The main difference between detox and withdrawal is that detox is the process of clearing drugs from the system, whereas withdrawal refers to the physical and psychological symptoms people dependent on drugs experience while going through the detox process.
Although often used interchangeably, “detox” and “withdrawal” describe different dependence treatment aspects.
Read along to gain a deeper understanding of the differences between detox and withdrawal and learn about their risks.
What Is Drug Detoxification?
Drug detoxification—or simply detox—is the process of eliminating drugs from the system. It encompasses a variety of methods of clearing substances out of the body, including:
- Natural detox refers to the dangerous practice of detoxing from drugs naturally, i.e., without medications. It typically takes place at home, without any medical supervision. While natural detox may involve herbal remedies or other non-medical treatments, it can lead to particularly severe withdrawal symptoms, amplifying the risk of complications and relapse.
- Medical detox aims to make the detox process as comfortable and safe as possible by placing the patient under medical supervision. In most cases, this type of detox also involves medications that ease drug withdrawal symptoms. Medical detox can be carried out either in inpatient or outpatient settings.
- Rapid detox, also known as ultra-rapid detox, combines anesthesia with medications to trigger withdrawals and swiftly flush out drugs—typically opioids—from the system.
While there are drug detox programs for all types of substances that cause dependence and addiction, including alcohol and antidepressants, drug detoxification is very common among people struggling with opioid use disorder (OUD).
A study by researchers from Duke University Medical Center found that 75% of patients undergoing inpatient drug detox treatment are diagnosed with OUD.
Although drug detoxification is widely regarded as the first step to treating OUD and other substance use disorders (SUDs), it is far from a comprehensive treatment. It merely allows the body to clear substances or facilitates this process with medications.
What Are Withdrawals?
Withdrawals are uncomfortable physical and psychological symptoms people experience after quitting drugs they’re dependent on or reducing the dosage. Depending on the drug taken, the extent of drug use, and other individual factors, these symptoms can range from mild to potentially life-threatening. They may also last anywhere between several days to several weeks.
Any drug with the potential to cause dependence and addiction can trigger withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation. This is because prolonged use of such substances alters brain chemistry.
For instance, repeated exposure to opioids like oxycodone disrupts the natural production of endorphins and causes the brain to create more opioid receptors, leading to tolerance.
Tolerance is a sign of physical dependence. Once you become dependent on opioids, you’ll have to take them to function normally. Otherwise, you’ll experience opioid withdrawal symptoms, such as:
- Anxiety
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Sweating
- Headache
- Depression
- Opioid cravings
- Sleep disturbances
- Muscle and joint pain
- Flu-like symptoms, such as runny nose and fever
Acute withdrawal from opioids typically lasts a week or two, but some people continue to suffer from depression, cravings, and other withdrawal symptoms for months and even years. This is known as post-acute withdrawal syndrome, which is one of the reasons why opioid withdrawal treatment at home is not recommended under any circumstances.
Furthermore, detoxing from opioids without medical supervision may lead to complications that could endanger your life, such as electrolyte loss, dehydration, and suicidal ideation. Complications can occur with all types of drug withdrawal; withdrawing from alcohol, for example, can cause seizures, hallucinations, and delirium.
Now that we’ve reviewed the basics, let’s discover the difference between detox and withdrawal.
Understanding the Difference Between Detox and Withdrawal
The key difference between detox and withdrawal is that detox is the process of removing drugs from the body, whereas withdrawal is a set of symptoms that occur as drugs leave the system.
Here’s a more detailed overview of the differences between detox and withdrawal:
Difference Between Detox and Withdrawal: Definition
As previously mentioned, detox is a process during which the body rids itself of drugs. Meanwhile, withdrawal is a symptom of physical dependence that becomes most noticeable during the detox process.
Simply put, opioids and other drugs disrupt the neurochemical equilibrium, causing dependence. As they leave your system, your body attempts to adjust to their absence, triggering withdrawal symptoms.
Even if you detox from drugs under medical supervision, you will still experience uncomfortable—and often painful—symptoms. Drug detox programs may offer interventions, such as medications, to ease them and help your body flush drugs out more safely.
Unfortunately, what most patients aren’t aware of is that many of these medications (e.g., benzodiazepines used to manage anxiety) also have addictive properties. Therefore, they can also induce withdrawal symptoms once discontinued.
Difference Between Detox and Withdrawal: Timeline
When it comes to the detox vs. withdrawal timeline, there are three key factors to consider: the type of drug used, the extent of its use, and the detox method. Generally speaking, the longer and more frequently you’ve been taking the drug, the longer your withdrawal symptoms may last. Dosage can also affect the withdrawal timeline.
While acute withdrawal from most drugs lasts 1–2 weeks, certain detox methods may condense it into days or even hours.
For example, rapid opiate detoxification compresses the opioid withdrawal timeline into several hours; some centers even promise to treat opioid dependence within 24 hours, though they rarely, if ever, deliver lasting results.
Faster doesn’t always mean better, especially in regards to detox. Researchers from Towson University found that extended buprenorphine detoxification leads to higher patient engagement and is more likely to result in successful detox completion and transition to longer-term treatment than brief buprenorphine detox.
Difference Between Detox and Withdrawal: Treatment Focus
Detox treatments focus on wiping the drug out of the system and managing withdrawal symptoms. However, these symptoms do not repair the chemical imbalance caused by prolonged drug use.
When it comes to OUD, clearing opioids from the system and managing opioid withdrawal symptoms isn’t nearly enough to guarantee a sober life or eliminate the risk of relapse.
Difference Between Detox and Withdrawal: Effects
Both detox and withdrawal are associated with physical and psychological effects, as withdrawal is, essentially, a by-product of detoxification. The fear of withdrawal alone often stops people from seeking help for drug dependence.
Although withdrawal symptoms vary depending on the drug taken, the acute drug withdrawal phase tends to manifest in uncomfortable physical symptoms. These include nausea, vomiting, sweating, body aches, and so on. Drug detox programs often administer medications or utilize other medical interventions to manage the body’s immediate response to the drug.
However, once the drug leaves the body and the acute phase is over, it’s quite common for psychological symptoms to emerge or intensify. Tragically, many patients leave detox facilities struggling with overwhelming cravings, crippling depression, and other distressing long-term withdrawal symptoms.
Now that you know more about the differences between detox and withdrawal, let’s discuss the challenges and risks of traditional detox approaches.
3 Major Challenges and Risks of Traditional Detox and Withdrawal Approaches
The three major challenges and risks of traditional detox and withdrawal approaches are prolonged discomfort, high relapse rates, and failure to address the root of dependence.
Let’s examine each of these risks of rapid detox and other traditional detox methods in greater detail:
#1. Prolonged Discomfort
Regardless of the detox method you choose, you will have to go through withdrawals, which can be rather lengthy and uncomfortable. While many detox programs aim to reduce discomfort, they do not eliminate withdrawal symptoms. Because of this, many patients end up dropping out of treatment.
Some approaches, such as rapid detox from opioids, may sound appealing due to their short duration, but they can still lead to severe withdrawals.
Such treatments also put your body through immense stress. This, coupled with their one-size-fits-all approach, enhances the risk of life-threatening complications, such as suicidal ideation, electrolyte abnormalities, cardiac arrhythmia, and pulmonary edema.
#2. High Risk of Relapse
It’s not uncommon for the physical discomfort and psychological distress experienced during—and often after—detox treatments to drive patients back to substance use and abuse. Relapse after detox isn’t a mere setback on your recovery journey; it is perilous due to the high risk of overdose.
Detoxing from opioids (or other drugs) lowers your tolerance. In case of relapse, even your usual dose can be powerful enough to suppress your breathing and cause an opioid overdose. Without prompt medical help, drug overdoses can be fatal.
Statistically, detox treatments more often lead to relapse than successful recovery. Researchers from Semnan University of Medical Sciences found that as many as 75% of patients relapse within a month after undergoing ultra-rapid opiate detoxification.
#3. Limited Addressing of Root Causes
Detox treatments only manage the symptoms of dependence, yet they fail to address its underlying causes. Because of this, detox is anything but a comprehensive opioid addiction treatment. Even when combined with long-term support, such as counseling, the neurochemical causes of dependence remain unaddressed.
Therefore, detox does not actually treat opioid or other drug dependence; it only rids the body of substances. Since it does not restore normal brain function, it does not negate withdrawal symptoms, including cravings, which increases the risk of relapse.
Introducing Accelerated Neuro-Regulation for Opioid Dependency
Accelerated Neuro-Regulation (ANR) is a revolutionary opioid dependence treatment that has supported nearly 25,000 people worldwide in achieving long-lasting recovery safely, quickly, and painlessly.
Developed by Dr. Andre Waismann, ANR stands out from other opioid treatment programs as the first and only method that tackles the deep-rooted causes of opioid dependence.
The therapeutic goal of ANR treatment is encoded in its name. It addresses the neurobiological causes of opioid dependence by re-regulating the endorphin-receptor system to its original state. Since the treatment is performed under sedation, patients don’t experience the discomfort of going through active opioid withdrawals, negating the chance of dropouts.
A high success rate isn’t the only advantage ANR has over rapid detox and other traditional treatments. Even more importantly, ANR is very safe, even for those with co-occurring medical conditions, as it is tailored to each patient’s medical history and needs.
Furthermore, ANR treatment is carried out by a team of highly experienced board-certified healthcare professionals in an ICU setting of fully accredited hospitals with state-of-the-art medical equipment.
ANR: Aftercare and Long-Term Support
ANR supports long-term recovery from opioid dependence by addressing the root of opioid dependence, thereby eradicating the risk of relapse. After completing the treatment, you can forget about the fear of persistent cravings and other withdrawal symptoms. To ensure lifelong success, the ANR team will help you optimize your endorphin-receptor system.
Furthermore, ANR is a comprehensive approach to treating opioid dependence. Therefore, it doesn’t require you to rely on opioid-replacement medications, such as methadone, or seek follow-up counseling. ANR can help you get off opioids once and for all in a matter of days.
Ready to reclaim your life from opioid dependence? Contact us today to schedule your free, 100% confidential consultation!
Key Takeaways
Hopefully, you found this article helpful in clarifying the difference between detox and withdrawal.
Let’s summarize what we covered today:
- Detoxification is the process of removing drugs from the system, whereas withdrawal is a sign of drug dependence encompassing the symptoms experienced during the detox process.
- Detox only manages withdrawal symptoms, but it doesn’t address the root of dependence, which is why it often leads to lingering withdrawal symptoms and relapse.
- ANR is the only opioid dependence treatment that addresses the underlying neurobiological causes of the problem by restoring the brain to its pre-dependence state.
Difference Between Detox and Withdrawal FAQ
Detox is not the same as withdrawal. The main difference between detox and withdrawal is that detox is the process of drug elimination. Meanwhile, withdrawal refers to the unpleasant symptoms that occur in drug-dependent people during this process.
Detox cannot eliminate withdrawal symptoms. Although some detox programs use medications to make them easier to bear, it’s not possible to escape long-term discomfort without addressing the root of dependence. Unfortunately, detox fails to do it, which is why many people keep struggling with withdrawal symptoms even after the treatment.
ANR helps with withdrawal by modulating the endorphin system while the patient is sedated. Therefore, you will not experience any pain or discomfort associated with opioid withdrawals. Since ANR targets the root of opioid dependence, it also negates the risk of ongoing withdrawal symptoms and relapse.
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