How to Find the Best Detoxes in Massachusetts

by Northstar | Dec 8, 2022 | Recovery

Detoxing can be one of the hardest yet most crucial parts of beginning your recovery from drugs and alcohol in Massachusetts. Many avoid this step for far too long because they dread what it might feel like and choose to continue using substances instead. However, with the right care and help, detoxing doesn’t have to be the thing that stands between you and a happier, sober life. 

If you’re wondering how to find the best detoxes in Massachusetts and you’re ready to get help, you can turn to Northstar Recovery Center to begin your journey. Northstar’s most intensive program, the partial hospitalization program (PHP), or one of its other programs, could be the perfect option for you. 

What Does Detoxing from Drugs and Alcohol in Massachusetts Involve?

Every addict and person suffering from substance abuse must get the treatment they need as an individual. Something helpful, even vital, to one person’s recovery may have no effect or an unhelpful effect on somebody else. Detoxing is no different. Still, even though experiences can vary, it can help to know what your body might go through so you’ll better understand what to expect. 

Detoxing can take up to a few weeks, depending on several factors. If you want to try to anticipate what it might be like for you, consider the following: 

• How long have you been addicted?
• What substance were you addicted to?
• What was your method of use?
• How much of the substance did you regularly take? 
• Do you have any other medical conditions or family history?

The answers to these questions can all affect what your detox experience is like and how much help you might require to go through it safely. Before beginning your detox, you’ll be evaluated by a trained, professional staff who will work with you to get you stabilized and ready to enter treatment. What that requires will depend on what works best for you – a critical part of the evaluation. 

Can You Detox from Drugs and Alcohol in Massachusetts Alone?

It’s important that you not try to detox from drugs and alcohol by yourself, especially if you have heavily used a substance or your dependency or addiction has been going on for a long time. It might be tempting to go “cold turkey,” as people say, but doing so can lead to medical issues you can’t resolve on your own. Medical detox is the safest way to protect yourself and your body as you separate yourself from whatever type of substance or alcohol has been in your system. Few substances don’t run the risk of producing potentially severe withdrawal symptoms, and that isn’t a chance you want to take just when you’re trying to get better. 

Below, you’ll see some of the possible severe side effects of detoxing alone and without care. This may help to understand why it’s best and most safely done under the supervision of a trained medical team and professional help. While detoxing, you may experience: 

• Seizures
• Delirium
• High blood pressure
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Vomiting and aspiration

Not every substance produces these side effects and not every person will experience them, but the risk just isn’t worth it when help is available. There are ways to detox from substance abuse safely. It may not eliminate all the more common symptoms, but it can protect you from the more severe ones listed above. 

Does Detoxing Require Inpatient Care? 

Some people may avoid beginning the process of detox or recovery in general because they can’t step away from their lives and dedicate all their time to it. Fortunately, a medically assisted detox does not have to occur exclusively in inpatient treatment. Programs available will have you in treatment for several or a few hours a day with different levels of monitoring and assistance. 

Detoxing and recovery are not “one-size-fits-all”. People can (and do) successfully and safely detox with PHP or IOP treatment options. It’s all about working with your team to determine what suits you, your needs, and your path toward wellness. The most important thing is that you take that first step and seek help. 

What Happens After Detox?

A detox may happen in conjunction with other therapy and treatment options when people can participate. Regardless, once the process is complete, you’ll start participating in other aspects of your program. That will likely include addiction treatment therapy – individual therapy, group therapy, trauma therapy, or whatever combination is most helpful to you. Detox is a major hurdle for so many people, and once it’s over they’re able to begin healing and learning how to build a new life. 

Conclusion

If you or someone you love has problems with substance use, finding the best detox in Massachusetts can be what helps turn over a new leaf at last. Work with the team at Northstar Recovery Center to develop a plan for a safe detox and recovery so you can move forward on your path toward sobriety. 

Getting Help With Alcohol Near Brookline, MA

by Northstar | Dec 4, 2022 | Recovery

Alcohol dependency can be difficult to identify for some people, even as they are battling with it. It isn’t always easy to know that you’ve crossed a line from casual drinking into a dependency or addiction. It can be even harder to accept when you’re struggling with a socially acceptable substance like alcohol. If you drink regularly or heavily, it’s time to start evaluating yourself and accept that it’s time to get help with alcohol near Brookline, MA.

Signs of Alcohol Dependency & Abuse

It’s estimated that around 14.5 million people suffer from alcohol use disorder (AUD). Some may show only mild symptoms, but the severity of symptoms does not always indicate the damage being done or how destructive the dependency will end up being for that person. Here are some of the most common signs to look for, but please note that not every person will display all of these, and not having all of them does not mean you shouldn’t seek help.

• Drinking alone or drinking in secret
• Having the desire to cut back on drinking but being unable to do so
• Feeling a strong craving for alcohol
• Mood swings and irritability
• Finding reasons or excuses to drink (to relax, to handle stress, etc.)
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms (shaking, sweating, nausea) when not drinking
• Failure to honor commitments or responsibilities because of your drinking
• Developing a higher tolerance to alcohol, so you drink more to get the effects still

These are only a handful of the commonly seen symptoms of alcohol dependency. It is not a comprehensive list, and some people will have symptoms not written here. It can also be hard to realize that some of these symptoms are caused by alcohol, so it’s important not to dismiss them as something else if you’ve been experiencing them. 

How Much Alcohol Is Too Much? 

Another reason it can be difficult for some people to realize they need help with alcohol is that there is no easy answer to “how much is too much” when it comes to drinking. Some people may drink heavily occasionally and never develop a dependency, while others who consume less have a genuine addiction. 

People tend to progress through stages of drinking that often lead to dependency or addiction. What begins as binge drinking at parties can progress to problem drinking, when a person starts to experience the actual effects of alcohol abuse and continue to dependency, addiction, and alcoholism. 

There is no magic number of drinks that can cause this. The effect alcohol determines it has on a person’s body, mind, and life. It’s important not to evaluate your experience based on someone else’s, as your journey and your relationship with alcohol are unique. Generally speaking, alcohol addiction does have specific symptoms associated with it, including those listed above. 

Long-Term Effects of Alcohol Use in Brookline, MA

Alcohol abuse begins young for some people. They may even begin drinking in childhood, which makes it especially difficult to grasp the severity of the long-term health effects it can have. The truth is that abusing alcohol can and does kill people. Alcohol abuse can have terrible effects on your body and mind. These can include, but aren’t limited to:

• Worsening mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression
• Liver disease
• Heart disease and stroke
• High blood pressure
• Problems with memory, like dementia
• A weakened immune system
• Higher risk for several types of cancer

What might begin as a way to have fun on weekends can ultimately be the same thing that begins breaking your body down. If your alcohol use spirals out of control, it wreaks havoc on many important systems within your body. But, in addition to what it does to you physically, it can separate you from the people you love and who love you. Even those with a robust support system can find themselves pulling away. Those struggling with alcohol, or any addiction, often feel isolated and go on to further distance themselves from important people in their lives. 

Social problems, whether they’re problems with your family, friends, or loved ones, or issues with your job, can feel as debilitating as the physical symptoms you might show.

Conclusion

Did any of this strike a chord with you? Does it feel familiar, or as if it applies to your life or the life of someone you care about? If so, it’s time to seek treatment. Getting help with alcohol near Brookline, MA, is the right answer. Seek out a treatment center or program like you’ll find at Northstar Recovery Center. You don’t have to let alcohol rule your life any longer − there are ways to get on the road to recovery and begin healing.