10
01
Selecting a method of drug addiction detoxification depends on whether an individual wants to avoid a positive test at work or if they wish to be completely clear of additive substances as a step towards a major change in lifestyle. The latter goal could be reasonably described as rehabilitation, or ‘rehab’ for short. Rapid opiate detox was introduced twenty years ago by doctors in Israel and has since been modified by safer medications that have FDA approval.
Rapid Detox
Withdrawing from an addictive substance without the support of medical intervention can last for a period of several days. The symptoms of withdrawal may be extremely painful and very unpleasant. This can often put people off from going into rehabilitation. It is possible to go through detox very quickly. This method of ‘rapid detox’ involves placing the patient under an anesthetic to spare them the severe pain and other symptoms. It is claimed that it can give results in as little as two hours. This treatment is very expensive and the safety has not yet been proven. It is an extreme measure for passing a simple urine test.
Reasons For Testing
A person may be asked to submit to a laboratory drug test for any one of a number of reasons. Insurance companies sometimes ask for them before issuing a life insurance policy. Students, probationers and parolees may all be asked to provide a sample for testing from time to time. Athletes in competitive sports are often required to take urine tests. Many employers require them prior to making an appointment or a promotion. There is only one sure way to be sure of passing one of these tests and that is to abstain completely, at least for the duration of its detection time.
Clearance Time
The drug detection time is defined as the length of time that a drug remains detectable via testing the urine. Some substances like cannabinoids (marijuana), steroids and phenobarbital (a long-acting barbiturate) may take as long as weeks or even months to clear the system. Tranquillizers in the benzodiazepine family (lorazepam, valium, etc.) can take a week or ten days. Amphetamines, cocaine, opiates and short-acting barbiturates may clear the system in less than a week.
Detox Drinks
There is a substantial market for personal drug tests so that casual drug users may monitor their levels. For those facing an impending drug test, it is possible to buy special ‘detox drinks’ over the Internet that act long enough to get through a test successfully. These may also be bought over the telephone or at special retailers.
Total Rehabilitation
Simply passing a urine test may be good enough for casual users who just want to keep their jobs and blow the odd joint over the weekend. For people with a serious addiction problem who want to put it behind them and get clean for good, a longer, more structured program of detoxification and rehabilitation may be in order. These focus on social, psychological and behavioral issues associated with addiction, as well as clearing the substance physically out of the system.
Residential Treatment
Residential crack cocaine addiction rehab programs are helpful because they isolate the patient from the social and environmental situations that trigger their drug using behaviors. They give residents a chance to develop confidence in establishing relationships with peers who do not use drugs. When the individual is released back into the community, a winning regime will offer treatment to follow up and keep the individual from relapsing into old, destructive habits.
