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Choosing the right drug detox can mean the difference between relapse and recovery.
When looking for help with a prescription drug addiction problem, people are often unsure which the best drug detox program is. Different types of prescription drug detox programs are available and each one has its advantages and drawbacks.

For most people drug detox is just the start of full drug rehabilitation. Drug detoxification is primarily a method of managing the withdrawal symptoms associated with the cessation of drug addiction. A drug detox center generally does not address why the person became addicted in the first place, although they do provide counseling. For “real” treatment you need a successful drug rehab program. Nevertheless, drug detox is the necessary initial step to drug rehab. For prescription drug addiction, it is often necessary to find a medical detox program that can effectively handle the sometimes, significant drug withdrawal symptoms that accompany prescription drug detox.

Some drug detox centers simply provide a setting where the person is kept away from all drugs. They are watched over by support staff to ensure they don’t encounter any serious medical problems. They are basically withdrawing with minimum medical support and are in constant danger of seizures and convulsions due to the effects of prescription drug addiction.

Another type of drug detox center basically amounts to substituting one drug for the one the person is addicted to. The person arrives at the drug detox center, is provided medication that helps relieve the symptoms of withdrawal, and is discharged still taking the same medication. Methadone maintenance in my opinion is not drug detox. At some point, the person will need methadone detox, which is an extremely uncomfortable detox. Methadone is generally used as a detox medication for opiate drug addiction.

Rapid drug detox, promoted as the fastest detox method, is not necessarily the best or safest method of detox. Rapid detox is used mostly with opiate addiction and is provided while the patient is under general anesthesia for 3-5 hours. As with any anesthesia, there is always the chance of death, not to mention the patient still experiences withdrawal symptoms after the procedure is completed.

Best Detox for Prescription Drug Addiction

The best drug detox for prescription drug addiction is a medical detox program. A medical detox program provides the patient with 24 hour nursing supervision, 24 hour support staff and a physician trained in addiction medicine. The physician can prescribe various amounts of medications as needed to offset any withdrawal symptoms and manage any medical problems that may arise. Prescription drug addiction is a difficult addiction to detox from. It takes time, commitment and a quality physician.

There’s no quick fix for drug addiction. The first step is a drug detox program, the second step is a drug rehab program and the third step is to follow what you have learned in the first two steps. For additional information on detox programs, call 1-800-99-DETOX or go to www.99detox.com.