Inpatient detoxification is suggested when an individual is withdrawing from drugs or alcohol because withdrawal can be dangerous. In an inpatient detoxification setting in Day individuals are closely observed for symptoms of drug or alcohol withdrawal which could cause health complications or even death in more severe cases. a person struggling with alcoholism for instance will need to be closely monitored and likely given specific prescription drugs that works to prevent seizures and delirium tremens. Benzodiazepine withdrawal is another type of drug that may bring about very similar symptoms, and nurses and doctors in the inpatient detoxification center can ensure their safety.
There isn't an exact process for each patient in detox, because of the unique differences that each person exhibits when arriving to the detoxification facility. Someone who is basically physically and mentally healthy may undergo detox for 3 or 4 days and be discharged without much medical intervention, while another patient may require comprehensive oversight and intervention for 7 to 10 days or more. Health safety is of the utmost concern, as well as a transition to a rehabilitation facility for patients who need to attend an actual substance abuse recovery program once detox is complete. Many detoxification facilities work with drug treatment programs to make this transition possible, since detoxification is merely the first step in a much more comprehensive rehabilitation plan for recovering addicts.