Can Medical Detox be Done Safely in a Sober Living Home?

Many sober living residences offer some degree of medical detox services for addictions, but how safe and effective is it for alcohol, opiates and benzos?

If you or a loved one is trying to stop drinking or using drugs, addiction recovery housing and sober living homes may be an option for you. Sober livings are group homes for people who are recovering from drug and alcohol addiction issues. People who live in recovery housing have to follow certain rules and contribute to the home by completing chores and the like. Most importantly, these residences provide random drug and alcohol testing, along with ongoing support tailored to those of whom are new in their sobriety. However, many wonder if sober livings are able to provide safe and effective medical detox services…

Drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana carry no physical dependence to them and therefore are more than safe to medically detox from in a sober living residence. Sure, they carry a psychological component to them and the obsession to continue using remains in place. However, they carry no risk in detoxing from them.

Other substances such as heroin and other opioids (i.e., Percocet and Vicodin), alcohol and benzodiazepines (i.e., Xanax and Valium) carry significant medical risk without being under the care of a physician. Suboxone or Subtex is used to help ease the withdrawal of opiates and heroin; Ativan or Librium is used to assist with alcohol detox; and Klonopin or Ativan is used to help medical detox from benzodiazepines. Without the help of these substances or those like them, medical detox can prove detrimental. It is critical to be under the care of a physician or nurse practitioner to help monitor signs and symptoms of withdrawal.

Oftentimes, sober living homes are directly affiliated and will even provide transportation to a physician on a daily basis while the addict is undergoing withdrawal. Recovery home managers may often hold onto detox medications and have the addict take the prescribed drugs in front of them. This minimizes the addict’s ability to take more than prescribed and ultimately return to their drug of choice.

Harder drugs such as heroin, benzodiazepines and alcohol pose significant health risks including seizures, hallucinations and even death. In cases of strong use of these substances, it can be recommended that these individuals attend either a free standing medical detox facility or an inpatient drug addiction treatment center where they can be closely monitored on a 24/7 basis.

The Sobriety Experience Sober Living Residences works with various medical detox centers in and around Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona. We look at each case uniquely and will fully work alongside the specific instructions and medicinal therapies set forth by the licensed addiction treatment physician.

In summary, alcohol, benzodiazapines and opioids provide the highest risk of medical complications and it is therefore recommended that individuals first obtain medical detox prior to moving into a sober living environment.

For more information relating to this article or anything else on this website, or to inquire further about Sobriety Experience Sober Livings throughout the Phoenix-Scottsdale, Arizona regions, please contact us 24/7 at: (480) 744-0095 or (844) 700-9888.

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