Why is medical detox so important
Now, first of all, not all substances require a medical detox to survive. However many rehabilitation centers require people to recieve at least a week long medical detox in order to be allowed to stay at their facility. It is probably the right thing to do this in every case because some addicts could literally risk their very lives is they don't attend this week stay.
A fine example of a dangerous substance to simply quit without detox would be alcohol. People who have steadily consumed alcohol for many years can experience what are called Delerium Tremens or DT's. You might know them as the shakes or the jitterbugs if your old enough. They are a horrible side effect of alcohol withdrawal that can lead to high blood pressure and a very rapid heart rate and those are probably two of the mildest symptoms. You can even get seizures from it. It is always best to have medical attention for a situation like that. However with medical detox the whole thing can be fairly simple to deal with.
Getting a medical detox is a first step to shifting their paradigm, their state of mind. As they spend that week away from their drug of choice or that they are addicted to due to circumstance are dependent on, they will begin to envision a world without it. Their body is no longer telling their subconscious that they must have the drug. Although this is not the final step, it is a very important step in the rehabilitation process which will ultimately lead them to successfully getting away from the drug problem altogether.
In closing, if you have a drug problem, or if you know someone who does. Get them to take a week vacation in the best detox facility that their primary care physician has to offer. It can be a life saver and really begin the healing process that is rehab. Freedom from drugs is a beautiful thing, once the conscious mind understands that there is life without an emotional crutch, the true living begins.