Inpatient detoxification is essential when a person is withdrawing from substance use considering there may be risks involved. In an inpatient detoxification facility in Lynn patients are closely watched for withdrawal symptoms that may cause health complications or even death in more serious cases. Someone suffering with alcoholism for instance would need to be closely monitored and likely given certain medications which would prevent delirium tremens and seizures. Benzodiazepine withdrawal is another example that can cause very similar symptoms, and doctors and medical staff in the inpatient detox center can ensure their safety.
There is not an exact protocol for each patient in detoxification, because of the unique differences that each person exhibits when entering detox. A person who is otherwise in good health may be in detox for 3 or 4 days and be discharged without much medical intervention, while another person may require intensive treatment and medical intervention for 7 to 10 days or more. Health safety is of the utmost concern, as well as a transition to treatment for patients who should to take part in an actual substance abuse rehabilitation facility once detox is finished. Many detox facilities work with drug treatment facilities to make this transition possible, due to the fact that detox is merely the first step in a much more comprehensive recovery plan for recovering addicts.