Detoxification is the procedure of clearing the body from toxins and unhealthy substances. It is commonly used in drug and alcohol abuse and also in beauty institutes for cleaning the skin from smog and pollution.
If we are talking about drugs, you should know that the procedure is focusing on removing the drug substances from the body and relieving withdrawal symptoms. It doesn’t include therapy of the mental and social factors that initially made the person take drugs. It only focuses on the body. Patients that are addicted to drugs and suddenly stop using them feel many symptoms that derive from not using drugs any more. These symptoms are intense and serious and they are what makes the addiction so strong in the first place. They might be similar to the feelings of the first usage. Drug detoxification is trying to limit these symptoms and relief the patient. This is usually done in three stages.
The first stage is called the evaluation stage. In this stage the substances that the person is addicted to our found. A blood sample may also be analyzed just to see the amount of these substances that flow in the body. This also shows the capability of the body to remove a certain amount separately on its own. The stage is very helpful to determine the treatment that the person can benefit from. The second stage is stabilization. The person will most certainly need help to go through the withdrawal symptoms he will feel after quitting the drug. If someone has been taking drugs for long, the body has probably gotten used to them and has altered the normal way of functioning completely to adjust to drugs. Now the opposite thing should be done again. This phase is important and it requires medical attention. The third phase is guidance. After the person’s body is clean again and starts functioning normally, the patient is left to deal with the problems that have caused him to become an addict. This is easier now that the patient can think clearly. The same procedure is used with alcohol. Detoxifying the body from alcohol is difficult. Increased alcohol intake for several years causes the brain to stop producing certain chemicals and substitutes them with alcohol. When the brain doesn’t get any alcohol, it must start making these substances again. In order to go through this procedure without severe damage, the person needs help.
To detoxify the body, the term detox diet is commonly used. The diet is based on an increased intake of fruits and vegetables and many glasses of water or tea during the day. These diets usually don’t allow any food and only last a couple of days.
They are mostly used after holidays where people tend to eat a lot or before the summer period. Many doctors believe they cannot really help the body.
Brent McNutt enjoys networking with healthcare professionals online. He is an avid writer for UniformHaven.com, and they offer Urbane Scrubs.
