“Detox” is a real buzz word these days. There are detox diets for unhealthy eaters, and even detox for video game addicts. However, in the world of drug and alcohol addiction recovery, detox is a tried and true mainstay. There are different ideas on how to go about it, many times dictated by the type and intensity of the addiction, but it is an experience shared by all recovering addicts.

Typically taking place under close medical surveillance, detox is the process of the body’s withdrawal from the substance to which it was addicted. Medical supervision is recommended because symptoms can often be severe when the body is experiencing withdrawal. This is the phase when the body’s cravings for the substance intensify to such a degree that the person can become violent, delirious, or physically ill. A person can experience nausea, vomiting, twitching, shaking, sweating, blackouts, hallucinations, and so on. It is a very unpleasant experience that reveals just how horribly dependent the body had become on substance abuse. Ideally, the experience would be unpleasant enough to deter an addict from relapsing in the future.

Different methods of detox have developed over time, ranging from harmless “substitution” medications like methadone, to help keep recovering addicts under control and wean them off the cravings. There are also sauna detox centers, where the toxic substances are literally sweated out of the addict’s body, thus speeding up the detox process. This can be done safely under close supervision. Depending on the type and intensity of the addiction, more rigorous detox may be required in some cases. Some less severe addictions can be stopped without detox, per se, but withdrawal symptoms will always present themselves to some degree. Ultimately, detox and withdrawal, unpleasant though they may be at the time, represent a “passing through” to a better, healthier life.