Drug detox is the process of eliminating a body’s physical dependence on a substance. It is the first step in any substance abuse recovery program. Numerous facilities across the United States specialize in men’s detox programs. A great example of a single-gender detox program is at Georgia Addiction Treatment Center. Men’s detox centers provide unique, gender-specific care that makes it more likely for participants to get and stay sober.
Learn more about men’s drug and alcohol detox.
It may be an old cliche that men and women are completely different. That doesn’t always hold up. But there are a few differences when it comes to male and female experiences with substance abuse.
For one, males are more likely to experience substance abuse in the first place. In addition, a key reason for male substance abuse is peer pressure. That is especially true among teens and young adults. Notably, relapse rates between males and females are largely consistent.
Another thing to keep in mind is that men experience more overdose fatalities than women. This stems in part from men more often abusing multiple drugs simultaneously. Lastly, one co-occurring disorder that is more common in men is the pairing of substance abuse with an antisocial personality disorder.
Men’s drug and alcohol detox is tailored to male-specific concerns and is generally led by male practitioners. Most men’s detox centers are equipped to treat a range of addictions, including alcohol, heroin, and opioids.
Men’s detox programs offer many benefits. They include:
Detox is the first step in achieving sobriety. It should be followed by ongoing inpatient or outpatient treatment somewhere like Amatus Recovery Centers. In addition, detox looks different depending on the addiction in question. As an example, the next section explores alcohol detox in-depth to give you an idea of what to expect at a men’s detox center.
Detox is a necessary initial step in pursuing sobriety because it eliminates the body’s physical dependence on a substance. Alcohol detox is accompanied by symptoms that range from mild to intense, including:
Alcohol detox is best completed under medical supervision to ensure patient safety and to alleviate the experience of symptoms. For most people, symptoms peak in the first few days and taper off after the first week. This means most alcohol detox timelines are short.
The majority of detox programs offer clients a direct transition into inpatient or outpatient treatment that can last anywhere from weeks to months depending on an addiction’s severity and whether or not there is an underlying mental health condition.
The high rates of co-occurring disorders during addiction treatment means high-quality men’s detox centers have developed dual diagnosis programs. As mentioned earlier, men with substance abuse issues commonly develop an antisocial personality disorder. Another common set of co-occurring disorders is depression and alcoholism.
Co-occurring disorders are caused by a variety of factors such as genetic influences, environmental factors, and histories of trauma. The unfortunate truth is that many co-occurring disorders result from a tendency to self-medicate in response to difficult circumstances. For instance, people struggling with depression may turn to alcohol to alleviate depressive symptoms. Or else the damage to someone’s lifestyle caused by an alcohol abuse disorder could cause the development of a mood disorder.
Georgia Addiction Treatment Center is a prime example of a men’s detox center that elevates the importance of dual diagnosis treatment and provides comprehensive services that aim for holistic recovery.
Find out more about men’s drug and alcohol detox programs.