Don’t Think About Quitting Drugs Cold Turkey

Stopping your drug use abruptly and usually on your own is called quitting drugs cold turkey. Many people think that substance abuse is simply a matter of willpower, and attempting to cease using drugs or alcohol cold turkey is one dangerous way; this erroneous belief leads to many health and safety risks.

In particular, benzos and opiates provide particular danger when suddenly ending drug use. To prevent extreme withdrawal symptoms, relapse overdose, and other problems, you need help at a quality detox. After detox, rehab treatment provides your only clear path to lasting recovery. WIthin professional, medically supervised detox, many people can take advantage of medication-assisted treatment or MAT. This approach uses strictly administered medications to help reduce cravings and make the detoxing process less painful. At Beaches Recovery, we can guide you through the process and show you how to find the right support for you or your loved one.

Why People Consider Quitting Drugs Cold Turkey

Quitting drugs cold turkey sounds like a fast way to get through withdrawal and get it behind you. Many people think going cold turkey is more accessible than trying to step down their dose, bit by bit over time. Others believe it costs less quitting drugs cold turkey than going to a quality detox and rehab.

But this method of ending substance abuse rarely works. Instead, you risk deadly complications of withdrawal. You also go through highly uncomfortable and possibly fatal symptoms that a licensed detox makes more comfortable to bear. Your health and financial costs of attempting cold turkey likely outweigh just doing it right and going through detox and rehab the first time.

Risks of Going Cold Turkey

Quitting cold turkey brings many risks. Your central nervous system suffers a shock after changing how it functioned with the drugs you abused. This leads to severe, often life-threatening medical problems. You can experience a heart attack, dehydration, seizures, coma, and possibly death.

Of course, your most significant and most immediate risk of cold turkey is relapse. Just abandoning the drugs your body and brain need to function means risking going back to them when the going gets tough during home withdrawal. After the drugs partially clear your system during detox, a relapse often brings overdose and death.

Another major risk few consider when going cold turkey is suicide. Some drugs like cocaine bring the possibility of suicidal thoughts during withdrawal. For these negative thoughts, you need ongoing, professional help and support during detox. Without that support, giving in to your dark thoughts becomes easier than you might expect.

Medically Supervised Detox Is Safest

Medical detox in a licensed detox center always proves safer than home detox. There is no debating this truth, especially when quitting benzos, alcohol, or opiates. In medically supervised detox, you gain medication-assisted treatment to lessen your withdrawal symptoms. You also receive support, comfort, hydration, and nutrition from caring and well-trained staff.

Finding the right medically supervised detox is not tricky. You merely need an accredited program, one with rehab starting immediately upon completion of your detox. Here at Beaches Recovery, we offer several different addiction treatment programs like:

• Residential treatment
• Partial hospitalization program (PHP)
• Intensive outpatient program (PHP)
• Outpatient treatment

Across all these programs, individuals will receive therapy suited to their individual needs ranging from holistic healing methods like:

• Yoga therapy
• Meditation and mindfulness training
• Nutrition therapy
• Experiential therapy

to traditional talk therapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT, and EMDR therapy. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, Beaches Recovery provides addiction treatment services through accredited rehab programs and detox at Tides Edge. Call Beaches Recovery now at 866.605.0532 to learn more about better methods than quitting drugs cold turkey. This is where your new life begins.