06 May

Overcoming The Fear Of Drug Withdrawal

When you have been misusing alcohol or drugs for a while, the thought of stopping can make you feel fearful. You may be afraid of not knowing how to function without being under the influence of substances. You might equally be scared that you will have to deal with the fear of withdrawal if you stop. 

What Are Drug Withdrawals?

Drug withdrawals are the side effects one experiences when they are no longer abusing drugs or alcohol. Once they stop, their body will gradually go through detox as it removes alcohol or the substance from the body. 

Depending on how long you misused alcohol or substances, the withdrawal symptoms and side effects can be more severe. For some people, quitting is not an option without medical supervision because their withdrawal symptoms can be life-threatening.  

For instance, suppose you have a prescription opioid addiction. As soon as the effects of the drugs wear off, you get a headache, body aches, chills, and experience pain. To stop those undesirable symptoms, you take more of the prescription. 

However, you ultimately get into an ongoing cycle where your body continues to build a tolerance to the drug. So, as your body adjusts, you have to increase your dosage to prevent undesirable effects. Once you find yourself in this cycle, it is possible to develop a fear of withdrawal. 

How Fear of Withdrawal Costs Lives

People who suffer from substance use disorders and fear withdrawal will have to face more severe withdrawal symptoms the longer they do not get help for their addiction. Sadly, some people are so fearful they would rather continue abusing their preferred substance in higher and higher amounts. 

Eventually, they take such large dosages of drugs that they can easily accidentally overdose and die. Unfortunately, the devastation of their addiction can be so powerful it makes it more important to continue using that experience the discomfort and side effects of withdrawal. 

As a result, their addiction becomes the only thing that matters. So, they will destroy their relationships with family and friends. Should they overdose and die, in the wake of their death, they leave family and friends who feel hopeless that they could do nothing to help their loved one with their addiction. 

How to Overcome the Fear of Withdrawal Symptoms

Taking the first steps to recovery will mean facing your fear of withdrawal symptoms. Suppose you have reached the point where you want help but are afraid to stop misusing substances. Then, it is a good idea to start your recovery with medically supervised detox.

With medically supervised detox services, trained medical professionals evaluate your current substance misuse to develop a personalized detox treatment plan. For example, one viable option some people benefit from after struggling with long-term substance abuse is medication-assisted treatment (MAT). 

MAT can help alleviate and prevent the more significant, severe, and life-threatening withdrawal symptoms. Furthermore, MAT is beneficial for addictive substances that one should be slowly weaned off of them, like prescription and illegal opioids. 

Additionally, the use of MAT often helps people overcome the fear of withdrawal symptoms. While they will still have to face minor withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches and nausea, they are more likely to complete their detox treatment successfully. 

The Importance of Medically Supervised Detox Services

The essential thing to remember with medically supervised detox services is you will not be alone during your detox. Attempting to detox on your own is never a good idea as you have no way to know how severe or life-threatening your withdrawal symptoms could be.

Unfortunately, many people put off getting medically supervised detox services because they believe they will have to check into a detox treatment facility. This can trigger other fears, like being away from family or worrying about your employer finding out you have a substance abuse problem. 

Fortunately, you can safely detox at home with medically supervised detox services. Detoxing at home can be more successful since you are in comfortable surroundings. In addition, your family can be nearby to provide added support if you desire. 

Plus, you have onsight medical staff to monitor and adjust your detox to ensure it proceeds safely. In some cases, depending on the extent of your addiction and substances abused, you could even return to work within a week with ongoing medically supervised detox services. 

Safely Withdraw From Drugs at Home in Beverly Hills, CA

If you have a fear of withdrawal from drugs and want help to overcome your addiction, you can safely withdraw from the comfort of your home with help from MD Home Detox. We provide at-home, medically supervised detox services in Beverly Hills and the greater Los Angeles area. Additionally, we offer MAT to help reduce the more severe side effects of withdrawal. After you complete detox, we are happy to assist you in deciding what your next recovery steps should be, thanks to our extensive network of referred professionals.

To begin your at-home medically supervised detox, or for further information about our at-home detox programs, please feel free to contact us today.