Managing The Emotional Side Of Detox

How To Handle Intense Emotions During Detox

If you have tried to quit drinking or using drugs before, you know how painful it can be physically and psychologically. Sometimes, the emotions experienced during detox can be worse than physical symptoms.

Detox occurs as part of withdrawal, which is when all the toxins in your body are leaving your system. Since your body is dependent on the substances, notable symptoms appear, like changes in brain chemicals that cause emotions to fluctuate.

It is crucial to reach out for support no matter how intense your withdrawal symptoms. You have many options, like working with a licensed treatment professional one-on-one, attending support groups, participating in an outpatient detox program, or entering an inpatient detox program.

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What To Expect In Detox

The first thing to know about detox is that your treatment team will do everything possible to make your experience comfortable. The withdrawal process is different for everyone due to many factors, including gender, metabolism, the type of substance being detoxed, the amount, and the length of the substance use disorder. However, many people experience specific emotions during detox, and it’s helpful to know how to handle them if they appear.

Psychological Withdrawal Symptoms

From the first time they enter your system, drugs and alcohol change how the chemicals in the brain function. They increase dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine levels so you can feel relaxed, calm, and euphoric. The problem is that they release them at much higher levels than the brain does naturally. So, when the substances leave the body, the brain chemicals crash, typically a lot more intensely than a natural crash.

The emotional lows can be just as extreme as the highs, interfering with how you function at work, home, school, and socially. Some of the most common psychological withdrawal symptoms include depression, anxiety, and cravings.

Depression

Depression is a mood disorder caused by lower levels of brain chemicals like serotonin. You may experience one or more of the following:

• Sadness
• Emptiness
• Fatigue
• Aches and pains
• Crying or being tearful
• Lack of interest in activities

For some people going through the emotional side effects of detox, the symptoms are often more severe in the beginning but ease as detox continues. Others may find they have an underlying depressive disorder that must be treated using antidepressants. It is essential to work with your treatment team so that these depression symptoms do not become a trigger for relapse.

Anxiety

If you are experiencing anxiety, you are not alone. Psychological symptoms of anxiety are commonly reported by people going through detox. You may experience any of the following:

• Fear of losing control
• Fear of injury
• Fear of death
• Nightmares or flashbacks
• Fear of what others think
• Fear of having a panic attack
• Concentration and memory problems
• Wanting to detach

Many people start using drugs or alcohol to cope with anxiety-related feelings, as they find these substances help ease the pain of their experience.

When going through detox, these thoughts and feelings come back. However, in treatment, learning how to cope with thoughts and feelings makes it easier. For example, coping includes managing detox emotions using mindfulness techniques, behavioral therapies, and trauma-specific therapies. Therapists help you deal with the trauma so you can move forward.

Cravings

Drug and alcohol misuse changes how the brain functions. It gets high when you consume a substance, but when the substance leaves the body, it gets low and produces painful effects. One of those effects is a craving to use again. The brain wants to feel high again, and it will cause you to think obsessively about how to get the substance and use it. It will convince you that this next time will be the last, but it won’t be because the cycle is repetitive.

Fortunately, treatment teams in a detox center can help ease the cravings with medications and therapies so you can have a clear mind to focus on recovery.

How To Handle The Emotional Rollercoaster

The ups and downs of detox happen to everyone, but the intensity may vary. The best way to handle the emotional rollercoaster of detox is to connect with peers and professionals who understand what you are experiencing. Knowing you are not alone, accepting medication assistance if needed, and learning ways to manage detox emotions are critical to your mental health during detoxification. Also, remember that the emotional side effects of detox are temporary, usually easing in intensity within a week. During detox, you will have support the whole way through the program.

Tips For Coping With Intense Emotions During Detox

You can do several things to cope with intense emotions during detox, and therapists will be there to teach you how to do them correctly. The more you practice self-care and techniques like those listed below, the more you can cope with emotions during detox. You will become more confident in implementing new skills to regulate emotions, such as:

• Meditation
• Deep breathing
• Journaling
• Talking with a friend or counselor
• Exercising
• Relaxation techniques
• Visualization techniques

How A Treatment Team Can Help

Treatment teams typically include healthcare providers, nurses, technicians, licensed therapists, and aftercare consultants who are there to provide you with nonjudgmental, comprehensive care. They aim to help you completely recover. They work with you to determine your needs and preferences when creating a plan of action to help you maintain long-term recovery. If you are having painful withdrawal symptoms, they may recommend medication assistance so you can feel more comfortable.

Healthcare providers and nurses ensure you are okay and stable throughout the day and night if you enter inpatient detox. In outpatient detox, you may meet with medical staff at least once a week. The goal is to monitor your vital signs and treat uncomfortable symptoms. Prescribing antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications may be part of your plan, especially if you have underlying depression or anxiety.

Treatment medications used to curb cravings for drugs or alcohol include the following:

• Acamprosate for alcohol withdrawal
• Disulfiram for alcohol withdrawal
• Naltrexone for alcohol or opioid withdrawal
• Buprenorphine for opioid withdrawal
• Methadone for opioid withdrawal

Licensed therapists provide support throughout your treatment. They help you process your emotions, determine why you have certain emotions, and properly create a plan to cope with negative emotions using behavioral therapies, including:

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Find A Detox Center

A detox center considers physical and psychological symptoms a natural part of the detox process and offers integrated therapies so you don’t suffer the discomfort or risk of withdrawal. By easing withdrawal symptoms with medication and counseling, you can stabilize and quickly begin learning new recovery skills to help handle your emotions during detox and avoid relapse.

If you are ready to explore your treatment options, contact a treatment provider today to get started.