Home detox is an option that many people would probably prefer to a detox center.

Home detox services with medical professionals fill a vital treatment gap. After all, many people searching for a path to recovery try to get clean and sober on their own, without medical guidance. It seldom works.

But many people don’t like the atmosphere of detox centers. People who have a desire for peace and quiet for their detox period or want to be around family or pets for emotional support prefer to detox at home.

Why is Detox Necessary?

Drugs like opioids, methamphetamine, and even alcohol can produce fierce withdrawal symptoms when a person tries to quit using them cold-turkey. For this reason, many people are unable to become sober on their own. Detox is a way to treat withdrawal symptoms as they arise and use medication to treat withdrawal symptoms and prevent cravings. For some people who are interested in Medication-Assisted Treatment, detox provides the medical observation necessary to prescribe drugs that prevent relapse.

Withdrawal Symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms are one of the main reasons an addicted person has trouble quitting their drug of choice. An addicted person may have headaches, nausea, pain in their muscles and bones, fever or other symptoms when they cease using their drug of choice. Home-based detox is a personalized way to make sure a person has the help they need to get through withdrawal symptoms comfortably and safely. Medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, can help stabilize a person who is experiencing withdrawal.

It’s never a good idea to try to detox on your own from drugs or alcohol. The clinical staff is better suited to helping you and recognizing if there’s anything else going on while you detox.

Home detox is safe and effective. A trained, licensed professional can help monitor any withdrawal symptoms, provide empathy and assistance with any fears or concerns, and help the addicted person plan the next phase of recovery from addiction.

Why Choose Home Detox?

Many people find that detoxing inside an institution’s walls is uncomfortable and lonely, even though other clients are going through the same thing. Home detox is an option that provides the privacy, safety, and comfort of home, including your family, non-using friends, or pets to help ease your mind.

Some people also have concerns about privacy and anonymity. You may worry that your job will dismiss you, or certain people will judge you if you go away to detox.

If you’re a family member that’s skeptical about home detox, think about it. In your own home, you can disclose your addiction on your terms, and if you want, you can “chill” while you go through the process with the peace of mind that professionals are right there to help you through it all.

How Does Home Detox Work?

The professionals who manage home detox go to the client’s home. They take vital signs, explain what detox may feel like, and continue to monitor their client throughout the experience.

Any medications are administered and monitored by a detox nurse. The nurse is managed by an experienced doctor who will be available throughout the detox session. It usually takes 2-3 days for the most intense withdrawal symptoms to wane. A detox professional is there every step of the way helping their client maintain sobriety and helping them with any withdrawal symptoms.

Clients of home detox services often are prescribed drugs for Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) to assist with their recovery. Symptoms of withdrawal usually happen within 12 hours of the last time a person used. Having a professional around to monitor any changes in vital signs or any discomfort is also a component of home detox. The goal of home-based detox is to help an addicted person detox as safely and comfortably as possible.

Sometimes, a home detox client will even get assistance with other life changes they need to make, such as removing all drugs/alcohol from a home, throwing away items that are related to drugs or alcohol such as pipes, pill cutters, beer mugs, etc. It may even make sense for the detox professionals to help re-arrange furniture or clean the house to help a client’s living situation get a “fresh start” as well.

Life After Home Detox

Home detox, like any other detox program, is not the end of recovery, it’s the beginning. Your body has detoxed, but your mind and spirit still need time to heal and nurture.

Most home detox clients will enter a treatment program, therapy, or commit to 12-step meetings. The detox team will help a recovering person create goals and plan the next step in their journey. While ceasing the use of drugs and alcohol is important, for the change to stick it’s important to have a plan to stay away from drugs and alcohol for the long term.