The Best Drug Detox Benefits for Your Body

Published On: January 11, 20224.4 min read884 wordsCategories: Detox

The first step in recovery from any substance is detox. While detox itself can be grueling, it’s inevitable in the process of getting sober. Don’t let your hesitations and fear about detox get in your way, though.

When you decide to detox from drugs, you’ll likely hear all about the physical pain and emotional torment of those first few days. What most people don’t share are all the ways you’ll start to feel new again. 

The aim of this article is to educate you on both the woes and the perks of drug detox, and one thing is clear: the pros far outweigh the cons.

What happens in detox

Detox is the transition to a system without substances. After your last use of a drug, within hours or days you’ll start to feel withdrawal symptoms. These range from muscle soreness and headaches, to nausea and racing thoughts.

These symptoms happen because your body is so accustomed to ingesting drugs, that a sudden cessation of one or multiple substances is a shock to your system. Your body will eventually flush out the remaining toxins and adjust back to normal functioning, but it may take days, weeks or even months.

Drug detox benefits for the body

When you start to get clean from drugs and alcohol, many changes happen in the body. The exact path of your recovery will depend on the length and severity of your addiction, as well as genetic factors (like metabolism). 

Though each recovery is unique you can surely expect the following drug detox benefits for your body:

The immune system is responsible for fighting off disease and maintaining healthy organ functioning. The toxic effect of drugs and alcohol weaken the body’s ability to protect itself. Breaking free from an addiction can help you to restore immune health.

  • Benefits Cardiovascular Health: Drugs travel through a person’s body and brain through blood, so it’s no wonder the organ that pumps it around will be affected. 

There are severe consequences for heart health when an addiction is present, such as arrhythmias, decreased heart rate, rapid heart rate and hypotension, according to the medical journal, The BMJ. Drug detox can get your heart back to optimal health.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, some drugs can also cause severe sleep deprivation, which leads to a host of additional issues. Moreover, the lifestyle that often accompanies addiction may mean strange awake hours and cravings that prevent deep or adequate sleep.

You’ll want to nip sleep issues in the bud by starting detox as soon as possible. A detox facility can help you get back on track with a regular sleep schedule, too. Since sleep helps to regulate mood, you’ll be feeling better in no time.

  • Improved Liver Health: The liver has many purposes, including metabolizing fat, assisting in digestion, regulating blood sugar and breaking down protein into energy. The liver also removes toxins from the bloodstream, including drugs and alcohol.

The liver plays a key role in helping your body expel and heal from drug use, but this process takes a toll. When the liver is overworked, inflammation of the liver, cirrhosis, liver disease and more are all possible consequences. Stopping an addiction in its tracks is the safest bet when it comes to your liver.

  • Brain Health: Drug use affects the chemical makeup of the brain. Dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline, cortisol and other important neurotransmitters will operate abnormally, and not to your benefit.

When you start a detox program, your brain will start to retrain itself to experience these chemicals in a natural way again, chipping away at the tolerance you’ve built up. Neurological processes, like decision-making, regulating behavior, memory and learning will no longer be influenced by drugs.

The process of detoxing is more than just getting over your addiction, it’s about getting your mind and body back on track. 

It’s more than just the physical benefits

When you decide to start a detox program and overcome those first few days of withdrawal, you’ll start to feel better in multiple different ways. Not only will your body benefit from drug detox, you’ll also have better mental health and experience improved relationships.

Your whole life will come together again. It won’t happen overnight, but within a year of sobriety you’ll feel like a completely new person, with plenty of hope about your future.

Escaping the clutches of a drug addiction isn’t easy, but it’s well worth the hard effort you’ll put in. Freedom Detox can support you on the hardest days of recovery. Find detox programs specifically catered to different substances so you’ll know you’re getting the best help available. Call Freedom Detox today to get started.

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