Why Is Detox By Itself Not Enough For A Successful Recovery?

0:00Why is drug detox by itself not enough to treat addiction?

0:06I'm going to tell you.

0:07I'm Dr. Rodriguez from Healing Sky.

0:10I'm also the medical director of the Dalry Center for Healing, and today we're going

0:13to talk about why detox by itself is not enough to treat addiction.

0:20Detox is often the first step in the process of addiction treatment.

0:27Detox is used to break the usage cycle, to break the body's dependence on the drug.

0:34For example, coming off opioids, coming off alcohol, there is a very strong physical dependence.

0:41And coming off, the body gets very sick and it can be dangerous and at the very least

0:45extremely uncomfortable.

0:48So coming off requires medical assistance, usually in the form of a detox.

0:54This can be done as an inpatient in the hospital or a detox center or as an outpatient with

1:00proper professional guidance.

1:03And the detox process involves medications that facilitate coming off the drug or coming

1:08off the alcohol in a safe and more comfortable manner.

1:13When it is done, the body is then no longer physically dependent on the drug or the alcohol.

1:20Now this is a necessary first step in the treatment of addiction, but it is by no means

1:25the last step.

1:26It is by no means enough to just stop addiction, contrary to popular belief and contrary to

1:34wishful thinking.

1:36Addiction involves more than just a physical process.

1:41Detox only addresses the physical process, the physical hook that the addiction has on

1:47the body.

1:49Detox will remove the hook, but the mental part, the psychological part, the psychological

1:55dependence, the mental hook on the drug is still there.

1:59The drivers, the behavioral drivers, the responsiveness to visual cues, things that remind the person

2:07of the drugs or the alcohol will drive them to use again if they see them, if they are

2:12not prepared to handle them with the proper treatment.

2:16This is part of what treatment is for addiction.

2:18Treatment is you're preparing people to handle and process effectively these cues in the

2:25environment, the wrong people, the wrong places, the wrong things that remind you of the drugs

2:30or remind you of alcohol that will typically trigger you to use.

2:35These are things that must be addressed because otherwise a person will relapse even though

2:41they may have just completed a detox successfully.

2:45Again, detox is a part of treatment.

2:47It's the first step.

2:48It's by no means enough because it does not address the psychological factors.

2:53It does not address the changes in the brain that are often permanent following a drug

2:59dependence episode.

3:01You might remove the physical hook, but the mental hook remains there and it takes time

3:06through treatment to contain that mental hook, to reduce the psychological vulnerability,

3:13to relapse the psychological vulnerability, to exposure to the drugs or the situations

3:18that cause stress, that provoke anxiety, that would typically indirectly provoke a drug

3:24relapse.

3:26This is why treatment is so important beyond the detox phase.

3:29This is where therapy comes in.

3:31This is where group therapy, this is where NA, AA come in.

3:34This is where it helps to prevent people from going back.

3:37Very important.

3:39That's why detox by itself, although necessary, is not enough and does not constitute complete

3:46treatment.

3:47If you have completed detox, please follow through with the treatment that follows.

3:51At the very least, see a therapist, get a psychiatrist, preferably an addiction specialized

3:56psychiatrist.

3:57If not, go to an intensive outpatient program or better yet, a partial hospitalization program

4:04that can get you much more substantial care or if you need to, a residential program.

4:09If you need to be separated from your environment, but definitely seek the additional care that

4:13comes after detox.

4:14It is necessary in order for you to succeed and give yourself the best chance of making

4:21it for the long run.

4:23I hope you find this helpful.

4:26If you would like to find different treatment options, they are available here on Healing

4:29Sky.

4:30If you would like to receive treatment from me, you can find me at DelrayCentral.com.

4:36If you would like to learn more about addiction, relapse prevention, or other mental health

4:39topics, you can like, follow, and subscribe to my content here on Healing Sky and also

4:45you can look for my podcast launching in the fall of 2026.

4:50Thank you.