Detoxification (detox) can be defined as a period of treatment where an individual is helped to overcome their physical dependence on a substance. Detox is intended to relieve the physical symptoms of withdrawal and helps prepare the patient for entry into a treatment program or rehab center. The ultimate goal of detox is to prepare the patient for long term sobriety and recovery.
Alcohol detox can cause a variety of physical symptoms and psychological ramifications. The process of alcohol detox can be traumatic and can trigger any number of side effects including tremors (the shakes), headaches, vomiting, perspiration, restlessness, loss of appetite and insomnia. More serious effects of alcohol detox can be Delirium Tremors (DT's), autonomic hyperactivity and seizures (convulsions).
The time necessary for can be anywhere from 3 to 10 days. A variety of medications and procedures are used to detox a patient from alcohol.
Withdrawal from drugs is caused by stopping or dramatically reducing drug use after heavy and prolonged use. The reaction frequently includes sweating, shaking, headache, drug craving, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, inability to sleep, confusion, agitation, depression, anxiety, and other behavioral changes.
Often, there is a significant, self induced, psychological dependence associated with these substances and therefore, a period of initial stabilization followed by residential treatment is advisable. Treatment of withdrawal (detox) includes closely monitoring the person's vital signs, supportive care and medications. The time period for drug detox is generally 3 to 7 days.
Detox at Clearview
Clearview provides detoxification services in a safe, comfortable, home-like environment. Clients work with a medical doctor who specializes in detoxification methods.
Proper detoxification and minimization of acute and post acute withdrawal symptoms are essential to the treatment process and can greatly increase the likelihood of a client successfully completing treatment.
Clearview utilizes the latest detoxification techniques and medications depending on the patient's pattern of abuse. When appropriate, Subutex and Suboxone are utilized for opiate detoxification. Our goal is to make the patient as comfortable as possible during the detoxification process.
Clients are rigorously monitored and receive support and guidance from our trained staff while they are detoxed. Gradually, they begin to participate in therapeutic services.
Common substances that clients are detoxed from include:
?Alcohol ?Cocaine ?Heroin and other opiates such as Vicodin and Oxycotin ?Benzodiazapines such as Xanax and Valium ?Stimulants pills such as Aderal and Ritalin ?Methamphetamine and speed ?Marijuana ?Club drugs such as Ecstasy and GHB ?Muscle relaxers
Clearview offers everything that traditional provide, and more. While standard education, counseling, relapse prevention, and introduction to 12-Step Programs make up the entire curriculum at most other programs, at Clearview it's just a beginning.
Alaska's primary drug and alcohol detox center, part of the Salvation Army's Clitheroe Center in Anchorage, has closed due to lack of public funding. The loss to the local and statewide community is tragic, considering that Alaska has the highest percentage in the USA of people needing but not receiving treatment for substance abuse and dependence problems. And when one compares the cost of keeping the center open to the costs to the state of drug and alcohol abuse – $738 million in 2003 – it seems plainly short-sighted to sacrifice a drug and alcohol detox center.
Clitheroe Center is Alaska's largest comprehensive substance abuse treatment facility. Because of a shortage of state funding over the past 14 years, Clitheroe's drug and alcohol detox unit has shrunk from 20 beds, to 12, to eight – and now has reached zero. The center's drug rehab and other services, operating in the community for 30 years, will continue to be available. The closure only affects the vital drug and alcohol detox center, which treats emergency and other tough cases for which no alternatives exist.
"We could not staff it any longer with nurses," said Major Doug Tollerud of the Salvation Army. "The nursing shortage that has hit the nation has also hit Alaska and has also hit the Anchorage community." Tollerud says the state was giving the Salvation Army $870,000 every year – but the detox program costs more than a million dollars to run.
Dr. Marc Pellicciaro of Providence Hospital ER says a lot more people will be walking through their emergency room doors now that the doors to Clitheroe's detox program are closed. "We'll have to do some of the work in the emergency room ourselves, and then the rest of the community is going to have to take care of these folks as well," he said.
In 2004-2005, Alaska was among the top eight states for illicit drug dependence, and had the highest percentage in the nation of people aged 12 and older needing, but not receiving, treatment for illicit drug use, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
But that’s nothing compared to its alcohol problem. Alcohol has long been recognized as the state's number one behavioral health problem. Alcohol abuse and dependence in the state is at 14%, twice the national average. Back in 2002, there were 1,109 traffic crashes in Alaska attributed to alcohol and other drugs, and the estimated costs from these crashes were more than $35 million for legal costs, property damage, workplace costs and insurance. The cost of adult and child protective services attributed to alcohol and other drug abuse is estimated at $59 million. These costs include foster care services, adoption care services, residential care services, and social worker services.
It's well accepted that detox programs are a potent tool in helping return alcohol and drug abusers to a life of sobriety. With the country's worst alcohol abuse and near-worst drug abuse problems, Alaska’s inability to find funding for the Clitheroe Center is totally at odds with the need in the state for drug and alcohol detox.
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