One Week Rapid Detox Centers

One-week rapid detox centers are substance abuse treatment facilities aimed at detoxifying drug dependent people in seven days. The procedure, called rapid opiate detox, was designed to be carried out in a hospital setting because use of anesthesia is part of the method. The drug naltrexone is used for opiate detox, but other addictive drugs call for different substances for detoxing purposes. For instance, a benzodiazepine would be used as well as anesthesia for detoxification from Valium, Xanax and other benzodiazepines. Members of the benzodiazepine family are used as anti-anxiety medications.

Seven Day Rapid Detox

• One-week rapid detox centers can be found in many states, and they all basically use the same procedure in detoxing drug dependent persons. The length of stay at these centers involves preparation for treatment (one day), the actual treatment (one day), recovery (one day) and aftercare treatment before the patient is discharged for further counseling and care (four days). Barring any complications from the detox procedure, the stay is one week.

  In addition to the one-week rapid detox centers that employ anesthesia in the procedure, there are also seven-day detox centers that can be considered rapid detox without the use of anesthesia. The protocol calls for Suboxone, or buprenorphine, a combination drug having a morphine-like substance, and naltrexone as a narcotic antagonist, incorporated into it. Over the course of three to seven days, the drug cocktail is administered in decreasing doses until the patient is weaned off the drug he was addicted to. However, the patient's withdrawals are usually more intense than had he gone through the anesthesia-assisted detox procedure.

Pre-treatment

• Before detoxification, the patient is brought in 24 hours before the procedure, and thorough physical and psychological diagnostic tests are done. These tests determine the patient's health and if any pre-existing medical conditions need to be addressed. In that case, other physicians are consulted and the patient treated if necessary. The patient is then given nutritional and hormonal supplements to ensure the process runs smoothly. Upon completion of this stage, which can last between 24 and 48 hours, the patient is ready for the actual detox procedure, preferably in a hospital setting.

  At this point, the patient is prepped for the rapid detox procedure. The method is typically done in an intensive care unit, and it lasts approximately 1½ hours depending on the patient's dependence.

Treatment

• The rapid detox procedure uses anesthesia and naltrexone (for opiate dependency) to carry the patient through the withdrawal process while sleeping. Under anesthesia, the patient does not feel any withdrawal symptoms as the naltrexone flushes opiates from the body. The procedure is done in approximately 1½ hours. For benzodiazepine addiction, the procedure takes a little longer because of the nature of the drug.

  When completed, the patient is monitored for 24 more hours in recovery, then moved to the next phase of treatment, which is aftercare. Any medical issues will have been addressed at this stage and referrals made to outside physicians if needed.

Aftercare

• During this phase of treatment, the patient is further evaluated by psychologists and drug abuse counselors, and a treatment plan is drawn up. The patient will be referred to some type of outpatient counseling or Narcotics Anonymous/Alcoholic's Anonymous meetings to address the reasons for his addiction. If there are any concomitant mental health issues, the patient might be referred for treatment in that area of concern. It is at this stage that the patient is ready to return home and begin the road to recovery.

  Once home, the person will have a treatment plan in place where he attends counseling sessions, self-help groups and the like.

One Week Rapid Detox Centers

• These treatment centers are located across the United States. However, not all of them perform the procedure in a hospital setting. Having the rapid detox procedure done outside of a hospital is risky at best, and you should avoid those not performed in one.

  For information on where to find these one-week rapid detox centers, not all taking place in hospitals, you can go to fact-find.com for their centers. You can also access the Waismann Institute for their one-week rapid detox program, which is performed in a hospital setting. They are located in Beverly Hills, Calif. In addition, you can look up "rapid detox centers," "rapid opiate detox" or "Waismann Method" and include your state name in the search engine box to pull up local rapid detox treatment centers. For the location of buprenorphine-assisted detox centers that have seven-day detox protocols, search online for "Suboxone detox" or "buprenorphine detox" and include your state for local listings.

  None of this information should be construed as medical advice. Before making any decision about rapid detoxification from drugs using any method, please consult with your doctor or other qualified health-care professionals.