- Jan 17
- RecoveryTreatment
Many people struggle with substance abuse, but confusion surrounding substance use disorders persists. One of the most significant areas of confusion is treatment options. The terms “detox” and “rehab” are often used interchangeably when discussing treatment, but rehab and detox are not the same. Below, we’ll take a closer look at detox vs. rehab to explain how a detox center and a rehab center differ and how you or a loved one can get addiction treatment.
- What Is a Detox Center?
- What Is a Rehab (Rehabilitation) Center?
- Which Is Right for You: Detox or Rehab?
- Learn How Gateway Foundation Can Help
What Is a Detox Center?
A detox center is where you go get help with clearing addictive substances from your system. These detox centers help people go through the withdrawal process in a safe environment.
Withdrawal can cause various adverse side effects, such as mood changes, nausea, muscle aches, sweating, shaking, and vomiting. In the case of some addictive substances, like alcohol, withdrawal and detoxification can be potentially dangerous. Some people may experience hallucinations and seizures during withdrawal.
The withdrawal symptoms and potential for danger mean that medically supervised detox is the safest choice for many people. At a detox center, medical professionals are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to help people make it safely through the withdrawal process. This process might involve prescribing medication to manage the uncomfortable and painful symptoms of withdrawal and monitoring people for the potential of any dangerous symptoms.
Depending on the substance in question, completing the detox process begins within hours of going “cold turkey” and lasts for days. For example, withdrawal from heroin can last four to 10 days.
The entire process of withdrawal can take place in a detox center. While detox is an essential first step toward recovering from addiction, it is just the first phase. Clearing an addictive substance from your system does not change the nature of your addiction. It allows your body to begin healing, but you will likely still crave that substance. People who have gone through detox are still at risk of relapsing.
Detox centers serve as necessary entry points to addiction treatment, but these facilities do not offer long-term treatment. After undergoing treatment at a detox center, you must look into transitioning to further addiction treatment.
What Is a Rehab (Rehabilitation) Center?
Medical detox and rehab (rehabilitation) go hand in hand. Once you complete the detox process, it is essential to take the next step in addiction treatment. Rehab centers are staffed with medical personnel to help people experiencing withdrawal, but treatment options extend beyond detox.
Rehab facilities can offer residential treatment and outpatient programs. In addition to medical supervision, rehab centers provide different types of treatment to help you understand your addiction and build the necessary skills for long-term recovery.
Rehab centers offer treatment including:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT is a targeted therapy designed to help people recognize the behaviors and thought patterns that contribute to addiction. Many rehab centers offer CBT to help people identify their triggers for using addictive substances and develop skills to manage those triggers and change how they respond. CBT can also be a helpful tool for treating conditions like anxiety and depression, which often occur alongside addiction.
- Family therapy: Addiction harms not only the individual but also the people in that individual’s life. Accepting the damage done to your relationships is an integral part of recovery. Rehab centers may offer family therapy as a way to repair meaningful relationships with parents, partners, spouses, siblings and children.
- Group counseling: While CBT is typically conducted as individual therapy, rehab centers also offer group therapy. These therapy sessions bring together people undergoing addiction treatment at the same time. Guided by a professional, these sessions give people the opportunity to share their experiences and learn from one another. Group therapy can also sow the seeds for building a strong support network that lasts beyond the time spent in the rehab center.
- Guidance for healthy living: Recovering from addiction is a physical, psychological and emotional process. In addition to medical supervision and therapy, rehab introduces you to activities that contribute to an overall healthy lifestyle. You may learn how to adopt a healthy diet and exercise plan or find joy in practicing yoga or experimenting with the arts. Embracing a healthy lifestyle and new hobbies help set you up for success in maintaining sobriety once you leave rehab.
The ultimate goal of rehab is to set you up for successfully living a healthy and sober life. Your care team will help you create a plan of action to handle what comes next in your life once you leave the rehab center.
Which Is Right for You: Detox or Rehab?
Are rehab and detox the same? No, detox centers and rehab centers play different roles in substance use disorder treatment. While detox and rehab are two distinct elements of addiction treatment, both are important. Detox focuses on the immediate physical symptoms of withdrawal, while rehab takes a holistic, long-term approach to treating addiction. You do not necessarily have to choose between detox and rehab. It is more a choice of how you want to approach your treatment.
Detox centers offer a safe place to go through withdrawal. These centers provide trained medical staff to help manage your symptoms and ensure the addictive substances clear your system. For many people struggling with addiction, detox is an essential first step. If you struggle to quit using an addictive substance, like alcohol or drugs, detox is essential.
Once you go through the withdrawal process, the team at the detox center will likely recommend that you continue treatment at a rehab center. Here, you can occupy a safe space for healing and moving forward with sobriety. Rehab centers will provide you with mental health treatment and addiction management plans to help you stay sober.
Rather than looking at detox vs. rehab, think of these two components as equally critical to helping you gain sobriety. Detox helps with the initial withdrawal from an addictive substance, while rehab enables you to create an action plan for keeping your addiction under control.
Learn How Gateway Foundation Can Help
Medical detox programs focus on helping people safely remove addictive substances from their bodies. While these programs focus on individual treatment, they tend to be a few days in length. On the other hand, rehab programs, whether inpatient or outpatient, tend to be longer. Rehab goes beyond just the first step of recovery, aiming to equip people with the skills they need to move beyond addiction.
Gateway Foundation offers comprehensive treatment services tailored to meet your needs. We offer residential, outpatient and recovery home treatment. Contact us to learn more about our treatment services and how we can help you build your future.
