Drug Withdrawal in College Station, TX

Rehab facilities offer the safest place to get through drug withdrawal in College Station. Drug and alcohol withdrawal can produce potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms that may require emergency medical assistance.

Seeking help for drug addiction treatment offers the recovering person a safe environment in which to begin the recovery process. Medical staff can administer prescription medications to help make the drug and alcohol withdrawal treatment process smoother. Going through drug withdrawal in College Station is easier with help from specialists at a professional drug and alcohol rehab center.

What is Drug Withdrawal?

Drug withdrawal treatment at our center for drug detox in College Station is the first stage in the recovery process from drug or alcohol addiction. If a person who has been abusing drugs or alcohol over a period of time tries to stop usage suddenly, it's likely that a range of symptoms may emerge.

What Causes Drug Withdrawal?

When a person has developed a dependency on an addictive substance, the brain adapts to the presence of the drug in the system. Over time, the brain begins to interpret continued drug use as the artificial stimulus needed to continue producing certain hormones and neurotransmitters that usually would be released under different circumstances. Eventually the brain's wiring is altered so that it becomes unable to release those hormones unless it continues receiving more of the drug.

When drug use stops suddenly, the brain can't adapt and begin producing hormones or neurotransmitters using normal means any more. The result is horrible withdrawal symptoms.

Is Drug Withdrawal Dangerous?

Symptoms of withdrawal can emerge within a few hours of taking the last dose and can produce symptoms that can be moderate to unpleasant for some people. However, depending on the type of drug being taken and the severity of the addiction, some people may experience potentially dangerous or even life-threatening symptoms that could require emergency medical assistance.

If the person's prolonged drug abuse has been masking other health conditions, the symptoms of withdrawal could become even worse. It's common for many drug users to have a range of health problems that can include malnutrition, infections, sleep deprivation, chronic pain or diseases. Some may also have symptoms of underlying mental health disorders.

It's common for many people to attempt to quit taking drugs or alcohol at home. The belief is that they just need to get through a few uncomfortable days of physical detox and then they'll somehow be cured. They brace themselves for any physical withdrawal symptoms they may have heard about. However, it's common for most to completely underestimate how severe some of the psychological symptoms can be.

In reality, stopping substance use without professional drug addiction treatment only increases the risk of relapsing back into a pattern of addictive drug use. Detoxing from any drug of addiction can reduce the person's tolerance levels. If the person relapses after a period of sobriety and tries to take similar doses as they were taking before, the risk of accidental overdose is significantly increased.

Drug Addiction Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of drug addiction will vary, depending on the type of drug being taken. However, there are some common things to watch for. These include:

Loss of control over the amount and frequency of use
Spending more time finding, obtaining, using or recovering from drug use
Tolerance, or needing to take higher doses to get the same effects
Continuing to take drugs, despite negative consequences
Withdrawal symptoms when intake stops suddenly
Physical dependency on the substance

Drug Treatment Options

There are two primary options for treating drug withdrawal in College Station: inpatient and outpatient.

Outpatient treatments don't require the person to live at the treatment facility. However, drug addiction treatment programs in College Station still require an intensive time commitment. Medical staff may administer prescription medications to some patients to help with drug and alcohol withdrawal treatment. The person is also expected to check in each day to attend pre-scheduled counseling, therapy sessions and group meetings.

With outpatient treatments, the person still returns home each evening, which means they're returning into an environment where substance abuse was already a problem.

By comparison, inpatient drug rehab facilities require that the person resides at the treatment center for the duration of treatment. Drug addiction treatment programs begin with a medically supervised detox process. Medical staff can administer prescription medications to help make the process of drug withdrawal in College Station as comfortable as possible.

Rehab programs also incorporate a range of behavioral therapies and counseling sessions designed to also address the underlying psychological triggers behind addictive substance use.