Written by: THE BALANCE
Medically reviewed by Dr. Sarah Boss, MD
Last updated: January 20, 2026
Fact checked
Quick Summary
  • Addiction is a bitter truth of today’s life that continues to grip society despite the horrors associated with it, and once you fall victim to it, it's only a downhill drive.
  • Like a killer, who can’t stop following you, addiction will show up wherever you go.
  • It will hide, lurk, and slowly corner you at your next get-together at your parents or at an office party.
Reading time: 8 min

Addiction is a bitter truth of today’s life that continues to grip society despite the horrors associated with it, and once you fall victim to it, it’s only a downhill drive. Like a killer, who can’t stop following you, addiction will show up wherever you go. It will hide, lurk, and slowly corner you at your next get-together at your parents or at an office party. It may show up anytime, whether you like it or not. And, if you don’t do something about it, it may end up killing you or your loved ones.

Unfortunately, there is no quick fix when it comes to addiction, and experts have failed to come up with an easy method to kick the habit. For every person trying to quit, detox is the only way of handling this life-destroying issue. But this detoxification method is easier said than done as it comes with some of the most uncomfortable symptoms and may prove dangerous if undertaken on your own. Joining a detox center is highly recommended for all people who are highly motivated to give up on drugs and alcohol finally.

A typical drug and alcohol clinic offering inpatient and outpatient detoxification facilities involve the following three essential components as a part of their addiction detox plan:

Evaluation

During this step, clinical professionals come together to thoroughly assess the patient’s psychological and physical health and past medical history. These assessments also provide more information on the individual’s acute intoxication, biomedical conditions, and withdrawal potential. With the results of these assessments, experts are in a better position to recommend a suitable level of care for detox and create individualized treatment plans tailored for each client.

Stabilisation

During this step, the detox clinic follows treatment plans, including therapies and medicines, to help patients get rid of all the substances in their bodies through a safe withdrawal experience.

Entry into Long-term Treatment

Once the detox clinics have successfully guided their clients through a detoxification process, they foster them to enter into longer-term treatment for substance abuse to increase their chances of sustaining recovery and minimising relapses. Remember that detox alone cannot help you maintain sobriety for years to come as it fails to address the complex social and psychological aspects of addiction. Hence, an important component of the detox process is preparing patients to transition into the next treatment step without breaking the line of care.

Although the most standard components of detoxification are mentioned above, factors like duration of detox, individual goals of patients, and overall treatment processes may differ in each case.

Each type of alcohol and drug detox clinic comes with its own unique aims and objectives. However, most of them offer treatment programmes with the following three goals in mind

Each type of rehab will have its own goals. However, there are typically three main goals that are pervasive for people seeking this sort of treatment:

Eliminate the substance intake

This is usually the most challenging goal to achieve and often involves referrals to residential treatments soon after the detox process is concluded.

Increase the life quality

At the beginning of a detox process at a rehab, your quality of life is likely to have seriously deteriorated. You might have lost your job, finances, and even close friends and family as a result of your substance abuse. A detox center aims to help you address these issues by managing the reason behind them: your addiction problem. Most centres offer therapies to begin working on these issues while you are still in detox.

Reduce the risk of relapse

The biggest challenge for most detox clinics and rehabs is to help clients stay sober for longer. For this purpose, most facilities offer ongoing treatment and aftercare programs with therapies and support groups.

The detox clinics in the UK offer various types of professional detox programmes to fit the clinical needs of patients. Many use the medical model of detoxification, meaning a clinical staff team guides you through the process of using medications. A detox can take place at varying levels of intensity and in a variety of settings. There are five placement levels of care within a standard detox clinic.

Ambulatory detox with no on-site monitoring

This level of care offers organized outpatient service with monitoring at predetermined points in time. For example, such a process may take place under the supervision of a home health care agency or in a doctor’s office.

Ambulatory detox with extended on-site monitoring

This type of detox is similar to the previous level of care but includes credentialed nurses to monitor the patients every day for several hours.

Clinically-managed residential detox

This process comes with round-the-clock supervision, minimal medical oversight, and puts more emphasis on social and peer support.

Medically-monitored inpatient detox

In this level of care, there is a higher level of restrictions as compared to the others and comes with 24/7 monitoring as well as support for patients with withdrawal symptoms.

Medically-managed intensive inpatient detoxification

As the most restrictive level of care, it offers 24/7 support and care to patients undergoing withdrawal in acute care inpatient settings.

For most people, addiction exerts horrible impacts on life, terminating careers, ending relationships, and destroying health. But this does not have to be how your life goes. Join a detox clinic today to begin beating your addiction in a safe and supportive environment. The private treatment services these clinics offer to combine the finest techniques with the most effective therapies to help you take control of your addictive behaviours. With luxurious accommodation and a comfortable atmosphere, these clinics can help you solely focus on your success story. Contact us now to book your slot.

FAQs

Can detox be dangerous?
Detoxification carries the potential to be dangerous and potentially life-threatening. However, this depends on the addiction type, the duration of the addiction, and the current health status of the addict. Some people naturally develop more severe withdrawal symptoms during detox, while others pass through it with milder and more manageable symptoms.
However, the severity and risks attached to detox are generally unpredictable, and given its potential to be dangerous, it is better not to perform it on yourself and to consult a drug and alcohol detox clinic for guidance.
How long does detox usually last?
The answer to this question varies from one patient to another. Most are able to finish this program in seven days or so, while others may continue for up to two weeks or even more. The factors determining the length of detox include the type of drugs you are using, how much of it you have used and for how long, as well as the presence of any co-occurring mental or physical health issues.
Can I detox on my own at home?
Detoxing at home on your own is extremely risky and may prove dangerous. It also might be difficult to complete the process at home, where many triggers hinder it, leading to a relapse. If you are addicted to alcohol, going through detox without any supervision may lead to the development of a life-threatening condition called delirium tremens which, in turn, may lead to heart attack, stroke, and even death if not treated in time. For these reasons, joining an alcohol and drug detox clinic is usually better to make the entire experience safer, effective, and more comfortable. So if you are thinking of finally quitting your addictive behavior, consider reaching out to a detox center or speaking to your physician or therapist about it.
What happens after detox?
Detox alone is not usually sufficient to help a person enjoy long-term recovery; in fact, it is only the initial stage of addiction treatment. In most cases, patients are encouraged to enter long-term rehabilitation programmes once they are finished detoxing. These treatment programmes then address their drug abuse as well as any other medical, social, legal, vocational, and psychological issues associated with it. The treatment is tailored according to the patient’s age, ethnicity, culture, and gender. Sometimes, medications are also used; however, most of the treatment revolves around the use of behavioral therapies.
What medicines are usually used at detox clinics?
Most detox clinics UK utilises medications to tackle the withdrawal symptoms experienced during detoxification from drugs and alcohol. The most common medicines prescribed during the process include the following:
 
Buprenorphine- to place under the tongue until it gets dissolved. It helps manage opioid addiction.
 
Naltrexone- to take orally or through an injection into the muscle during detox for drugs and alcohol.
 
Methadone- to block the high attained by consumption of heroin in order to reduce the cravings for the drug. This, in turn, helps users overcome the urge to consume heroin and eventually become less dependent on it.
 
Lofexidine- to fight the withdrawal symptoms of heroin and opiates
 
Mirtazapine- to manage addictive conditions, including addictions to opiates, marijuana, alcohol, benzodiazepines, and cocaine.
 
Clonidine- to manage withdrawal from alcohol and opioid addiction during detox treatment.

The Article

+

About This Article

+

Do you need help?

Sister Topics

Alcohol And Drug Detox Alcohol Detox Cocaine Detox Detox For Pregnant Women Drugs Detox How long to detox from Alcohol How To Detox Drugs Out Of System When Pregnant How to Detox from Alcohol How To Detox Your Body How To Detox Your Brain How To Know If Detox Is Working How works Drugs Detox Luxury Detox Rehab vs. Detox What Does Cold Turkey Mean What is a Dopamine Detox What is Detox