Drug and alcohol detox can take about as long as one to two weeks for most people. This will help you get the foundation needed for long-term addiction treatment. During detox programs, you’ll get professional help to manage acute withdrawal symptoms so that you can return to a pre-addiction state.
Tampa Bay Recovery Center provides outpatient drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs in Tampa, Florida. Visit our admissions page today to get started.
How Long Does Detox Take? (Plus: Detox Timelines)
Most detox programs take about one to two weeks to complete.
This is a rough estimate, as some substances take longer to detox from than others. In addition, factors unique to your addiction could complicate your detox timeline. These factors include the severity of your addiction, addiction to more than one substance, co-occurring mental health disorders, and underlying medical conditions.
Detox timelines also vary based on the type of substance(s) that you abuse. This is because you’ll experience withdrawal symptoms, as your body and mind adjust to no longer having substances in your system. Withdrawal symptoms and duration can vary from one substance to the next.
The following are detox timelines for some of the most commonly abused substances:
- Alcohol: Alcohol withdrawal symptoms peak within about 3 days after you quit drinking, then taper off within about a week.
- Heroin: Acute heroin withdrawal lasts about 4 to 7 days. After that, you can start medication-assisted treatment (MAT) if needed.
- Cocaine: It takes about 7 to 10 days for cocaine withdrawal symptoms to go away. During this time, you’ll likely feel lethargic and uneasy.
- Fentanyl: The acute phase of fentanyl withdrawal lasts about 5 to 7 days. However, you could have lingering symptoms for weeks afterward.
- Methamphetamine: Like cocaine—another stimulant drug—meth withdrawal takes about 7 to 10 days.
- Xanax: It can take one to two weeks to go through Xanax withdrawal due to its high potential for dependency.
After detox, you can enter a residential rehab center to continue long-term addiction treatment.
[Recommended: How Long Does Kratom Withdrawal Last?; Ambien Withdrawal Symptoms + Timeline]
What Happens During Drug and Alcohol Detox?
You’ll get professional help to manage withdrawal symptoms during drug and alcohol detox.
Withdrawal symptoms begin shortly after you quit abusing substances. Over time, your body and mind depend on drugs or alcohol to function normally. As a result, when you stop taking substances, you need time to readjust.
Furthermore, withdrawal symptoms can range in severity, depending on the details of your addiction and what substance(s) you abuse. For some, withdrawal symptoms will be mildly discomforting. However, some people will have dangerous and life-threatening symptoms.
Common Withdrawal Symptoms
The following are some of the most common withdrawal symptoms you can expect, regardless of which substance(s) you abuse:
- Tremors and shakes
- Aches and pains
- Nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting
- Change in appetite
- Sleep disturbances
- Fatigue
- Sweating
- Irritability
- Trouble concentrating
- Depression and anxiety
- Restlessness
In addition, you could have severe withdrawal symptoms, such as:
- Seizures
- Mental confusion
- Fever
- Hallucinations
- Paranoia
- Cardiovascular issues
Thus, it’s important to seek professional detox services when you quit abusing substances. These programs are vital to monitoring your mental and physical health throughout drug and alcohol withdrawal.
Why Do I Need Professional Detox Services? (Is It Safe to Detox on My Own?)
It is not safe to detox on your own, and you need professional detox services to reduce your risk of relapse and overdose.
Withdrawal symptoms can cause dangerous or life-threatening issues. When you try to detox on your own, you increase your risk of medical complications. You also don’t get the psychological support needed to manage mental health symptoms and cravings.
As a result of attempting to detox without professional support, many people relapse when symptoms start to peak. This is because you won’t have a safeguard of support staff to prevent you from reaching for substances to relieve withdrawal symptoms.
Substance Use Disorders (SUD) Have a 40-60% Relapse Rate
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), relapse rates for addiction are similar to—and in some cases, lower than—other chronic conditions.
Drug and alcohol addiction are chronic, relapsing diseases, like asthma or hypertension. Thus, you’re never really cured of an addiction. Instead, you are in recovery from addiction and work on maintaining recovery daily.
But, when you don’t get professional help, you increase your chances of relapse.
Oftentimes, when a person relapses, it’s because they are trying to quit or manage their recovery on their own. After a period of sobriety, they could minimize their addiction and think they can handle substances again. However, this could lead back to full-blown addiction and a potential overdose because your tolerance has decreased.
While people in treatment programs can—and do—relapse, they are much less likely to have their relapse to return to full-blown addiction. According to NIDA, “When a person recovering from an addiction relapses, it indicates that the person needs to speak with their doctor to resume treatment, modify it, or try another treatment.”
Therefore, the best way to combat drug and alcohol addiction is to start with a detox program at a professional addiction treatment center.
Begin Drug and Alcohol Detox Today
At Tampa Bay Recovery Center, we know the importance of an effective detox program when you begin drug and alcohol addiction treatment. For some, the restrictions of an inpatient detox program are a barrier to treatment. We offer an outpatient detox program for this reason.
Contact us today to begin drug and alcohol detox in Tampa, Florida.
