Many people who feel like they’re close to the end of their rope have considered attempting a home drug detox. The reasons vary, but they include concerns about taking time off of work or being away from family. Plenty of people think about detoxing at home because they just don’t want to leave the familiar comfort—and that’s easy to understand. But how do you detox off drugs at home, and when is a home detox safe to do?

This NJRC article gets into the controversial topic of home drug detoxes. How do you detox yourself at home and when is it safe? You’ll find answers and some solid advice below. 

When Is It Safe To Do a Drug Detox at Home?

The best time to detox off of drugs is whenever the person is ready and willing, and they have the resources they need. Whether it’s alcohol, cocaine, opioids, or all three — ideally, you would go to an inpatient medical detox because that is where the resources are. If that isn’t possible, then it would be safer to detox at home only after you’ve talked to your doctor. 

That’s assuming you give your doctor all the facts, and your doctor has approved your home detox and given you explicit instructions and any prescribed medications they feel necessary. Having at least one healthy person to assist and monitor you is also a very good idea. NJRC does not recommend home detox under ANY circumstances. 

An inpatient medical detox setting is the safest place because it has every resource you could possibly need for a detox—every medication, all the media. A medical drug detox in NJ has 24-hour nursing and everything needed to keep you not only safe but comfortable—and comfort is also a key concern when you’re detoxing.

When is a home drug detox safe?

• Detoxing at home is NEVER the safest option, and we don’t recommend it. 
• A home detox would be safer if a person followed directions from their doctor EXACTLY.
• If your doctor doesn’t know EVERYTHING, they cannot give you good advice.
• Getting an inpatient medical detox is not only safer, it’s much more comfortable.
• NJRC can get you or your loved one to the front of the line at an NJ medical drug detox. 

How Do You Detox From Drugs at Home?

OK, let’s say you read all of that, and you still want to try a home detox—here’s the deal:  If your family doctor or general practitioner feels it is safe, they may prescribe you medications or give you a plan to follow to titrate the dosage of medications you are already taking. 

Your doctor may also give you some other practical advice to help make yourself a little more comfortable, for example, over-the-counter medications like Immodium AD or taking a bath with Epsom salts.

You should NEVER try to detox at home without getting professional medical guidance, support, and approval first. In the best-case scenario, they will be very uncomfortable and unhappy. The worst? They may have life-threatening seizures or other complications—that’s one big reason why we hate the idea of a “home detox.”

Can You Safely Detox Off Alcohol At Home?

The truth is that there is no surefire, safe way to detox yourself off of alcohol at home. Yes, some people have indeed been able to cut down on their drinking slowly over time and even stop without going to treatment for alcoholism. 

But, people who can moderate their drinking in that way generally don’t have an alcohol use disorder to begin with. They just drink a bit more than they should. Anyone who is legitimately addicted to alcohol will almost certainly need some sort of help to get sober and stay sober. Note that the staying sober part is the most important. 

Detox is Only The Beginning of the Addiction Recovery Process 

So, to be clear — there is no 100% safe way to detox off alcohol at home. Even if you manage to do it after consulting your doctor first (which we strongly recommend if you decide to go the ‘home detox’ route) — the toughest part of recovering from alcoholism isn’t quitting drinking. It’s staying stopped. That’s what alcohol abuse treatment, 12-step fellowships, and their alternatives are for. 

If you or your loved one are at all serious about getting sober and actually staying sober, do yourself a favor and forget you ever heard the words “home detox.” Call North Jersey Recovery Center at (877) 790-5873 instead. 

We’ll arrange for you to enter one of the top-ranked medical detox centers in the state with complete confidentiality, and we’ll work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan. That way, you or the one you love gets sober safely—and they get the tools and support they need to build consecutive years of sobriety, one day at a time. 

If Your Loved One Insists on Detoxing at Home…

The battle to get your loved one the help they need for addiction may be the hardest thing you ever go through. Whether it’s your son or daughter or your spouse —- convincing someone they need help when they are addicted is rarely easy. 

When you do manage to get them to admit there’s a problem, they often attempt to minimize the issue and claim they can “cut back” or detox themselves at home. Both excuses come from fear and get in the way of them getting real help 99.9% of the time.

If you believe there is a possibility of convincing this person to accept help (or you’re the stubborn one resisting going to detox), you will find some food for thought in this next section.

What Gets In The Way of People Going to Detox and Rehab?

What are the biggest obstacles to people getting the help they need for addiction? There is the addiction itself, of course. When you’re caught in the undertow of opioid dependence or cocaine addiction, the urge is to continue to the bitter end. That’s the nature of addiction. Even when a person is well aware they are slowly (or not so slowly) destroying themselves — the urge to use or drink persists, and it usually wins out over common sense. 

But, addiction aside, other obstacles can get in the way of a person going to detox and, ultimately, a treatment program afterward. As we said, the push to detox at home generally comes from fear, not logic. Here are some other common concerns.

What else keeps people from detox and rehab, and how can you counter it?

• Fear of Taking Time Off or Losing a Job: In most cases, the FMLA can protect their job so they can go to detox and rehab. You can learn more about that here.
• Worries About Responsibilities at Home: Do whatever you can to reassure them that their children, pets, plants, etc. will be well looked after. Have a plan and show it to them.  
• Concerns About Comfort or Privacy: Modern detoxes and private treatment centers, like NJRC, have very comfortable accommodations available. Yes, rooms will generally be semi-private, but that’s no different than when you go to the hospital, and it’s really not a big deal. 

Detox is Just the Beginning: NJRC Has A Way Out

Addiction can feel like a prison for both the sufferer and their loved ones. But we have the key to the cell door. Dealing with a substance use disorder probably feels overwhelming right now—especially if you’re facing it alone with no professional help or support. Forget any notions of home detox.

You have a choice. You don’t have to go it alone. The people at NJRC are ready to take your call, answer your questions, and help you hatch a real plan to attack this addiction. The only catch is that you must make the first move and call us. 

You or the person you love deserve the best help they can get. That’s NJRC

Let’s talk about it. (877) 790-5873