Medically assisted detox is a procedure where clients receive a controlled amount of stabilizing medication that possesses very low addictive qualities, in order to ease them through a relaxing detoxification process. This method alleviates stress on both the body and the mind during the first stage of recovery. Detox at the beginning of treatment is very important because it causes the brain to prompt the body to realize that it is no longer physically dependent on daily substance abuse. This applies to recovery from both drugs and alcohol.   What is the effect of medically assisted detox in opiate addictions? According to Narconon International, there isn’t much difference between withdrawing from a prescription opiate, such as hydrocodone, or another illicit substance like heroin. When someone is battling an addiction, they will generally take any opiate that is available. While opiates do deaden pain, they also deaden emotions. Continual opiate use makes users unable to find pleasure in life. As such, an opiate addiction is serious and requires personalized addiction treatment. Attempting to go “cold turkey” is not advised. This method of detox often puts the body into shock and can cause serious side effects and even death. Medically assisted detox for an opiate addiction can take several days or even a few months. The length of the detox depends on the patient’s addiction severity and substance abuse history.  Detox.net states that, “detoxification from drugs takes as long as necessary for…