Everyone suffering from alcohol addiction and drug addiction wishes that a truly safe, rapid detox program existed. Some treatment centers would have you believe that they have the answer, but it is never that simple.
As much as we wish we could say that there was a rapid detox program like that, we can't. When minutes or hours of discomfort seem too long, it would be an outright lie to say that such a program would be free of unpleasantness. No matter how you cut it, the reality is that drug and alcohol addiction leads to a buildup of toxic chemical in the body that have to be purged, and there is no easy or comfortable way to do this safely.
Using this same kind of thinking, a rapid detox program is like flushing dynamite down the toilet to fix a clog. Sure, you'll fix the clog, but there's a good chance that the house won't be in great shape afterwards.
As alcoholics and addicts, we have that undeniable tendency to want what we want, when we want it--and when we want it happens to be yesterday, if at all possible. However, there are some things that just don't work that way.
Rapid detox programs, even if they use the safest methods available for such a practice, are still a gamble because the body does not have the ability to cope with such a massive change in chemistry. Tolerances to drugs and alcohol aren't built up in a day, so why would we think that they would suddenly disappear overnight as well?
There are things that can be done to make the experience less uncomfortable, but really, it isn't going to be pleasant no matter which way you cut it. There are still going to be the chills, the sweats, the nausea, the cramps…
At the same time, what lies beyond that experience is something that is truly awe-inspiring. It is something that no addict or alcoholic wants to go through, but really, once many of us are on the other side of it, we see that it was something that helped us and that it frankly wasn't as bad as we had built up in our minds. Funny that the disease also happens to reside there…
There are things we can do to make it a less awful experience, but in a sense, it is a rite of passage. When we first come in to recovery, we are asked, "Would you do whatever it takes to stay clean and sober?"
This is one of those times. We have to be willing to do whatever it takes, no matter how uncomfortable it is or how much we don't want to do it. That is what separates those who will find and appreciate the gift of recovery, and those who brush off the gift, taking it for granted.
That is exactly why we take a stand against rapid detox programs all together. After all, why would we get sober in the first place if we were tired of living life the way we had been living it?
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449 Recovery is a drug and alcohol and rehabilitation center helping people overcome their fears and assisting families to deal with a loved one's challenges. Visit http://www.449recovery.org to find out more about our services.
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