The symptoms of drug abuse are many. Learning to identify them can help you detect whether or not someone you know or love has a drug problem or addiction.

One of the most obvious symptoms of drug abuse is a change in one’s health and appearance. Drugs like crack, speed, and heroin can make the user appear to be “sucked up” or emaciated with even moderate use. Vomiting, fever, and disorientation are side effects of heavy use or binges. Disinterest in one’s dress and hygiene can also be one of the symptoms of drug abuse.

Another one of the obvious symptoms of drug abuse is a change in behavior in the user. Emotional outbursts, irritability, and other uncharacteristic, erratic behaviors are warning signs of possible drug use. Staying out late frequently, or disappearing for days at a time, and the neglect of important responsibilities such as work or family time are symptoms of drug abuse as well. Irregular sleeping patterns, secretive or reclusive behavior, and isolation from friends and family, are also behaviors that might indicate possible drug abuse.

If any of these symptoms are visible in the individual, it is best to assume the worst and seek professional evaluation and treatment. Some of these identifiers may be symptoms of some other type of mental or physical illness, or may be simply due to stress. A physical check up and evaluation by a licensed doctor is necessary to obtain a correct diagnosis and plan a course of treatment or detoxification.

Educate yourself and others on the symptoms of drug abuse. The life you save may just end up being your own.

The basic goal of detoxification is to eliminate all harmful substances, narcotics, and toxins from a drug abusers body. Because this process can cause intense symptoms, rarely do drug addicts undergo detoxification without medical supervision. It is possible for a person to break a dependency on their own. Individuals with short-term dependencies have better results than a person who has been hooked on drugs for several years. Even so, because withdrawal symptoms can be life-threatening, undergoing detox at a drug rehab or treatment center is the safest approach.

Before beginning the detoxification process, it is important for drug users to comprehend potential symptoms. Due to powerful cravings, some persons are not able to complete detox. This is the reason why drug rehabilitation centers are the best environment to rise above an addiction.

While going through detoxification, patients are closely observed, and not permitted to leave the treatment facility. Consequently, they are unable to give into cravings for the drug. Symptoms tend to settle down within three to four days. Long-term drug users may go through a longer withdrawal cycle – perhaps up to two weeks.

To help patients cope with the physical effects of detox, some treatment centers offer ongoing counseling during detoxification. This is purposed to help ease any distress or discomfort. In extreme cases, medical professionals may administer a drug to lessen distress.

While detox is very unpleasant for the patient, and potentially life-threatening, the entire process is necessary. Without fully cleansing the body, narcotic residue could remain in the blood stream. In this case, previous drug users may experience occasional cravings, which can come and go for many years. Drug cravings may result in a relapse. However, if all traces of the narcotic are flushed from the body, the cravings for the drug can disappear completely.

Drug addicts who want to skip the withdrawal process, and avoid withdrawal symptoms may opt for a procedure that greatly decreases detoxification discomfort. Healthcare professionals may recommend this detox procedure if it is suspected that a patient will endure severe symptoms. Under general anesthesia, the detox drug is administered, and the narcotic is flush from the blood stream and nervous system.

Even though withdrawal occurs suddenly with rapid detox, patients do not feel pain, and will only experience slight withdrawal symptoms. Drug treatment centers may also administer additional drugs intended to shorten the withdrawal period. Rather than endure 3 – 14 days of symptoms, patients may only suffer withdrawal symptoms for 6 – 12 hours.

To achieve and maintain sobriety we do our best to tailor our holistic approach to specific needs and recovery style of each individual. After our clients finish their 48-72 hour detoxification process they will have a weekly schedule that builds on their existing strengths and challenges their weaknesses. Clients meet their individual therapist during this detox period to begin developing what will be a very important relationship and, together, establish and prioritize what aspects of their program need the most emphasis.

The core of our program is balanced between a psychological focus and 12-step philosophy and practice. We use an integrated approach to psychotherapy that includes insight-oriented therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and behavior modification. These modalities are applied in a variety of settings including, individual, group, art, and equine therapy.