Why Do People Leave Detox Early?

Before deciding to start your recovery journey at a detox center, you may feel frightened and unsure. You may have heard stories of people leaving detox for various reasons, including feeling uncomfortable with staff or the environment, deciding they no longer want to experience withdrawal symptoms, or more. The experience you have in detox is crucial for setting up long-term recovery. At Gallus Medical Detox Centers, we ensure your safety and comfortability to ensure that you experience lasting healing and recovery.

The Fear of Detox

You may experience feelings of fear when deciding to enter detox. This feeling may come about for a variety of reasons, including:

• Fear of withdrawal symptoms
• Fear of failure
• Fear of life becoming boring
• Fear of judgment
• Fear of change

Fear of Withdrawal Symptoms

The most significant obstacle in achieving recovery is getting through withdrawal symptoms. They can be uncomfortable and unpleasant, but are manageable under the supervision of medical professionals. To improve the quality of your detox stay, Gallus Medical Detox Centers has implemented The Gallus Method, an effective, evidence-based, and safety-focused way to deliver detox services. This method includes individual treatment plans, IV Therapy, 24/7 medical supervision, and more.

Fear of Failure

You may start the detox process assuming you will eventually “fail” or relapse at some point. You cannot succeed if you don’t try. However, “failure” is not the end of recovery. Making mistakes is part of human nature. You can learn from your mistakes along the road, allowing for growth. At Gallus Medical Detox Centers, we provide you with a biopsychosocial exam to best define your next steps after detox. This way, we can give you the best chance at lasting recovery.

Fear of Life Becoming Boring

Perhaps you spent your free time using drugs or alcohol with friends at the bar or club. When you decide to enter detox, you may fear that life without substances will become boring. However, with sobriety, the possibilities are endless. You can find joy in traveling the world, exercising, reading, and finding new hobbies.

Drugs and alcohol rewire the brain to think you can only have fun and find joy in using substances. By going through detox followed by aftercare, you will be given the essential tools needed to teach you how to reenter the world with a mindset and desire to live life sober. You can learn to find fulfillment in new activities.

Fear of Judgement

There is a stigma surrounding addiction. Many people may believe that addiction is an issue of flawed morals or that if you really wanted to stop using substances, you would. This stigma may bring about feelings of guilt and shame. What will other people think about you? What will they say? However, it is essential to understand that you are trying to improve your life for your own benefit, not anybody else’s.

Fear of Change

Recovery involves mental, physical, and spiritual change. However, the fear of not knowing what change has to bring can be incredibly daunting. Sobriety will include finding new hobbies, new friends, and an entirely new lifestyle. As human beings, we are adaptable creatures and learn to survive by any means. This change is healthy. When you stop using drugs and alcohol and change your being, there are innumerable better options out there for you.

The Importance of Comfortability

You may have heard horror stories about the stale, cold detox environment or the hospital-like setting, leaving no room for comfort. Feeling comfortable is essential to the detox process. This is the first step in your journey to recovery. When you feel comfortable, you are more likely to recognize the benefits sobriety can bring you. This experience will set the tone for the rest of your journey.

At Gallus Medical Detox Centers, your comfort is our priority. We limit the number of patients we admit to ensure that you get the personal attention and compassionate care you deserve. Your stay will be in a private, upscale room with a queen bed and all the amenities you need to help you stay connected with your support system or handle any business needs you may have. To ensure this, we provide a 43” HDTV and WiFi throughout the facility.

The Dangers of Leaving Detox Early

Facing the fear and anxiety associated with your decision to enter detox may influence you to leave. However, leaving detox before you are medically cleared can be incredibly dangerous. Withdrawals from specific drugs can cause seizures, heart attacks, strokes, and may even be fatal. With the specialized care of medical professionals, withdrawal symptoms can be managed to ensure your safety. When you leave detox early, you run the risk of life-long injuries and even death. At Gallus Medical Detox Centers, our expert staff is equipped to handle any medical needs that may arise during your stay at detox. To reach recovery, you must be able to detox from drugs effectively.

Deciding to start the recovery process by entering detox may bring about various feelings, including fear and anxiety. You may fear the withdrawal process, failure, a boring life, judgment, or change. These fears may even tempt you to leave detox early. However, leaving detox before you are medically-cleared is incredibly dangerous. You run the risk of encountering damaging and life-threatening symptoms, including seizures, heart attacks, or strokes. Detoxing in the presence of medical professionals is essential.

At Gallus Medical Detox Centers, we offer proprietary, evidence-based medical protocols to ensure your safety and comfort. We implement The Gallus Method, which includes IV Therapy, 24/7 medical staff, and individual treatment plans. Your comfort is our priority and we provide you with the amenities you need to ensure that you are not met with a cold, sterile hospital environment. Our facilities provide you with a biopsychosocial exam to identify your next steps in recovery to give you the best chance at long-lasting sobriety. There is dignity in healing. For more information on our facility and how we can best meet your needs, call Gallus Medical Detox Centers at (720) 669-8178.

Steve Carleton

Steve worked in the Department of Veterans Affairs for 10 years. He is a PTSD and substance use disorder expert with over 14 years of experience in and around addiction. Steve is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social work. He teaches cognitive behavioral therapies, Motivational Interviewing, assessment skills using DSM-5, amongst others.