Medical practitioners know that when a patient is suffering from any sort of substance abuse, there is a need to undergo detoxification. And for many instances, patients usually experience anxiety and nervousness before going through the process. But before initiating the detox method, eliminating fear must be the primary goal.
What is Detoxification?
The simplest word to define detoxification is cleansing. This process basically pertains to the removal of unwanted toxins from the body such as various form of drugs. In the case of patients encountering substance disorders, detoxification is carried out safely and carefully so that withdrawal symptoms are managed appropriately.
The type of drug or how long it was used will dictate the effects of detox on the patient. There are cases where medication is given to the patient so that their bodies are stabilized and eventually become calm and comfortable. This way, detoxification becomes easier to manage and more effective as the drugs leave their body.
Ways How Patient is Helped to Overcome Nervousness Before Detox
1. Determining the Source of Fear
There are a number of reasons why patients are afraid of undergoing detox. It is therefore important to pinpoint what fears they need to conquer. Generally, these fears include losing their old life, the feeling of misery when being sober, withdrawal issues, failure or success, not knowing oneself anymore and saying goodbye to old friends. By determining these factors, counseling is integrated before the detox proper so that patients are helped to understand and cope with their fears.
2. Explaining Why Detox Isn’t Bad
Detoxification for substance abuse patients entail a lot of communication. This means professionals patiently and thoroughly explains the truth that withdrawal symptoms and detox are both unpleasant in nature but are never bad for the body or what we can call bittersweet. The most common symptoms that occur are insomnia, sneezing, aches and pains, feeling always anxious, nausea, runny nose, and sweats. All these are normal however, manageable and tolerable. The good news is that they only last for a few days.
3. Stimulating Acceptance
Professionals help patients cope with the reality that failure is a part of life. Failure is one deterring factor that holds patients from undergoing detox. This is because they fear the possibility of relapse once they get sober. By helping the individual understand the essence of accepting failure before achieving success, they are most likely willing to endure detox without second thoughts.
Failure is a concept they need to understand and accept because detoxification is not a one-time success treatment. It is done more than once until the body system is freed from substances that caused their addiction.
4. Setting a Mindset that Getting Sober Means Bringing their Life Back
Many patients fear the notion of living miserably after detoxing. Basically, they are afraid of what’s in store for them in the midst of a sober life. Professionals help patients understand that getting sober is not about taking their life away instead, it is actually bringing their life back. Getting clean opens the door of opportunities in the form of career, interests, healthy relationships and future goals. In general, it is about having a new and improved life.
When these 4 methods are met, the patient is halfway ready to undergo detox. The other half of the preparation is implemented through a three-step process which is discussed below.
1. Evaluation
Before the patient becomes a candidate for detox, the medical team does screening to determine any pre-existing mental or physical issue. Doctors would require blood tests to measure the amount of drugs in the body system. Test results will dictate the type and level of medication needed. Physicians also review the severity of substance addiction as well as psychiatric background in order to outline the patient’s long-term treatment program.
2. Stabilization
The second step is stabilizing the patient with psychological and medical therapy. The objective of this technique is to ensure that the patient is prevented from any form of harm. In here, the doctor prescribes addiction treatment medicines which help reduce withdrawal symptoms at the same time prevent complications.
3. Preparing Entry into Treatment
Culminating the detox process is preparing the patient for treatment program. Doctors educate patients about the entirety of the treatment process and what to expect from start to finish. At this point, the patient is given a final assessment when to begin the program.
Eliminating fear from the patient is of utmost importance to make any treatment effective. And for as long as the program is facilitated by professionals, the patient will always be in good hands. When anxiety is gone, we can somehow say that the patient halfway through the battle.