The COVID-19 pandemic has shut down businesses, postponed entertainment like concerts and movies, and is suggesting we stay at least 6 feet apart. As stressful and inconvenient life has been since COVID-19 hit, your loved one could see this as an opportunity to get sober.
With all the extra time and privacy your loved one has during quarantine, they might try to beat their addiction by detoxing at home. While this is a courageous goal to set, detoxing from drugs or alcohol at home can be extremely dangerous. Let’s take a closer look at the dangers of detoxing at home and some safer options your loved one can take towards recovery.
The Dangers of Detoxing at Home
While trying to get sober at home seems like a great idea at first, your loved one will likely run into some challenges. Plus, you loved one might be reluctant to leave home for professional help out of the fear of getting COVID-19. But, the dangers that are associated with detoxing at home pose a higher risk to your loved one’s health.
There are certain substances that your loved one shouldn’t try to quit on their own without medical support. For example, someone struggling with an alcohol addiction needs professional medical support to detox. When someone suddenly stops drinking alcohol, they can experience a medical condition known as delirium tremens. Delirium tremens can cause people to experience a high fever, rapid heartbeat and tachycardia. All of these symptoms can become life threatening and you wouldn’t want your loved one to try and manage them on their own.
Why Detoxing at Home Seems More Appealing
One of the main reasons why many people prefer to detox at home rather than at an addiction treatment center is the fear of withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms can range from causing your loved one general discomfort to life threatening medical conditions, depending on the substance.
Throughout withdrawal, your loved one’s brain is missing the key substance that has helped it function normally. This leads to physical discomfort and pain that can be difficult to overcome. If your loved one detoxes at home and experiences withdrawal symptoms, they can easily fall back on alcohol or drug use to ease their discomfort.
The danger is that their relapse may include a larger dose than normal, which can lead to a dangerous and even fatal overdose. Fortunately, addiction treatment centers can help prevent this from happening. With detox services like those found at Silver Maple Recovery, your loved one will have medical and emotional support to help them break free from addiction.
Professional medical detox gives your loved one the opportunity to get any drugs or alcohol out of their body in a safe and healing environment. Plus, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your loved one will have any medical needs taken care of.
Why Your Loved One Should Go to Addiction Treatment
While your loved one might not think they need to initially, going to addiction treatment can help them feel much less isolated during their recovery. Your loved one will meet other people who know exactly what they’re going through. Other benefits of detoxing at a professional addiction treatment center include:
- Your loved one having their health and wellness monitored by medical professionals
- Having medication available that can help ease the symptoms of withdrawal
- You’ll have peace of peace of mind knowing that your loved one is taken care of
- Counseling to help your loved one manage their emotions during detox
Without proper support, the depression and stress your loved one goes through while they are detoxing can be worse. But at Silver Maple Recovery, we offer chemical dependency counseling while your loved one is in detox. That way we can help them discover healthy ways to cope with any depression or stress they’re experiencing.
Help Your Loved One Reach Lasting Recovery Today
Silver Maple Recovery is a premier addiction treatment center in Cleveland, Ohio. We specialize in providing expert medical detox services and addiction treatment that can help your loved one address the root cause of their addiction.
What really sets the detox services at Silver Maple Recovery apart is our staff. Our staff has an average of 24 years of local addiction experience, so you can trust that your loved one’s health and recovery will be a top priority.
We know that detox can be intimidating, but it shouldn’t stop your loved one from getting the help they need to reach lasting recovery. If your loved one is ready to break free from addiction, we’re here to help. Contact us today.