addictive than the drug they’re copying. Fentanyl, for example, mimics natural opioids like heroin13—but it’s 50 times more potent.  

Most designer drugs are supposed to be addictive1. What begins as an experiment or coping tool can spiral out of control and into addiction. Because, with the easier accessibility of designer drugs, feeding the habit isn’t too difficult. Finding a reason to stop could feel unnecessary.

But you can. 

Getting Help for Designer Drug Use

 Designer drug addiction often responds well to the same treatments used for natural drug addictions. Some benzodiazepines can help1 with long-term treatment and withdrawal. 

Some patients confront their need for treatment in an emergency room. An ER can get you stabilized and ready for the next steps in treatment, like a residential rehab with 24/7 support.

In treatment, you’ll likely have group and individual therapy to address the thoughts and behaviors behind your addiction. You might also join 12 Step meetings, which encourage you to find support in your higher power and in your peers. Many rehabs take insurance to make the cost of care more affordable. And your family can heal with you too, since most rehabs also offer family services. 
Treatment for designer drug use has the potential to unlock a life of recovery. To learn more about your recovery resources, you can browse our list of rehabs with reviews, pricing, insurance information, and photos.

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Addiction vs. Dependence: Understanding the Difference

The terms “addiction” and “dependence” may sound interchangeable, but they mean different things. Dependence is the physical reliance on a drug. Addiction, on the other hand, has primarily psychological symptoms. You can be dependent on a substance without having an addiction. Most types of addiction include physical dependence—but that’s not always true. When you understand the difference between these issues, you can find the type of treatment that best suits your needs.

Defining Addiction

Addiction means continuing to use a substance1 in spite of its negative consequences. This is a complex psychological condition. Addiction affects the way you think and how you behave. You might feel like your actions are out of your control. While everyone’s experience is different, there are some common signs of addiction:

  • Obsessively thinking about the substance or behavior
  • Feeling like you can’t stop acting on your cravings, no matter how hard you try
  • Developing withdrawal symptoms when you try to quit
  • Isolating yourself or hiding your behavior

People can be addicted to multiple substances at a time. This includes prescription drugs, alcohol, and illicit drugs. You can also develop addictions to behaviors like sex, watching porn, using the internet, and gambling. 

Understanding Dependence

With dependence, your body relies on a substance2 to feel normal. If you go into withdrawal when you stop drinking or taking drugs, you probably have a physical dependence on that substance. Withdrawal symptoms3 vary depending on your exact health history, but a few are especially common:

  • Sweating
  • Tremors
  • Insomnia
  • Nausea
  • Increased heart rate
  • Elevated blood pressure
  • Headaches
  • Seizures
  • Hallucinations 

Both illicit and prescription substances can cause physical dependence on drugs. But there’s a difference between dependence vs. addiction. For example, many people with diabetes depend on insulin but aren’t psychologically addicted to it. You can also come to depend on substances like alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, and nicotine. And some prescription drugs, like opioids, have high rates of both dependence and addiction.4

Even if you only take drugs as prescribed, it’s important to monitor your substance use. Notice when and why you start to physically depend on a drug. If that substance dependence has a negative impact on your life, you could be at risk of addiction.

Psychological vs. Physiological Aspects

It’s possible to have addiction without dependence,5 and vice versa. But if you have both, your physical and psychological symptoms might feed off each other. For example, you might start taking opioids to relieve pain after an injury. Then, as your body heals, lowering your dosage could make you feel anxious. What starts as a physical need can become an emotional one.

Without proper support, this can quickly lead to addiction. When you’re ready to recover, it may help to differentiate between the physiological and psychological aspects of what you’re going through. Doing this empowers you and your care team to choose the most effective types of treatment.

Psychological Aspects of Addiction

There’s a good reason addiction feels so out of your control. Addictive substances change the way your brain works.6 They flood your brain with dopamine, a feel-good chemical that activates your reward system. Over time, substances change the way your brain produces dopamine.7 Drug use might become the only thing that gives you a sense of reward. The National Institute on Drug Abuse explains:

“The difference between normal rewards and drug rewards can be likened to the difference between someone whispering into your ear and someone shouting into a microphone. Just as we turn down the volume on a radio that is too loud, the brain of someone who misuses drugs adjusts by producing fewer neurotransmitters in the reward circuit, or by reducing the number of receptors that can receive signals. As a result, the person’s ability to experience pleasure from naturally rewarding (i.e., reinforcing) activities is also reduced.”

Physiological Aspects of Dependence

Like your brain, your body can quickly get used to any drugs8 you take. If you use a drug often, you’ll need higher doses to feel the same effects. This is called tolerance. You can develop a tolerance to some drugs very quickly. For example, it takes just 2-3 doses of opioids9 for some people to develop a tolerance.

Once you have a tolerance, you might start taking higher doses to get the same effect. You might also become physically dependent on the drug, and feel withdrawal symptoms if you try to quit. Many people keep using drugs to avoid those withdrawal symptoms. If this pattern continues, it might lead to addiction. 

If your body depends on a substance, withdrawal can range from being uncomfortable to dangerous. Detoxing from certain substances—like alcohol, opioids, and benzodiazepines—can even be fatal. Formal addiction treatment can keep you safe during this phase of recovery.

Implications and Consequences

Addiction can impact every aspect of your life, starting with your mental health.10 Substances change your brain, and might contribute to co-occurring disorders like anxiety and depression. These symptoms, along with other aspects of addiction, can interfere with your relationships. If you prioritize drug use over your colleagues or loved ones, you might face serious consequences. 

Dependence also affects your physical health, whether or not you have an addiction. For example, alcohol dependence can lead to liver problems,11 heart disease, and even cancer. Opioids increase your risk for cardiac and respiratory problems.12 And illicit drug use has a high risk of overdose13 and death.

While addiction and dependence aren’t the same, they often overlap. So when you start recovery, both your body and mind will need time to heal.

Connect with a rehab program for alcohol and drug addiction to determine which treatments can best meet your unique needs.

Frequently Asked Questions About Addiction vs Dependence

What’s the difference between addiction and dependence?

Dependence is a physical reliance on a substance, while addiction is a psychological condition wherein people continue using substances despite negative consequences. While both are often present at the same time, they’re not always the same.

Can someone be dependent on a substance without having addiction? 

Yes, you can be dependent on a substance without having an addiction. Dependence refers to the physical reliance on a substance to feel normal, while addiction involves psychological symptoms and compulsive behavior. While most types of addiction include physical dependence, not all cases of dependence indicate addiction.

What are the common signs of addiction?

Common signs of addiction include obsessively thinking about the substance or behavior, being unable to stop acting on cravings, having withdrawals when you attempt to quit, and isolating yourself or hiding the behavior in question. Addiction affects the way you think and behave, and it may involve substances or behaviors such as drugs, alcohol, sex, internet use, and gambling.
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How Long Does It Take to Detox?

Detox usually lasts at least a couple of days, but many factors can affect how long detox lasts and your side effects. Getting proper care during this sensitive time is vital. Licensed professionals will help you understand how long the detox process is and safely guide you through it.

These days can provide an opportunity to start a healthier life, and detox can help lay the foundation for success. Residential or outpatient treatment can further equip you with necessary skills to maintain sobriety. To begin your journey towards a healthier life, explore the various detox services available.

Factors Affecting Detox Duration

Here are 4 things to consider when talking with a doctor about what your detox process will look like:

  • How long you’ve been using the substance
  • To what extent you’ve been using the substance
  • If you’ve been using just one substance vs multiple substances
  • Individual factors, such as overall health, mental health conditions, and metabolism
detox timeline

Detox Timeline for Common Substances

Every substance, and every person, is different, but this is what you can expect to encounter during detox for each substance. 

Alcohol

Alcohol detox usually lasts 2 – 10 days1. Symptoms appear within 6 – 24 hours after quitting drinking and are most severe during the 36 – 72 hour period. Symptoms include:

  • Anxiety
  • Sweating
  • Tremors
  • Dehydration
  • Increased heart rate and blood pressure
  • Insomnia
  • Nausea and vomiting

Severe withdrawal may involve complications like:

  • Seizures
  • Hallucinations
  • Delirium tremens
  • Extreme agitation

Alcohol detox can be life threatening, so doing this with medical care is vital.

Opioids/Heroin

Opioids are drugs such as heroin, opium, morphine, codeine, and methadone. Detox can last 4 – 20 days, depending on the opioid used1. Quick-acting opioids like heroin typically have a shorter duration than long-acting opioids like fentanyl. Withdrawal symptoms usually appear in 8 – 12 hours after quitting. Symptoms include:

  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Anxiety
  • Insomnia
  • Hot and cold flashes
  • Sweating
  • Muscle cramps
  • Diarrhea

Opioid withdrawal can be safely worked through as long as you are detoxing with medical supervision. 

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines are psychoactive drugs that act as central nervous system depressants. Doctors prescribe them to treat anxiety and sleeping disorders. This drug is relatively easy to become addicted to, so if you are prescribed benzodiazepines, you should use them with caution.

Detox typically lasts 2 – 8 weeks, depending on the benzodiazepine. Quick acting benzodiazepines, like oxazepam, have a shorter detox period1, while clonazepam and other long acting ones have longer detox periods. Symptoms include:

  • Anxiety
  • Insomnia
  • Restlessness
  • Agitation
  • Poor concentration and memory
  • Muscle pains

Benzodiazepine withdrawal could be fatal, so it’s important to taper off these with guidance from medical professionals.

Meth/Stimulants

Stimulants are drugs such as methamphetamine, amphetamine, and cocaine. Detox usually lasts 3 – 5 days1, and symptoms begin within 24 hours of quitting. Symptoms include:

  • Agitation and irritability
  • Depression
  • Increased sleeping and appetite
  • Muscle aches

Particularly those who use methamphetamine can develop hallucinations, paranoia, or depressed thoughts during detox.

Meth and stimulant withdrawal can be safely worked through as long as you detox with medical support. 

Barbiturates

Barbiturates are depressant drugs prescribed for sleep aid, muscle spasms, anxiety relief, and seizure prevention. Detox usually lasts around 2 weeks, and symptoms appear 2 – 4 days after stopping the medication2. Symptoms include:

Barbiturate detox can be life-threatening, so it’s vital to do so under medical supervision.

Marijuana

Marijuana detox typically lasts 1 – 2 weeks1, and the symptoms are relatively mild compared to other detoxification processes. However, this can still be an uncomfortable experience. Symptoms include:

  • Anxiety 
  • Feelings of fear or dissociation
  • Restlessness
  • Irritability
  • Poor appetite
  • Disturbed sleep
  • Gastrointestinal upsets
  • Night sweats
  • Tremors

Marijuana withdrawal can be safely worked through as long as you detox with medical supervision. 

Your Unique Experience Detoxing

Taking all of this into account, detox duration and experience can vary from person to person.

The detox process can negatively affect your co-occurring disorder(s)4 or vice versa. This could apply to medical disorders or mental disorders. Agitation, depression, or hallucinations can appear during detox, so if your mental health issues include these, they may be heightened during this process.

Be sure to tell your doctor about any medical conditions you have. It’s very important that they take these into account when deciding what medication to give you, your tapering timeline, etc.

Medical Detox vs. Other Forms of Detox

Detox is a broad term, and the general definition is to rid the body of toxic things. When we hear “detox,” we may first think of using dandelion tea to cleanse our bodies, or holistically-based cellular detox. 

Medical detox, what we’ve been covering in this article, involves ridding the body of drugs or alcohol under the supervision of licensed medical professionals. Often, this involves using medication to assist the detoxification, like methadone and diazepam. 

Coming off of any substance could have negative or life threatening effects, so this process shouldn’t be taken lightly. Your detox beyond dandelion tea needs to be medically monitored for your own safety and well being.  

Detoxing Safely With Professional Guidance

Substance detox is a complicated process that requires professional guidance 24/71. Doctors can help you safely rid yourself of the substance. You could risk harming yourself if you detox without proper care. You might also relapse without the guidance of a doctor. Having professionals there helps make this uncomfortable experience as comfortable as possible. 

Post-Detox Transition and Treatment

Detox is a great start to recovery, but most of the time people will relapse if that’s the only care they receive1. The next part of your journey can include attending a residential or outpatient program to build your recovery toolkit with essential coping skills. In fact, SAMHSA emphasizes this as their 3rd pillar of detoxification5. These 3 components are 

  • Evaluation: testing how substance use has affected your body and creating a plan
  • Stabilization: medically assisted detox to get you to a stable, substance-free state
  • Fostering the patient’s entry into treatment: emphasizing the importance that you follow through with a substance abuse program to maintain your sobriety

During detox, you usually won’t participate in talk therapy because you’re in a susceptible, healing state. The real work and self growth comes after detox. During residential or outpatient care, you’ll work in individual and group therapy sessions using a variety of methods, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is a highly effective treatment for addiction6. This is because it targets the thoughts, feelings, and behavior patterns that are common in substance use disorder.

You can build a support network with your therapists, peers, and family. You’ll learn to identify the early warning signs of relapse. You can even participate in relapse prevention groups. And in treatment, you’ll have more time to solidify your new coping skills. 

Addiction is more than just using substances, and recovery is more than just detoxing from those substances. It’s impacted your perspective and how you think. Treatment can guide you back to a better place by shifting how you view yourself, your surroundings, and your future. 

 A Step Forward You can try your best to plan for what your detox may look like, but the bottom line is that there are a lot of variables. Detoxing safely with medical professionals ensures that the bumps along the road during this process can be molehills instead of mountains. Explore where your new journey will take you by starting with detox.

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What Is The Most Addictive Drug?

The most addictive drug varies from person to person. Some genetic mutations make certain drugs more addictive than others. Or, you might find yourself drawn to a seemingly “less addictive” drug, like nicotine, that feels just as powerful as a narcotic. 

With that said, scientists have narrowed down a few of the top addictive drugs. Their addictive potential comes from reactions, communications, and changes in the brain. 

But for each addictive drug, you have resources for recovery. You can speak with your care team to decide which route of treatment works best for you—like going to rehab. 

Heroin

Heroin comes from certain poppy plants. As an opioid, heroin is highly addictive and can change the structure of your brain1 over time. It usually comes from South America. Dealers often cut heroin with starches, sugars, or sedatives—some of which can have unpredictable and unwanted effects. 

Pure heroin looks like a white powder and tastes bitter. Impure heroin is called “black tar” for its sticky feel and dark color (from impurities). 

You can snort powdered heroin or smoke it. For black tar heroin, you can inject it into your veins or muscles once it’s been dissolved and diluted.

Heroin absorbs into mucous membranes in your nose and lungs—or, if you inject it intravenously, it dissolves directly into your bloodstream. 

Once ingested, heroin bonds to mu-opioid receptors in your brain and activates them2, which turns off GABAergic neurons. GABAergic neurons keep dopamine from rushing along your reward circuit. Once the opioid receptor turns GABAergic neurons off, dopamine runs free, which causes a rush of euphoria and a strong sense of general well-being. 

Activating the reward system like this tells your brain opioids are about as great as it gets. Add in the distressing withdrawal symptoms, and getting more can feel like an urgent need. And as you keep taking heroin, you’ll need higher doses to feel the same high as your first time2—which means you’ve built up a tolerance. 

Much of heroin’s danger lies in this rapid high-low pendulum swing.  Soon, you might need high doses to keep from feeling sick. Trying to chase your first high, you might accidentally overdose. 

Taking too much could cause your breathing to slow to null3. You might also feel constipated, nauseous, and extremely itchy. Long-term use can knock your neuronal and hormonal systems off balance4—sometimes permanently. 

Alcohol

As a depressant, alcohol suppresses the central nervous system. And, alcohol is both socially accepted and easy to get—a tricky combination. Alcohol causes a sense of happiness and well-being5, which activates your brain’s reward system. It sees alcohol as medicine and, eventually, as something you inherently need to survive. 

Because of its addictive nature and easy access, alcohol is one of the most dangerous substances to abuse6. Over half the visits to emergency rooms have something to do with alcohol. It’s also one of the 2 most-used substances, the other being nicotine. 

Different alcoholic drinks have different levels, or percentages, of alcohol. For example, an alcoholic seltzer drink is usually 5-8% alcohol; in something like vodka, the rate goes up to 40%. 

As with illicit drugs, you can build a tolerance to alcohol. So, you might need to add a splash of vodka to your seltzer or have an extra glass of wine to feel how you’re used to feeling on alcohol. The longer this continues, the more you’ll need to drink. 

Withdrawals include insomnia, anxiety, tremors, and seizures. For many, safely detoxing from alcohol requires medical supervision. 

Nicotine

Nicotine, like many other drugs, causes a release of dopamine7. But with nicotine, the rush isn’t quite as intense as something like heroin. Nicotine has such addictive power because of its repetitive nature7 and because you can use it with other activities (and substances). 

Smoking a cigarette or vaping can enhance the pleasure of other activities7, like watching a movie, partying, having a cup of coffee, or listening to music. Even though nicotine only adds to these activities, your brain still associates it as the source of joy in those situations. And so, you learn to keep smoking, subconsciously chasing satisfaction.

What used to be fun and motivating might seem boring or too mundane without the added boost from nicotine, so stopping can be challenging7. You might even feel like nothing’s enjoyable without smoking. That’s because nicotine represses your natural dopamine-release functions, and once they’ve been suppressed for so long, it can take time for your brain to adjust and provide its own. 

Though unpleasant, nicotine withdrawals won’t hurt you8. You may have a bad headache and experience cravings. You might also feel more anxious and hungry. But all withdrawal symptoms pass with time. 

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines, or benzos, subdue the central nervous system. They’re usually prescribed to help with anxiety, panic disorders, and insomnia9 for their calming, sedative effects. But benzos can also be highly addictive.

Some benzodiazepines can cause dependence faster than others. But usually, people use them with another drug9 to balance or complement other effects. Alcohol and benzos, for example, produce an enhanced calm but can dangerously suppress the central nervous system.

The benzodiazepine Rohypnol, AKA roofies, acts as a powerful sedative. Some misuse benzos like Rohypnol against others. But usually, benzodiazepines appeal for their countering effects against opioids and for self-sedation.

Benzodiazepine withdrawals9 can feel extremely uncomfortable. You could experience nightmares, anxiety, insomnia, psychosis, hyperpyrexia (extremely high fever), and convulsions. For those reasons, detoxing under medical supervision is a safer option. 

Methamphetamines

Doctors may prescribe the psychostimulant methamphetamine, or metamfetamine, to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)10. In healthy doses (for those who need it), methamphetamine’s effects resemble the brain’s fight-or-flight response10. This response  increases energy, alertness, and focus. But it’s also a drug of abuse with a high potential for addiction.

Methamphetamine looks like a white powder11 or crystal-like rocks. It’s relatively easy to make and cheap to buy. Many pseudo-scientists make methamphetamine in discreet labs, usually hidden off the beaten path.  But most meth comes from larger labs in Mexico and overseas countries. 

Methamphetamine releases dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine10, which contribute to pleasure, satisfaction, and alertness. Using methamphetamine for pleasure can cause binges, since the desired effects only last a few minutes. And because meth is one of the cheaper stimulants and easy to get, feeding the binges might not seem like a problem. 

But, as with other drugs, your brain changes with repeated doses. You might build up a tolerance12, prompting higher doses. Your brain may also stop producing dopamine and serotonin on its own. 

Methamphetamine withdrawals12 can cause cravings, depression, anxiety, violent behavior, confusion, insomnia, hallucinations, delusions, and psychosis. 

Cocaine

Cocaine is another highly addictive stimulant13. It’s also one of the most common illicit drugs14 in America. 

Cocaine prevents the reuptake of dopamine14, meaning dopamine stacks up on dopamine receptors. This sends an intense rush of pleasure and stimulates the entire reward pathway15, causing your brain to see cocaine use as intrinsically rewarding. Even the sights, sounds, and places associated with cocaine use can trigger the need for a dose. 

As with many other drugs, you can become used to the effects of cocaine, or “tolerant”. You’ll need more and more to feel the same high as your first time. This puts you at risk for an overdose. New dangers also lie in adding vermisol to cocaine15, which is used as a cutting agent. Sometimes, fentanyl even makes its way in. 

The withdrawals from cocaine16 include insomnia, tremors, cravings, and hyperactivity. 

Crack Cocaine

Crack cocaine is a smokeable version of regular cocaine17. So it’s also a stimulant, and addictive, but even more potent due to how it’s ingested. Before it’s smoked, crack cocaine looks like small rocks or crystals. 

The membranes in your lungs absorb crack cocaine18 easily and quickly, resulting in an almost immediate high. The high goes away faster than powder or liquid cocaine, which could prompt a binge—smoking until you run out of crack or money.  

The reinforcing action is even more powerful in crack cocaine17. Your brain thinks it’s a good idea to keep having more more often, trying to realize the pleasure it knows crack can give.

Barbiturates

Similar to benzodiazepines, barbiturates are a depressant19 generally used for anxiety, headaches, seizure prevention, and insomnia. Those who misuse this prescribed medication usually do to counter the effects of other drugs—typically stimulants like cocaine.

You can take barbiturates as a pill or liquid. Barbiturates make you feel sleepy, relaxed, and at ease19. They can also impair your memory and judgment, and make you irritable. You might also feel paranoid and suicidal.  

Overdosing on barbiturates19 causes your heart rate to rise, your breathing to slow, and your body temperature to lower. Overdoses can also cause comas and death.  

Methadone

Doctors prescribe methadone, a synthetic opioid20, to treat opioid use disorders (OUDs). It relieves cravings, reduces withdrawal symptoms, and doesn’t provide the same “rush” of euphoria as other opioids. At the correct dosage, these factors make methadone a valuable treatment element20 for OUDs. 

Part of what makes methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) effective is the low risk for addiction. And, in MMT, you don’t have to share needles or risk taking heroin, cocaine, etc., of unknown purity20. Doctor oversight adds another element of safety. 

But methadone does have an addictive element. The usual dose for OUD management ranges from 60+mgs20. Sometimes, patients in treatment buy extra doses from others or hoard doses to eventually get a euphoric effect from methadone. 

Taking too much methadone can cause dangerous effects, especially if you’re on other medications. Signs and symptoms of an overdose20 include dizziness, slurred speech, unconsciousness, slow pulse, shallow breathing, tiny pupils, and frothing at the mouth. 

Naloxone reverses the overdose effects of methadone20, as it does with other opioids. 

Marijuana

Marijuana, or weed, comes from the marijuana plant. Its addictive psychoactive properties lie in the THC21 (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) in marijuana. You can ingest marijuana in many ways21—smoking the leaves, drinking it in tea, eating foods with weed, and smoking concentrated weed in the form of a sticky resin.

Weed produces a sense of relaxation22 and a milder feeling of euphoria. Weed can also make you pretty hungry (or, give you the munchies) and laugh easily. You’ll experience these effects right away if you smoke weed. 

Eating it slows the onset by a half hour or more, which could prompt you to redose, thinking it’s not working. Taking too much can cause anxiety, fear, paranoia, and panic22—the opposite of what weed usually feels like. Extremely high doses can even cause acute psychosis.  

Marijuana activates the reward system23 in your brain, causing a flood of dopamine to course along your reward pathway. After continued use, your brain teaches you to keep having weed as a way to feel reward and satisfaction. Continued usage can also impair your memory, learning abilities, and balance23.

Starting weed at a young age leads to a higher risk of addiction24. But anyone at any age can find themselves addicted, meaning they’d feel withdrawal symptoms and be completely unable to stop—even when they know they should. In states that don’t monitor distribution, the potency of THC continues to rise too. This creates consequences scientists and health professionals haven’t fully realized yet. 

But for each substance and its potential for addiction, you have opportunities to recover. 

Find Effective Drug Addiction Treatment Near You

The most addictive drug could vary widely from person to person. While one person might struggle to stop smoking cigarettes, someone else might not feel able to stop drinking—but drinking isn’t a problem for the first one. 

Fortunately, treatment for drug addiction caters to this variance. You can get the care you need at a residential rehab, outpatient facility, or detox unit. Your care team can help you decide which type and level of care will best meet your needs. 
To see a comprehensive collection of rehab facilities, you can browse our list of drug addiction rehabs to see photos, prices, reviews, insurance information, and more.

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How Long Does it Take to Detox From Alcohol?

When you’re ready to recover from alcohol addiction, detox is an important first step. Most people detox from alcohol in a week or less. During that process, you’ll likely experience withdrawal symptoms. These can be uncomfortable or even life-threatening—but they’re temporary. And in a medical detox program, your care team will keep you safe from any serious side effects. Proper treatment can set you up for success when you move on to the next phase of recovery.

Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal

Everyone’s alcohol withdrawal symptoms are a little different. Your experience will depend on a few factors, including how long and how much you’ve been drinking. About 50% of people with alcohol addiction1 have withdrawal symptoms when they start recovery. Within that group, 3-5% have severe symptoms that could be fatal. The first symptoms of withdrawal2 usually appear about 8 hours after your last drink:

  • Alcohol cravings
  • Irritability
  • Anxiety
  • Insomnia
  • Nightmares
  • Tremors
  • Headaches
  • Nausea and vomiting

Even mild alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be uncomfortable. Perhaps as a result, withdrawal symptoms can lead to relapse.3 Medically assisted detox provides a more comfortable withdrawal experience. You may still have symptoms, but your care team will help you manage them. Most programs include non-addictive medications, talk therapy, and some complementary treatments. 

Delirium Tremens

Withdrawal from severe alcohol addiction sometimes leads to delirium tremens4 (DTs, also referred to as DT), also called alcohol withdrawal delirium. While it’s not very common, this tends to affect people with chronically excessive drinking habits. This condition presents with a few key symptoms:

  • Hallucinations
  • Confusion
  • Elevated blood pressure
  • Elevated body temperature
  • Agitation or aggressive behavior
  • Seizures 

Without proper treatment, these symptoms can be fatal. Certain people are more at risk for DTs than others. If you have multiple addictions, abnormal liver function, a history of DTs, or a history of seizures, this condition is more likely. Certain short-term health issues can also increase your risk, like dehydration and low potassium levels.

Medical detox is extremely important for anyone with a risk of DTs—even a low one. In these programs, you’ll work with a team of doctors, nurses, and other experts. They can manage your symptoms with medication and offer round-the-clock care in case of emergency.

Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS)

For some people, withdrawal-like symptoms last for weeks or even months after detox. This is called post-acute withdrawal syndrome, or PAWS. People experience PAWS differently, but the symptoms are often more psychological5 and less physical than those of acute withdrawal:

  • Mood swings
  • Brain fog
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Lack of motivation
  • Decreased sex drive
  • Memory or concentration issues

PAWS is often triggered by stress. Because PAWS can cause relapse,6 it’s important to have a treatment plan in place. With the right approach, you can manage your symptoms and continue to focus on recovery. 

Stages of Alcohol Withdrawal

Most symptoms of alcohol withdrawal7 appear during the first few days after your last drink. However, the precise timeline for alcohol withdrawal is different for everyone. Depending on the severity of your addiction, your symptoms may be mild or more intense.

6-12 Hours

Withdrawal symptoms normally start within 6-8 hours after your last drink. You might have a headache or start sweating. You may also feel nauseous or nervous. For people with a long history of heavy drinking, it’s possible to have a seizure in the first 6-12 hours of withdrawal.

12-24 Hours

Mild symptoms continue to build in the first 24 hours of withdrawal. You might have tremors, particularly in your hands. Some people experience insomnia. For those with more severe withdrawal symptoms, hallucinations may start to occur in the first 24 hours. These can be visual, auditory, or tactile hallucinations.

24-48 Hours

If you have only mild withdrawal symptoms, they may peak 24-48 hours after you stop drinking. From then on, symptoms like headaches, tremors, rapid heart rate, and nausea could decrease. 

People with more severe symptoms might have seizures 48 hours into the detox process. 

48-96 Hours

If your symptoms are more severe, they may also last longer. For some people, peak withdrawal occurs within 72 hours of quitting alcohol. After that point, you’ll probably start to feel better.

Other people are at risk for developing delirium tremens on the 3rd day of withdrawal, starting around 72 hours into detox. You might not know in advance whether this is a risk for you. This is why it’s so important to get proper care during alcohol detox. Your team can stand by during this crucial time, ready to help you if new symptoms develop. 

96 Hours and Beyond

Most people start to feel completely better around day 4 or 5 of detox. At this point, your body stops compensating for the lack of alcohol in your system. You’ll reach a new equilibrium as tremors, nausea, anxiety, and other symptoms subside. Most people complete withdrawal sometime between days 5-7.

If you experience delirium tremens, you may need more time to detox. Delirium tremens symptoms usually last 7 days, and sometimes longer.

Treatments for Alcohol Withdrawal

You’ve got a few options for alcohol withdrawal treatment, including hospitals, medical detox centers, and rehab. Most detox programs follow similar treatment plans, though some provide more therapeutic support than others. 

Treatment typically begins with a thorough physical exam. Doctors will ask about any pre-existing conditions that might impact your withdrawal experience. From there, you’ll begin detox. 

Over the first few days, your medical team will monitor you closely. They might provide medication if you need it. If you don’t show any signs of withdrawal symptoms after 48-72 hours, you might be released to outpatient care or residential rehab. If you’re detoxing in rehab, you might progress to the next stage of treatment. 

Risk Factors for Detoxing From Alcohol at Home

While it’s a vital part of recovery, detox is dangerous without medical care. In particular, withdrawal from alcohol8 can be fatal. 5-15%of people with delirium tremens die9 from their symptoms. 

For some people, the fear of alcohol withdrawal symptoms10 is a barrier to treatment. Medical detox programs can keep you safe and as comfortable as possible while you detox.

How Long Will It Take to Detox from Alcohol?

How long alcohol stays in your system is unique for everyone. In most cases, acute withdrawal symptoms end after 5-7 days. You can go through this process in an onsite or offsite detox program. Most care plans include medical treatment, non-addictive prescriptions, and psychotherapy. 

Onsite Detox

Some inpatient rehabs offer onsite detox. This approach lets you move seamlessly from initial detox into longer-term treatment. You can get medical and therapeutic support in the same place, instead of moving to a new center in the middle of treatment. 

For example, at Noosa Confidential in Australia, clients stay in a waterfront retreat with 24-hour access to staff. Here, you’ll work with the same clinicians throughout detox and residential treatment.11 This consistency makes it easier to build trust with your care team.

Off-site Detox

In a program with offsite detox, you’ll go through withdrawal in a separate facility before you start inpatient care. For people with more severe withdrawal symptoms, more complex medical treatment might be necessary. With offsite detox, you can still transition smoothly into rehab when you’re ready.

The Beekeeper House in Thailand is an inpatient rehab with an offsite detox program. They work with their partner facility, The Warm, to determine the best plan of action for your detox.12 Many patients go through detox at The Warm before they start residential treatment. If you have more complex medical needs, you can transfer to their partner hospital in Chiang Mai before returning for rehab.

New Jersey’s Enlightened Recovery also has offsite detox as part of their flexible detox options.13 You can detox in their inpatient rehab, at one of their partner facilities, or an independent detox center before you start longer-term treatment. 

Will Health Insurance Cover the Cost of Alcohol Detox?

Many detox centers accept insurance, including Medicaid. The cost of detox varies depending on the facility and the level of care you receive. Check with your insurance provider in advance to see what you plan will cover. Your treatment program’s admissions team can also offer guidance. There are options for everyone, even if you don’t have insurance. If you’re interested, you can learn more about alcohol detox and inpatient rehab programs that accept insurance.

Detox is an essential step in the healing process. Medical detox programs can help you start recovery as safely as possible. When you’re ready to start addiction treatment, you can find a rehab that offers alcohol detox. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Alcohol Detox

How long does alcohol detox last?

The duration of alcohol detox varies for each person. In general, most people complete alcohol detox within a week or less.

What are the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal?

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can vary depending on factors like the duration and amount of alcohol you consumed. About 50% of people with alcohol addiction experience withdrawal symptoms when starting recovery, with 3-5% facing severe symptoms that can be life-threatening. Common early withdrawal symptoms (which start about 8 hours after the last drink) include intense cravings, irritability, anxiety, insomnia, nightmares, tremors, headaches, and nausea/vomiting. Even mild symptoms can be uncomfortable and increase the risk of relapse. Medically assisted detox programs provide a safer and more comfortable experience.

What are delirium tremens (DTs), and who is at risk?

Delirium tremens (DTs) can happen during withdrawal from severe alcohol addiction, although it’s relatively uncommon and typically affects people with chronic excessive drinking habits. DT symptoms include hallucinations, confusion, elevated blood pressure, elevated body temperature, agitation or aggressive behavior, and seizures. Without proper treatment, DTs can be fatal. Certain factors increase the risk of developing DTs, including multiple addictions, abnormal liver function, a previous history of DTs or seizures, and short-term health issues like dehydration and low potassium levels.
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Can Withdrawal Kill You?

Without proper care, the withdrawal symptoms from certain substances could kill you. A symptom this extreme depends on what you’ve been taking, how much, and how long you’ve been taking it. 

Not every drug has dangerous withdrawal symptoms. Some, though extremely uncomfortable, won’t hurt you. But alcohol, benzodiazepines, and opiates have the potential to be deadly.

After discussing your situation with your doctor or care team, you might decide to detox in a licensed, medically monitored detox environment. Many rehab centers with detox offer just this. 

What Causes Withdrawal Symptoms?

Your brain and body get used to drugs or alcohol and adapt to work around them. Once you stop taking substances, your body has to adjust to life without them. So, you experience withdrawal symptoms as your body returns to homeostasis1. Though the change is arguably good, your body still has to adjust—which might not feel good at all. 

If you’ve become highly dependent, stopping becomes dangerous. In those cases, you can seek treatment in a detox center or a residential rehab with detox. Detox centers treat non-life-threatening withdrawal symptoms too. Your comfort and safety both matter. 

Withdrawals vary across the different types of drugs and substances. Some pose no threat. Others require careful supervision. 

Alcohol Withdrawal

Detoxing from alcohol2 could be dangerous. The level of danger, and general symptom intensity, depends on how much you drink and how long you’ve been drinking. 

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms2 could include 

  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Shaking
  • Delirium tremens (DT)
  • Insomnia
  • Hallucinations
  • Extreme confusion
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Excessive, purposeless activity (getting in and out of bed, wandering around)
  • Anxiety
  • Grand mal seizures

Delirium tremens commonly affect those with a long history of drinking. DT’s symptoms3 include “profound confusion, autonomic hyperactivity, and cardiovascular collapse.” It’s rare, but needs to be caught as soon as possible to avoid danger. 

The other symptoms of alcohol detox may feel gross, but don’t tend to be life-threatening—especially under the supervision of doctors and nurses. Then, medications like Antabuse can help you stay sober4 in recovery.

Opiate Withdrawal

Opioid withdrawals can feel like a bad flu5, or the sickest you’ve felt in your entire life. Typically, though, it’s not one of the withdrawals that can kill you. The severity of symptoms depends on your dose and how long you’ve been taking opioids. 

The discomfort of opiate withdrawals can make you crave opioids even more. For many, temptations to alleviate the pain can cause a relapse5. Detoxing in a residential setting could help you avoid this in your early days of recovery.

During your opioid detox period, you might experience

  • Diarrhea
  • Dysphoria
  • Goosebumps
  • Restless legs
  • Muscle pains
  • Dizziness
  • Insomnia
  • Malaise
  • High heart rate

You can die from dehydration during opioid withdrawals6, caused by excessive vomiting and diarrhea. This catastrophic effect usually happens in jails, where prompt (and sufficient) medical care isn’t as common. 

Medications can curb the effects of opioid withdrawals7. For opioid detox, your doctor may prescribe methadone, buprenorphine, clonidine, and lofexidine. Each operates in different ways to diminish cravings and make withdrawals more comfortable. You can continue to take these medications to maintain your sobriety.

Heroin Withdrawal

As a short-acting opioid, heroin’s withdrawals typically set in 8-24 hours after your last dose7. They can last 4-10 days. 

Heroin’s withdrawal symptoms mimic a very bad flu. Turning to opioid-agonists, like methadone, can help you taper off high doses and maintain sobriety. Methadone relieves cravings and discomfort without the euphoric rush of heroin and other opioids8, making it non-addictive at the proper dose. 

And, using a maintenance medication like methadone reduces the risk of relapse by satisfying cravings8. This can also prevent HIV and infections caused by needle sharing—and, largely, relapse in general. 

Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

Depending on your dose and length of use, benzodiazepine withdrawals can be life threatening. Benzos treat anxiety and sleep disorders5 but could become addictive if used too long. Detoxing from benzos presents several dangers.

Benzo withdrawals resemble alcohol withdrawals5, which have a death risk. For that reason, you’ll likely need to detox in a medically monitored setting, like a hospital or residential rehab. Here’s what you might experience during benzodiazepine detox9:

  • Seizures
  • Muscle pains
  • Insomnia
  • Anxiety
  • Restlessness
  • Agitation
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Hand tremors
  • Excessive sweating
  • Heart palpitations
  • Catatonia
  • Death

Withdrawal symptoms usually begin 2-10 days after your last dose and can last 2-8 weeks. You can manage the symptoms by gradually weaning off benzodiazepines5, which gives your body time to adjust to lower doses. Going cold turkey, or stopping all at once, could cause psychosis, death, seizures, and convulsions10.  

Withdrawing From Multiple Substances

There’s limited research on detoxing from multiple substances. But, the available research shows each drug needs its own attention during detox11. For example, detoxing from a stimulant and a depressant at the same time requires a more nuanced approach. So, physicians may prescribe 2 withdrawal medications to combat the effects of multiple substances. 

Withdrawing from multiple substances has its challenges, but it’s not uncommon. A study found 71% of patients in detox were withdrawing from 2 or more substances11. Your care provider will make the ultimate decision regarding any medications you’ll need during detox and how the process might look for you. 

Getting Treatment for Withdrawal Symptoms

At best, detoxing might feel uncomfortable. At worst, it could kill you. But for each end of the detoxing spectrum, you have treatment options. 

For many withdrawal symptoms, you may need the help and care of a detox center. Or, a residential rehab with a detox program. In a center like this, you can begin therapeutic residential treatment right after detoxing.
To see your options, you can browse our list of rehabs with detox that includes pricing, photos, insurance information, and more.

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Quitting Drinking: How to Taper Off Alcohol

The long and the short of it is–tapering off alcohol with medical support can help you quit drinking. But could weaning yourself off alcohol help you stay sober for good? Many people have asked the same question. In fact, 30 million people have alcohol use disorder1 in the United States alone. Luckily, this nationwide issue has resources available to help you heal.

In order to fully recover, you can start your healing process by safely ridding yourself of alcohol. Getting professional treatment for alcohol addiction can give you the tools to create, and maintain, a healthy and happy lifestyle.

Can You Quit Alcohol Cold Turkey?

Attempting to stop drinking “cold turkey” is not only dangerous, but could also cause serious implications or be fatal. 

Your body has become used to, and dependent on, certain levels of alcohol. It even changes your brain chemistry. Alcohol depresses your nervous system2, so your body creates more receptors for neurotransmitters, or messengers, to stimulate the nervous system. 

If you were to suddenly stop drinking alcohol, your receptors would become hyperactive because they are no longer being depressed. This is why you should taper off alcohol, or use a prescribed medication like benzodiazepines, during detox3. It’s vital to do this under the supervision of a medical professional to ensure the process is safe and smooth.

What Happens When You Stop Drinking Alcohol

Alcohol withdrawal usually lasts for a few days, but some effects may linger for months. Symptoms are most severe around day 34, and the total process can last for 2 to 10 days. 

There are some common side effects of alcohol detox5 that you should be prepared for:

  • Sweating
  • Tremors
  • Anxiety
  • Insomnia
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Hallucinations
  • Seizures

While this process isn’t enjoyable, there are so many benefits in the new sober life that you’re creating for yourself. You’ll look and feel healthier, have more energy, and save money.

Can Tapering Help You Quit Alcohol?

Tapering off alcohol is a step in the right direction, but there’s more to the story. It’s vital in this process to have professional help, so you can stay safe and as comfortable as possible. There’s also more to learn after ridding yourself of alcohol. You can master the necessary life skills to maintain your sober lifestyle through treatment. 

Alcohol Tapering Timeline

Delamere describes the different stages that you go through while detoxing from alcohol6.

alcohol tapering timeline
2-12 hoursOnset of withdrawal symptoms. This might include tremors, sweating, restlessness, and anxiety.
12-24 hoursWithdrawal continues with alcohol cravings, sleep disturbances, low energy, and feeling depressed. 
12-72 hoursThis is considered the most dangerous period during detox. Symptoms include high heart rate, increased blood pressure, and, in extreme cases, seizures.
48-72 hoursAt some point in this time frame, symptoms will start to be more manageable.
3-7 daysFor most cases, withdrawal symptoms begin to fade.
1 weekSleep patterns start to improve, however this can vary.
1-2 weeksSometime during this period, clinical detox is considered complete.
2 weeksThere may be signs of weight loss due to not consuming alcohol.
3-4 weeksBlood pressure may reduce back to a healthier level.
1 monthSkin may appear healthier.
3 monthsOverall better energy levels and health.
1 yearTapering off alcohol is different for everyone. You may experience that some symptoms persist for longer than is usual.

Does Tapering Help Reduce Withdrawal Symptoms?

Weaning off alcohol in a safe way can help reduce the severity of some withdrawal symptoms. Orlando Recovery Center says that when you taper your alcohol intake over time, you reduce the likelihood of withdrawal symptoms7. This is because this process gives your brain more time to get used to the changes and damage that alcohol originally created.

So You Detoxed… Now What?

Now that you’ve successfully completed the detoxification process, it’s time to build your sobriety toolkit through treatment. Studies show that those who receive some type of formal treatment after detox are more likely to maintain sobriety8. 

Attending a residential rehab or outpatient program gives you coping mechanisms and life skills that can help you for years to come after treatment. You can strengthen your emotional and communication techniques to help you work through any tough situations that may arise in the future. You’ll learn how to prevent relapse and live a fun sober life.

Support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous can help reinforce your goals and boost your spirits. Surrounding yourself with those going through the same process you are, and learning the same life lessons you are, can make a big difference in your healing journey. You’ll talk about different topics regarding addiction and recovery and bond over shared feelings and experiences. 

Another great option is sober living homes. These programs offer more flexibility than residential rehab, while still supporting a healthy lifestyle for people in recovery. Sober living homes provide a comfortable, safe place for you to focus on your healing. And you’ll live and learn with other comrades. 

Life Beyond Addiction

Recovery is a lifelong process, and safely tapering off of alcohol is the first step towards achieving the life you want. It’s important to nurture a healthy relationship with your body so you can have a healthy relationship with your mind. You can start building the foundation for a happy future by going to rehab for alcohol.

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Is My Loved One Using Cocaine? How to Tell If Someone Is Using Cocaine

Cocaine doesn’t have to control your loved one. The first step to their recovery might be recognizing signs of use, and then you can help them find a rehab for cocaine addiction. 

You both have resources for recovery. But the more you know about cocaine use, and how to spot it, can help you help the ones you love. 

How to Spot Cocaine Use

Spotting cocaine use can be tricky. It has a seemingly endless list of slang names and pseudo-identities, making it hard to decipher what your loved one might be talking about. They could hide their behavior with more than sneaky names, too. But there are signs to look for1. 

Physical Signs

  • Dilated pupils
  • Lack of appetite—it might seem like they barely eat
  • Rapid weight loss
  • Poor sleep
  • Disheveled appearance, lack of hygiene 

Emotional And Mental Signs

  • Paranoid without reason
  • Hyperactivity—“bouncing off the walls”
  • Irritability
  • Anxious, more so than usual 
  • Extreme startle reactions, like jumping at the sound of a cabinet shutting

Along with knowing the signs of cocaine use, you can also familiarize yourself with the street names for cocaine.

Slang Names for Cocaine

The nicknames for cocaine2 might surprise you. They’re creative, to put it positively. And they change based on the form of cocaine (crack, regular cocaine) and what it’s mixed with. 

There’s a lot to keep track of, but knowing even just a few can help.

  • Snow
  • Stardust
  • Stash
  • Bouncing Powder
  • Coke
  • Coca
  • Flake
  • Devil’s Dandruff
  • Florida Snow
  • Joy Flakes

You can also educate yourself on cocaine itself, and how it affects the mind and body.

What Is Cocaine?

Cocaine comes from the leaves of the coca plant1. It grows in South America. From there, it’s smuggled all across the globe.

Cocaine causes a rush of euphoria3, which can last 2-20 minutes. This rush comes from a build up of dopamine in the brain—dopamine stacks up on the transmitters meant to receive it4, causing an intense flood of pleasure. 

Neurotransmitters like dopamine jump between nerves and target cells. If the receptors aren’t working, all the received dopamine has nowhere to go—causing the high. Altering the usual transmission of dopamine can actually change the structure and function of your brain over time. 

The crash, or comedown, from this high can quickly prompt a redose, sometimes until supplies or money run out. This is considered a binge1.

You can ingest cocaine in multiple ways1. Some snort the white powder up their nose. Or, you might mix it with water and inject the mixture into a vein, using a syringe. If it’s crack cocaine, you can smoke it.

Is There a Difference Between Cocaine and Crack?

Chemically, no. Cocaine and crack are the same thing5, just in different forms. Crack isn’t any cheaper, either6. But it is more potent, easy to ingest, and wildly addictive.

Crack looks like rocks, or crystals. It’s a smokeable version of cocaine5, derived from the same coca plant as cocaine. 

For crack cocaine, you might see some of these slang terms:

  • Rock
  • Moon Rock
  • Apple Jack
  • Dice
  • Sleet
  • Yahoo
  • Yale
  • Top Gun
  • Base, Basing

Mucous membranes absorb cocaine and crack cocaine7. You have a huge plane of mucous membrane in your lungs—the alveoli responsible for bringing oxygen to your blood. The inhaled crack smoke absorbs into the alveoli in the lungs rapidly, causing a nearly immediate high.

A crack cocaine high fades faster, though. To avoid the crash, people might keep smoking until they run out of crack. And the more they ingest, the more likely they are to overdose and have negative long-term effects8. 

The Effects of Cocaine Use

Cocaine use can lead to heart problems8, like cardiac arrest and strokes. Inhaling it as crack can cause respiratory conditions. Snorting it could completely degrade your nasal passage over time. 

Short-term, the effects of cocaine could range from paranoia to seizures9. And rarely, cocaine can cause sudden death after just one use. 

Repeated use takes up more and more money and time. And the more it’s used, the more your brain changes. Addiction and tolerance to the drug can set in quickly1. 

Cocaine use can also have unpredictable effects, usually caused by what it’s been cut with. The cutting agent could be harmless, but that’s not always the case.

What Is Cocaine Cut With?

Dealers may cut cocaine to up their profit10, selling a “watered down” version to unsuspecting buyers. Powder cocaine could be cut with baking soda, caffeine, sugars, or anesthetics. Visually, you’d likely never know it wasn’t pure cocaine.

But cocaine could have harmful additives. Levamisole, a veterinary drug that kills parasites10, has made its way into 70% of cocaine in America. It causes necrosis11, which kills and rots the skin. 

You can also mix cocaine with other drugs for new, sometimes preferred, effects.

Cocaine Mixtures

Users seeking a different high mix cocaine with other substances, like marijuana and tobacco. Nicknames for these mixtures include Woo-Woo, Woolies, Candy Flipping, Cocoa Puffs, and Boy-Girl.

Certain blends, like alcohol and cocaine, are notably more dangerous. Cocaine and alcohol react12 and form a heart-toxic chemical, cocaethylene. Heroin and cocaine mix to form a speedball9, or an opiate and depressant blend. But cocaine wears off faster than heroin, potentially slowing your breathing to null as the full sedative effect of heroin hits.

No mixture is predictable, or safe. Neither is cocaine by itself. But, for single and blended use, you can find recovery. 

Treatment for Cocaine Addiction

Cocaine addiction often requires a multi-pronged approach—detox, therapy, and medications13. And the more research scientists do, the better these options become. There’s even a cocaine vaccine in the works14. 

Your loved one will most likely need to detox from cocaine in a safe, clinically monitored setting. There, they’ll have constant supervision, comfort medications, and begin the therapeutic healing process. This could be at a detox center or a residential rehab with on-site detox. 

Once cocaine has left their system, inner healing work can begin.

Therapy for Addiction

Therapy can address and heal the causing factors of addiction. It can also motivate and empower your loved one to commit to their recovery, even when it gets hard. 

Behavioral therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can challenge unhelpful thoughts and beliefs15. You’ll learn to shift your perspective of yourself to one that’s more positive. Rather than thinking “I’ll never get better”, CBT would challenge the thought with “Why not?”.

Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)16 addresses black-and-white thinking. Your loved one can accept the problem of cocaine use and know they can get better. DBT can help with relapse too, as it helps patients identify unhelpful thoughts that could lead back to old coping mechanisms. 

The 12 Steps

The 12-Step program offers a place for members to connect and recover in a respected treatment program. Members follow 12 steps together, learning responsibility, accountability, and forgiveness. And the 12 Steps can run in and out of treatment—you don’t have to be in rehab to find a local group to attend. 

The 12 Steps are often called AA (alcoholics anonymous) meetings. For cocaine use, you’ll likely see them called CA (cocaine anonymous). Each uses 12-Step practices to help members stay accountable and sober.

Aftercare

Contingency management (CM) can inspire greater dedication, during and after residential treatment. CM programs usually give out money, snacks, or vouchers as a reward13. And since you’ll actually get a reward for staying sober, attending recovery meetings, and going to treatment, you might find yourself more motivated to do it. 

Your loved one can also keep attending 12-Step meetings as a form of aftercare. If they go to a residential rehab, they might have the opportunity to attend alumni groups, too. 

Continued therapy and medications, if prescribed, can both contribute to long-term success. That’s why they’re both common forms of aftercare for cocaine addiction. If your loved one goes to rehab, they might offer continued 1:1 therapy with the same therapist. If not, they’ll likely connect you to further therapy as part of their discharge service.

Find Power Through Recovery

If you think your loved one is using cocaine, know that they, and yourself, have recovery resources. They can find new power and hope through recovery—addiction isn’t the end. 

You can browse our list of rehabs for cocaine to see pricing, reviews, insurance, and photos of each facility. 


Family members, you can check out these support groups: Co-Anon, Families Anonymous, and Stronger Together.