What Is Medical Detox?
Detox, or withdrawal management, is short-term medical care that helps you stop using alcohol or drugs as safely and comfortably as possible. It usually lasts three to seven days.
Why it matters
Alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal can cause seizures and delirium. Opioid withdrawal is rarely deadly by itself, but it is miserable and drives relapse, and tolerance drops fast afterward, which raises overdose risk.
What happens next
Detox treats withdrawal, not addiction. Good programs plan the next step before discharge: residential care, intensive outpatient, or medication such as buprenorphine.