Pregnancy is an exciting time that introduces many confusing and often scary decisions about your health and the health of your unborn baby. One of the hardest decisions for pregnant women to make is whether or not to seek drug addiction treatment. Women who are pregnant often resist drug addiction treatment for fear of judgment, fear of losing custody of their newborn baby and other children, and fear of going into withdrawal and harming the baby further. What many women don’t realize, however, is that there are drug addiction treatment centers that specialize in treating women and providing support for all the unique issues they face.
Drug Detox and Pregnancy: Why it’s Necessary
Detoxification is an essential part of any drug recovery program. Without it, residual drug toxins can remain in the body and cause cravings and other unwanted side effects that put the person at risk for relapse. Detoxification also increases the odds that your baby will be born free of the birth defects, health problems and dependency that can be caused by your drug use. The earlier you seek treatment, the better chance you’ll have of delivering a normal, healthy baby.
Women who are pregnant should always detoxify in the safety and care of a professional drug treatment facility that specializes in pregnancy and drug addiction treatment. Detoxing during pregnancy is a delicate matter that can be dangerous and even fatal to the mother and child if it’s not done correctly. If the detoxification process is done under professional care, though, these risks can be greatly minimized and even eliminated. With the help of the treatment center, you’ll be able to safely wean yourself off of drugs without physically harming yourself or your baby.
Drug Detox and Pregnancy: What to Expect
The first thing you can expect when entering a drug detox program that specializes in treating pregnant women is that you’ll be treated with care and respect. You will not be judged and will be offered the tools needed to overcome your addiction and regain control over your life.
During the initial stages of detoxification, physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms will appear. The nature and severity of these withdrawal symptoms vary greatly depending on the type of drug used and the frequency of use. These withdrawal symptoms will be uncomfortable, but they mean that your body is ridding itself of all the drug toxins that are harming you and your baby. Sometimes, medically-assisted detox is necessary to control withdrawal symptoms. This is usually the case for women who are addicted to opiates such as heroin or prescription painkillers, which poses more risks during pregnancy. In these cases, controlled medical detox can be safely administered with the help of drugs such as methadone and suboxone.
After undergoing a safe and supervised detox, you’ll enter a drug addiction treatment program tailored to your specific needs. Most drug treatment programs offer a combination of 12-step programs, educational counseling and cognitive-behavioral therapy. In addition to these traditional treatment methods, many drug treatment programs also offer alternative methods of treatment. These highly effective alternative treatments include holistic treatments that address a person’s entire well-being, including their physical health, mental health, and spiritual health. Some of the most popular treatments for drug addiction are acupuncture, massage therapy, yoga, Chinese medicine, and more.
After the treatment program is completed, you’ll be offered aftercare support programs to help you maintain your sobriety. Many addiction treatment facilities for women will also offer family services support.
Drug Detox and Pregnancy: Get Help Today
If you’re ready to overcome your substance addiction, then let your pregnancy be the excuse you finally need. The earlier in your pregnancy that you detox, the better chance you’ll have of giving birth to a healthy baby. Find a drug addiction treatment program that specializes in women and pregnancy give yourself–and your baby–the life you both deserve.
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