Medical detox

Most patients enter the detox program upon admission. If you’ve come directly from another private psychiatric facility and have no substances in your body, you won’t need medical detox, and you’ll enter the daily inpatient programme right away.

Not everyone requires detox, but it is clinically indicated for substances where withdrawal carries physical risk, including alcohol, benzodiazepines, opioids, and mandrax. The admissions team will assess whether detox is needed as part of the intake process. 

Note: Do not try to detox without medical supervision, as this can be very dangerous.

Medical detoxification is the supervised process of managing withdrawal symptoms as drugs or alcohol leave the body. It’s crucial because it ensures safety and comfort during the potentially dangerous withdrawal phase, especially for substances like alcohol, opioids, and benzodiazepines.

Home detox is strongly discouraged for safety reasons, especially for substances like alcohol and benzodiazepines. Withdrawal can be dangerous and potentially fatal without clinical supervision. Houghton House provides a safe, medically supervised detox environment for drug and alcohol withdrawal.

Yes, Houghton House tailors the detox process to each individual’s needs. They consider factors such as the type of substance used, duration of addiction, and any co-occurring mental health issues to create a personalized detoxification and treatment plan.

Medical detox has four stages: an in-depth assessment of your physical and psychiatric condition, symptom management using tailored medication protocols, stabilisation through monitoring and fluid balance, and round-the-clock nursing care throughout. Most patients complete detox within three days before transitioning into the full inpatient rehabilitation programme.

Medical detox is particularly important for alcohol, benzodiazepines (such as Xanax and Ativan), opioids, mandrax, and certain sleeping medications, where stopping abruptly without clinical supervision can cause dangerous or life-threatening withdrawal. Cannabis and cocaine typically do not require medical detox in the same way, though withdrawal symptoms can still be significant.

The duration of medical detox varies by substance and severity of the dependence — how much, how frequently, and how long the patient has been using it. You won’t know exactly how long a detox is needed until the doctor has consulted with the patient. In South Africa, medical aids typically cover 3 days of hospital-based detox.

No, detox is always part of the full inpatient programme at Houghton House.

The first 24 to 72 hours of detoxing are typically the most physically demanding. Withdrawal symptoms vary depending on the substance, your history of use, and your overall health, but most patients experience some combination of sleep disruption, nausea, sweating, anxiety, and muscle aches. Our nursing team monitors you throughout, adjusting your medication protocol as your symptoms change.

After the acute phase, symptoms begin to ease. Sleep and appetite return, concentration improves, and you can start engaging with the clinical team on the next stage of your treatment.

Medication-assisted treatment uses clinically prescribed medications to manage withdrawal symptoms and reduce the risk of complications. The specific protocol depends on the substances involved, how long you’ve been using, and your overall health. Our medical team adjusts your medication throughout the detox process, monitoring your response and modifying the protocol as needed.

MAT addresses the acute physical phase of withdrawal. It doesn’t replace rehabilitation — it makes the transition into the full treatment programme safer and more manageable.

At Houghton House, the dedicated medical detox phase typically lasts three days. During this time, our clinical team monitors you around the clock, managing withdrawal symptoms and adjusting your medication protocol as your condition changes.

Alcohol withdrawal carries a higher risk of serious complications than most other substances. In severe cases, it can cause seizures or delirium tremens (DTs), both of which require immediate medical intervention. Once the acute detox phase is complete, you transition directly into the inpatient rehabilitation programme, where nursing staff and doctors remain on-site throughout your stay.

Read more about alcohol detox and the withdrawal timeline here.

Detox and rehabilitation are two distinct stages of addiction treatment. Detox addresses physical dependency, clearing the substance from your body and managing withdrawal under medical supervision. Rehabilitation begins once detox is complete. Where detox focuses on the body, rehab addresses the psychological, emotional, and behavioural dimensions of addiction: the patterns that drove substance use, the coping skills that sustain recovery, and the relationships that need repairing.

At Houghton House, both stages form part of a single, continuous treatment stay. Once you’re physically stable, you move directly into the daily inpatient rehabilitation programme.