When a woman chooses to get sober, several positive events are set in motion. The ripple effects of her courageous act will eventually show up as huge waves of renewal, blessing many facets of her life in unforeseeable ways.
Women who choose sobriety and all that it entails are fated to discover dimensions of their own being, and experiences of full-hearted living, which were previously unimaginable. The path of self-reclamation will transform these women from hard, lonely seeds of longing and potential, into deep-rooted, beautiful, flowering trees.
The first wave of positive change comes through the body, mind, and spirit, by way of profound cleansing, through the detoxification process. As addictive substances and other toxins are purged, the body resets to a new baseline of greater vibrance, health, and sensitivity. This is the initiation stage of recovery, during which a woman’s true essence, long hiding and hurt, is gently coaxed back to the surface of life – out to play and love again.
For all women out there who are wondering what happens in detox, especially in a trauma-safe detox designed especially for women, this post is for you. We’ll break it down for you so you know exactly what to expect.
From Withdrawal to Renewal: What to Expect in Women’s Detox
Detox is a process with distinct phases. How long each stage lasts can vary, depending on the substances you have been using, how long you have been using, how old you were when you started using, how frequently you have been using, and how much you have been using.
The length of a stage is also impacted by overall health, and whether you are also struggling with co-occurring conditions like mental illness and trauma. In general, women with a greater number of challenges to address will naturally need more time and support to progress through the stages. All in all, you can trust that just by showing up at the detox facility and checking in, you are doing your part. All that’s necessary to be moved through the healing steps will be provided by the facility, as treatment staff guide you through the phases.
The phases of detoxification happen in the following order: evaluation, stabilization, and preparation to enter substance abuse treatment.
Understanding the Physical and Emotional Stages of Detox
Each stage of detoxification has typical physical and emotional characteristics. Learn more about what to expect in each stage by reading below.
Evaluation
During the evaluation stage, you will undergo a comprehensive intake assessment that covers your substance use, physical and mental health needs, and any other factors which may be relevant to your detoxification process.
The goal of the evaluation stage is to create a personalized detoxification plan. Influencing this plan are any co-occurring mental health and trauma diagnoses, as well as preferences and needs.
During the evaluation phase you may already experience some initial withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, nausea, or shaking. It is also normal to feel apprehensive or worried about what’s to come, as you might at the start of any medical procedure. However, this stage is usually completed without difficulty.
Stabilization
Most of the detoxification itself happens during the second stage, once you are checked in and situated. This stage is called stabilization. The stabilization phase starts with initial withdrawal symptoms, which are noticeable and somewhat uncomfortable but not exceptionally so.
The withdrawal process peaks around three to five days in, when you enter acute withdrawal. Acute withdrawal is the point at which withdrawal symptoms are the most uncomfortable. You can expect short term pain, nausea, cravings, and feelings of uneasiness and dread.
Stabilization can be highly uncomfortable, and thankfully it is temporary. The stabilization stage comes to an end when the patient’s body systems have stabilized – toxic substances are fully purged and withdrawals are over.
During stabilization, detox patients need to be closely observed. When needed, they may be assisted with medical interventions that reduce physical pain or psychological distress. Stabilization lasts several days, generally peaking around three days in, with some variation depending on a person’s substance use patterns.
In a holistic women’s detox program like ours at Villa Kali Ma, we supply gentle support with natural interventions, such as light movement, for easing psychological and physical pain, that complement any needed medical protocols.
Preparation for Substance Abuse Treatment
Once the stabilization phase is completed, detox staff help prepare you to leave the detox facility and enter a substance abuse treatment program. It’s very important to go into treatment right away, to avoid any temptation to sabotage your progress. This is vulnerable moment in your journey, and the desire to return to substance use will be strong.
Initial and acute withdrawals have finished, but there is a further kind of withdrawal symptom called post-acute. Post-acute withdrawal is characterized by lingering physical and psychological effects which can last for several weeks and even months, depending on the individual. Post-acute withdrawals are not so extreme as to represent an immediate threat to the body, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t painful or disturbing, especially for women with additional mental health conditions or trauma histories. Post-acute withdrawals still need to be addressed with treatment, in order to be healed.
Post-acute withdrawal symptoms include strong cravings to use, feelings of dread and distress, disruptive mental health symptoms, sleep disturbances, and other difficulties that are best handled in the context of a substance abuse treatment program. Options at this stage include residential inpatient treatment, partial hospitalization programs, and intensive outpatient programs.
How Supportive Care Makes the Difference in Early Recovery
In early recovery, the opportunity exists to lay a strong foundation for all that comes after. Ideally, women receive the emotional support they need for the challenging experience of self-surrendering to a change process that affects every aspect of consciousness.
Because thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations are all impacted by the detoxification process and first days in sobriety, this is a delicate and sensitive time. No matter our actual biological age, in terms of our sobriety we are newborns, and may feel just as helpless, sensitive, and needy of comforting contact with safe people. We may feel lost, in need of guidance, or struggle with overwhelming feelings.
For that reason, as soon as women have completed detox and entered one of our treatment programs, we here at Villa Kali Ma begin administering a comprehensive suite of different kinds of gentle care, to get her feeling better quickly.
In between groups and individual psychotherapy sessions, our clients receive healing treatments with our team of holistic practitioners. Through gentle, immersive experiences, we help women create ease and feelings of capacity, through modalities like yoga, mindfulness, acupuncture, massage, Ayurvedic nutrition, nature therapy, reiki, breath work, and more. We take care to meet our clients heart to heart, as the inherently whole, valuable women they are.
Take the First Step Toward Healing in Villa Kali Ma’s Women’s Detox Program
Villa Kali Ma is a licensed provider of integrative addiction, mental health, and trauma treatment services for women. We offer a holistic, women-only detox program that integrates seamlessly into our substance abuse treatment options.
We offer inpatient residential rehabilitation, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient programs, and trauma healing at different locations across beautiful, coastal Northern San Diego County.
Villa Kali Ma is a place where you can find connection and belonging among other women who have decided to choose the upward spiral of wholehearted living. Our programs guarantee small group size, a high ratio of staff to clients, a luxurious array of adjunct holistic therapies, and serene settings.
