A home detox is when an individual chooses to detox in the comfort of their own home, as opposed to detoxing and withdrawing from alcohol or another addictive substance in a rehab in London or medical setting.
In order to get approved for a home detox, a medical professional or rehab specialist must deem your addiction to alcohol or drugs mild, and not severe enough to require you to temporarily move into a rehab facility.
During a home detox, you will withdraw from taking the addictive substance slowly and then altogether, to allow your body the chance to overcome its dependence on the addictive substance. This will trigger certain withdrawal symptoms, which can become very severe if they go untreated.
There are numerous rehab centres and facilities in London, although a lot of them can be busy and can involve long waiting lists. If your addiction is deemed mild, then you might be better suited to a home detox, which will reduce any long waiting lists.
Alcohol is a physically and mentally addictive substance, meaning that if you abuse alcohol
on a regular basis then both your mind and your body will physically crave the substance.
Unfortunately, a recent study carried out by the Office for National Statistics shows that alcohol addiction in London and across the rest of the UK is on the rise.
In fact, in 2023 a staggering 10,473 people died from alcohol related causes [1]. In addition to this, the rate of alcohol specific deaths for men remained double the rate for women [1].
More people than ever across London and the rest of the UK are relying on rehab treatment in order to recover, creating long waiting lists and a backlog on NHS funded rehab treatment.
More and more people are turning to private rehab treatment for help and support and are now considering a home detox to allow them to recover quicker.
It is important to understand that in order to gain access to a home detox, you have to be approved by a medical professional, as you are not permitted to attempt to detox at home without the approval of a medical professional.
Withdrawal symptoms can quickly escalate and can become life threatening if they are not treated and closely monitored. Please see below for more information on the risks of an unsupervised alcohol withdrawal at home.
The risks of an unsupervised withdrawal are incredibly serious and can be life threatening if they go unmanaged and unsupervised.
When you withdraw from an addictive substance, your body will start to crave the substances that they have been relying on so heavily for the duration of your addiction.
There are a number of common withdrawal symptoms such as tremors, hallucinations, irritability, anxiety, depression, vomiting or even potentially seizures.
These withdrawal symptoms can last for a number of hours, days or even a week and can range in severity. The more severe your addiction is, the worse and more severe your withdrawal symptoms will be [2].
If these withdrawal symptoms go unmanaged, then they can quickly escalate and become life threatening.
This is why it is incredibly important to only attempt a home detox if your addiction is deemed severe, and if you have individuals at your home setting who will be able to call for help if your withdrawal symptoms get worse.
Depending on how severe your addiction is, you might get approved for a home detox. A home detox can be carried out in a number of different ways, with different levels of help and supervision.
Some people withdraw before receiving any other form of help or intervention, whereas others choose to detox alongside other help and support.
However, there is a general step by step process involved that most medical professionals will put in place.
The below process may differ between rehab settings and locations across the UK, but the general rules apply.
Your rehab specialist will ask you a number of questions to examine how severe your The first step of the home detox process is to get approved by a medical professional. You will only get approved for a home detox if your addiction is deemed mild or moderate.
addiction is, including asking you the following questions.
During this initial assessment, it is important to be as open as honest with your doctor as possible, and not to hold anything back regarding your addiction or its severity.
Once your rehab specialist has examined your situation, they will then be in a position to recommend the best course of treatment for you, which might be a home detox or time in an inpatient facility.
The next stage is treatment, which will begin with a detox and withdrawal. A home detox might look different person to person, but it is essentially the start of your recovery process and will last up to 10 days, or even sometimes longer.
During this time, you will fully withdraw and detox from the substance or substances that you are addicted to. You will experience some of the withdrawal symptoms named above on this page and will receive a range of support at home.
You might be prescribed a number of different medications to help you manage your withdrawal symptoms, which could include but is not limited to benzodiazepine, Buprenorphine or anti-nausea tablets.
You will also get access to a therapist and doctor over the phone, who will be able to help you through some of the more psychological withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, paranoia or depression.
Your withdrawal symptoms will likely kick in between a few hours and a few days, depending on the severity of your addiction. Remember, if your addiction is deemed too severe for a home detox then you will be asked to temporarily move into an inpatient rehab facility.
After your body is no longer dependent on the substance(s) that you have been addicted to, you will then be required to undergo therapy.
This therapy often gets to the root cause of why you have grown to become addicted to certain substances and will look to uncover certain triggers or traumas associated with your addiction issues.
This therapy will also uncover any underlying mental health conditions that you might be suffering from as a result of your addiction, including depression, paranoia or anxiety.
There are now a range of different therapy techniques that you will be offered, including SMART recovery therapy, motivational interviewing, holistic therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy.
Most people who undergo therapy find it incredibly beneficial to their recovery journey, but it is important to keep an open mind when recovering so that you can get the most out of your treatment.
Some people choose to continue their course of therapy for weeks, months or even years after their time in rehab as a form of aftercare.
In some situations, for those with a very severe addiction, the detox process can last weeks, The typical timeline for an alcohol home detox varies depending on how severe your addiction is.
months or even sometimes long for their body to become independent and no longer fully reliant on the substances that they have been addicted to.
For those with a less severe addiction to alcohol or other substances, the detox and withdrawal process can last between 5 – 14 days and potentially a week or two longer if there are any complications.
Within 6 – 12 hours of withdrawing from alcohol or the addictive substance, such as heroin or cocaine, your body will start to notice the change and your first withdrawal symptoms will kick in.
By 24 – 72 hours, most people will be at the peak of their withdrawal symptoms and might start to notice tremors, vomiting or hallucinations. By 7 days, the individual detoxing might start to notice some improvements in their physical and mental health as well as their overall mood.
After 10 days, most people with a moderate addiction will start to notice significant improvements and their withdrawal symptoms will have eased significantly. At this point, your rehab specialist might suggest that you are ready to move on to therapy.
Whether detoxing at home is right for you depends on a number of factors including the severity of your addiction, the current state of your mental health as well as your home environment.
If you are ever in doubt, then you should speak to a rehab specialist who will assess how severe your addiction is and create a course of treatment and action that is right for you.
They will then advise whether you are suited to a home detox, or whether you will need to attend an inpatient rehab facility to receive your detox and treatment.
For more advice and support on a home detox, then speak to a member of the team at Rehab 4 Addiction by calling us on 0800 140 4690 or by visiting us online by searching for www.rehab4addiction.co.uk.
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK310652/
