Last Updated:
January 29th, 2026
Drug detox
When you’ve been using drugs regularly, your body and brain start to change as they become used to having drugs in your system. Stopping suddenly forces your body to readjust again, with the adjustment period triggering “drug withdrawal”. The symptoms of drug withdrawal can range from deeply uncomfortable to critically dangerous, depending on what you’ve been taking, and factors like your physical and mental health. A drug detox programme provides medical supervision and support during this difficult but crucial time, so you can overcome the first hurdle in drug addiction recovery.
What is drug detox?
Drug detox is a medically planned and monitored withdrawal from substances your body has become dependent on. Just the idea of detoxing can be scary if you have tried it before on your own at home. But what is often called a “medical” drug detox is a vastly different experience from quitting alone. A proper drug detox programme provides medication designed to lessen or even resolve withdrawal symptoms, regular monitoring to spot complications early, and a secure setting that removes any access to substances during those first raw days.
Drug detox matters because withdrawal derails most attempts to quit. The symptoms are your body demanding the substance it’s learned to depend on, and that voice drowns out everything else. People with genuine motivation still give in during withdrawal simply because the physical experience is too much to handle without support.
It is important to understand that detox breaks physical drug dependency, but it doesn’t address what drove you to use drugs or equip you with strategies to stay clean. What drug detox does is get you ready to work on all that during rehab therapy. Without clearing the substances from your body and the mental fog from your brain, meaningful therapy isn’t possible.
When is drug detox necessary?
Whether you need medical drug detox depends largely on what you’ve been taking. Some drugs create physical dependencies where stopping abruptly carries real medical risks. Others cause intense psychological withdrawal that makes quitting alone feel nearly impossible, even if it won’t directly harm you. Common drug detox programmes include:
Illicit drug detox
This includes heroin detox, cocaine detox, crack cocaine detox, meth detox, cannabis detox, ketamine detox, ecstasy detox, and supervised withdrawal from various other illegal street drugs.
Prescription drug detox
This includes detox for a range of prescription opioids, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines. Benzo and sleeping pill detox usually requires the most careful medical management, as they can trigger dangerous seizures. Medical benzodiazepine detox involves gradually reducing doses over many weeks or possibly months. Amphetamine detox for ADHD medications can also be a difficult process, as alternative medications may be needed for those with a genuine dual diagnosis of ADHD and drug addiction.
Steroid detox
This is a detox for anabolic steroids, which are misused for bodybuilding or sporting performance benefits. There may not be typical withdrawal symptoms, but quitting can cause a lot of psychological distress, as it can feel like giving up something vital to your identity or happiness.
What happens during drug detox?
Drug detox will usually combine an initial medical assessment, stage-by-stage detox planning, monitoring by doctors and nurses, emotional support, and sometimes medication to get you through withdrawal as safely and comfortably as possible.
The medications used vary by substance. For example, opioid detox often uses buprenorphine or methadone to reduce cravings and physical symptoms. Stimulant detox may involve medication for depression or sleep disturbance. Benzodiazepine detox requires careful dose reduction to prevent seizures and possibly a switch from a faster-acting benzo to a longer one.
As well as prescribing and providing medication, detox staff will usually monitor your heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature throughout, adjusting your treatment as and when needed.
What is the safest way to detox from drugs?
Drug detox is always safest at an inpatient detox centre. This means you stay at a facility with round-the-clock medical care and where drugs aren’t available. This suits severe dependencies, substances with dangerous withdrawal symptoms, people who have tried to quit before, and anyone in poor health.
Detoxing at home if you have an addiction is rarely safe or successful, but cutting down on drugs or alcohol when you’re not addicted is always a good idea. However, if you have been drinking heavily or using a lot of drugs, talk to your GP or Recovery.org first to make sure you are safe to do a home detox alone. You may be dependent without even realising it.
What are the withdrawal symptoms of drug detox?
Drug withdrawal symptoms can look different depending on what you’ve been using and sometimes just on how healthy you are. Some typical withdrawal symptoms include:
How long does drug detox take?
Drug detox timelines vary considerably. Heroin detox and short-acting opioid withdrawal typically peak around day two or three and largely resolve within a week. Methadone and longer-acting opioids can take two to three weeks. Withdrawal from most stimulants usually passes within one to two weeks. Benzodiazepine tapering can take weeks or months before all symptoms have faded, so ongoing support should be provided during drug rehab.
Other drug withdrawal timelines depend on the exact substance or substances, any underlying medical conditions, and how well you respond to treatment. The expected duration will be explained to you when you begin drug detox, and you will be kept updated as things progress.
Useful drug detox tips
While your detox team will do their best to take care of you, there are some things you can do yourself to make the process easier. Here are some useful tips:
- Tell the medical team everything about what you’ve been using, how much, for how long, and any medical conditions they need to be aware of.
- Sort out work, childcare, bills, and anything else that might cause you worry before you begin detox.
- Accept that drug detox will be uncomfortable but temporary.
- Stay connected to support, through detox staff, family, friends, or others in recovery.
- Don’t let previous attempts discourage you. Many people need several goes, and medical staff can use that information to improve your chances this time.
Find the right drug detox for your situation
Recovery.org can help you work out what level of drug detox care you need. Our advisors understand which substances require which approaches and can explain your options. Contact us today to talk through your situation and start working out the next step.