RSS Important of Drug Detoxification
The reason that this is such an important step in the road to recover is that drugs and alcohol are broken down in the liver in a process called metabolization, the byproducts of which are called metabolites (the substances the body converts the drug or alcohol into). These metabolites are then stored in fatty tissues in our bodies.
The body will metabolize and burn fat any time a person undergoes an experience that causes the heart rate to speed up. Stress can do this, as can strenuous exercise, anger, or intense emotion. When an addict experiences these situations and their heart rate speeds up, the body begins to mobilize and burn fat.
As the fat cells burn they release the metabolites back into the person’s bloodstream. The metabolite acts as a physical and mental reminder of the drug or alcohol consumption. In short, when the stored drug metabolites are released into the bloodstream they can make the person feel as if they actually took the drug. The former addict now experiences a drug restimulation (or flashback) and drug craving. This is common in the months after an addict quits and can continue spontaneously for years thereafter.
