Drug Detox

There’s no quick fix for drug addiction, and no safe way to detox alone if you’re dependent on drugs. Drug detox, which is the medically managed process of clearing drugs from your body, is the necessary first step before rehab can begin, but it needs to be done with proper support.

At Rehab Clinics Group, we have CQC-regulated drug detox clinics across the UK. So wherever you’re based, you can access medically supervised detox followed by a clear route into ongoing treatment.

Attempting to detox alone can be dangerous, especially for opiate, alcohol and benzodiazepine dependence, and significantly increases the risk of relapse compared with a supervised inpatient programme.

What is Drug Detox?

Drug detox is the managed termination of drug consumption. In clinical terms, drug detoxification is the process whereby the drugs that you have consumed are purged from your body. This is not a pleasant experience, especially if you are a long-term or heavy drug user.

Habitual drug use alters the chemicals in your brain, making the body dependent and when you stop taking those drugs, your body will experience withdrawal symptoms. Physical withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to intense, depending on the duration and seriousness of your addiction to drugs or alcohol and the type of drugs that you take.

What is a Medically Managed Detox?

Many drug addicts attempt to detox by going cold turkey. This can be extremely dangerous and, in most cases, medical detox is a necessary part of a successful treatment plan. When you join an inpatient detox programme, you will be under constant medical supervision and may receive prescription drugs like Buprenorphine and Naltrexone to reduce the physical withdrawal symptoms.

Many people who are in active addiction and detoxing cold turkey can have serious side effects and lead to long-term health problems.

Inpatient vs Outpatient Drug Detox

If you’re weighing up inpatient against outpatient detox, the short version is that a residential drug detox clinic gives you 24-hour supervision, the full range of medication options (including controlled substitution medications that require constant monitoring), and removes you from the environment and triggers linked to your drug use, all of which are linked to a meaningfully lower relapse risk than attempting detox as an outpatient.

What to Expect During Drug Withdrawal

Withdrawal symptoms vary from person to person and will depend on the number and type of drugs that you are addicted to, the severity of your addiction, the existence of co-occurring physical or mental health disorders, the half-life of the drugs you take as well as the level and frequency of your drug use.

The most difficult part of drug detox is the first 48 hours or two days. The first symptoms of withdrawal typically take five to ten hours to manifest and this is when the symptoms will be at their worst. If you are an inpatient at a drug or alcohol rehab clinic and under medical supervision, you will most likely be given medication to ease the symptoms during this time.

Withdrawal symptoms during drug detox include:

• Depression and anxiety
• Headaches
• Insomnia, fatigue and lethargy
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fevers, chills, shaking and sweating
• Irritability, agitation and mood swings
• Increased heart rate and high blood pressure
• Loss of appetite, gastrointestinal and digestive problems
• Intense Cravings
• Confusion, disorientation and hallucinations
• Muscle weakness or muscle pain
• Bone and joint pain
• Uncontrollable muscle spasms in legs
• Paranoia
• Psychosis
• Flu-like symptoms, including a runny nose and watering eyes

Certain drugs are only psychologically addictive but other drugs are physically addictive and when you detox there will be no escaping the physical withdrawal symptoms. During drug detox, the treatment facility staff will ensure that all your medical and clinical requirements are met and that your detox is safe and as comfortable as possible. You will be closely monitored and supervised at all times to ensure that your body can cope with the withdrawal symptoms.

What Happens at Assessment

Every detox starts with an assessment before you’re admitted. This is what determines whether you can detox safely, and what your plan looks like. The assessing clinician will want to know:

• Which substance(s) you use, and for how long
• How much and how often you use them
• Whether you use more than one substance (polysubstance use changes the detox approach significantly)
• Any co-occurring physical or mental health conditions, or a family history of them
• Any previous attempts at detox or rehab, and what happened

This information is used to decide your medication plan, how closely you’ll need to be monitored, and how long your detox is likely to take. Disclosing mental health history matters here in particular: detox can be psychologically difficult, and withholding it makes it harder for staff to plan around it safely.

Supervised Drug Detox at Our Clinics

Almost all detox referred through Rehab Clinics Group takes place as an inpatient, within the residential environment of one of our clinics and not at home and not as a series of outpatient visits. That distinction matters more for detox than almost any other stage of treatment, because the physical risks of withdrawal are highest in exactly the period when you’d otherwise be least supported.

Arriving at the Drug Detox Clinic

When you’re admitted, you’re shown to your room and introduced to the clinical and support staff who’ll be caring for you throughout detox. A doctor or nurse will confirm the plan agreed at assessment, which medications you’ll be prescribed, how often you’ll be checked, and what to expect over the coming days, so nothing about the process is a surprise once you’re inside.

24-Hour Monitoring

Nursing staff will be there to do observations throughout the day and night, checking blood pressure, heart rate and temperature, alongside how you’re feeling, and are onsite to respond immediately if symptoms become more severe.

Medication is administered on a set schedule by clinical staff, adjusted as your withdrawal progresses rather than fixed for the whole stay.

The First Few Days of Detox

The first few days are usually when withdrawal symptoms are at their most intense, and it’s also when you’ll see staff most often.

You’ll be encouraged to rest, eat and drink where you’re able to, and staff will talk you through what’s happening physically so the experience feels less disorienting. If symptoms become severe, being on-site means the clinical team can escalate care, adjusting medication, or arranging hospital transfer as a precaution, far faster than would be possible at home.

Moving From Detox Into Daily Treatment

As the most acute physical symptoms ease, days start to take more shape. Most people will move to joining others for meals, and, once the clinical team judges you’re ready, starting to take part in low-key group activities or early therapy sessions alongside the rest of the detox and treatment programme.

This overlap is deliberate as it means detox isn’t a separate, isolated stage you get through before “real” treatment starts, but the beginning of the same residential programme.

Medication During Drug Detox

Due to alcohol and drug withdrawal symptoms that are experienced during detoxification, we are able to prescribe medications to help manage the symptoms experienced.

Medications we are able to prescribe include:

• Buprenorphine – The medication comes in the form of a tablet that is usually placed under the tongue until it dissolves. It is primarily used to treat opioid addiction.
• Naltrexone – Short for Naltrexone Hydrochloride, can be taken by mouth or injected into a muscle and is commonly prescribed as part of a comprehensive recovery programme for alcoholism and drug addiction.
• Lofexidine – Typically used in the treatment of heroin, methadone and opiate addiction to relieve withdrawal symptoms.
• Methadone – The medication blocks the high you get from heroin to reduce the craving for the drug. This helps the patient to slowly overcome the urge to take the drug, and soon they become less dependent on it.
• Mirtazapine – Effective detox medication used to treat addictive conditions such as alcohol addiction, opiate addiction, marijuana addiction, cocaine addiction, and Benzodiazepine addiction.
• Clonidine – Widely used to treat withdrawals from opioid and alcohol addiction. Almost all rehab clinics now offer clonidine medication as part of their detox treatment.

How Long Does Drug Detox Take?

Length depends on the substance, how long and heavily it’s been used, and how you respond to treatment.

Your clinical team will confirm what to expect once your assessment is complete, and will adjust your stay if needed rather than discharging you to a fixed date regardless of how you’re progressing.

Getting Admitted to a Drug Detox Clinic

There are many ways to start the admissions process depending on who is making contact with us:

• Self-referral: for people ready to begin treatment themselves
• Family referral: for contacting us on behalf of a loved one
• Friend referral: similar but for those supporting a friend
• Professional referral: for GPs, social workers or other professionals referring someone who needs drug detox services

It starts with a confidential call to our admissions team, who talk through your situation before anything is arranged.

Why Choose Rehab Clinics Group For Drug Detox?

If you are looking for a reliable drug detox provider, then consider Rehab Clinics Group. We offer CQC-approved clinics across the UK that employ addiction recovery workers who are trained in providing medically assisted detoxification programmes.

The process of drug detox can be difficult with many individuals experiencing uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms through the duration of the programme, this is why having access to 24-hour care that is available at all our centres is absolutely essential.

All our staff have been trained to spot withdrawal symptoms that could result in harm to individuals. This is why you are monitored 24/7, so any signs of severe withdrawal symptoms can be seen by the addiction recovery worker, who will either give you prescription medication or have you sent to the nearest hospital as a precaution. Either way, when detoxing at our local drug addiction treatment centres, you can be sure you will be in safe hands.

As a group, we have helped thousands of individuals across the UK achieve long-term recovery from drug addiction. No matter how severe your addiction is, our team of addiction recovery experts can provide the help you need to become free from the struggles of substance abuse.

Speak to our admissions team for more information.

Our Inpatient Drug Detox Clinic Options

We have a network of rehab centres based all around the UK so we can find a detoxification close to your location or further away. Sometimes people benefit from travelling away from their local environment as regular habits can seem more distant.

In other cases, people might prefer to stay close by and have visits from family members for additional support. Some of our most recommended rehabs to complete detoxification include:

• Cassiobury Court
• Asana Lodge
• Ocean Recovery
• Recovery Scotland

Drug Addictions We Treat

Our CQC-registered facilities treat a number of drug addictions, which include:

• Alcohol Addiction
• Cocaine Addiction
• Heroin Addiction
• Amphetamine Addictions
• Ketamine Addiction
• Prescription Drug Addictions
• Stimulant Addictions
• Cannabis Addiction
• Mephedrone Addiction

Please click on any of the above links to find out more about how we treat each drug as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation programme.

Talk Through Drug Detox Options Today

Whatever’s brought you here, you’re looking for yourself, or for someone you care about, the first step is just a conversation. Call our confidential helpline on 0800 470 0382, or request a callback and we’ll get in touch at a time that works for you.

Drug Detox FAQs

Here is a list of some of the most frequently asked questions we receive about drug detox.