A cold turkey detox is when a person suddenly quits taking the drug. Cold turkey detox doesn’t work for many reasons. For starters, it’s unsafe. A sudden cessation can shock the body, and trigger extremely painful and intense withdrawal symptoms that can sometimes be dangerous. The pain of acute withdrawal is unbearable for most people, so they start retaking the drug to get some relief. This, of course, doesn’t help them quit, and prolongs the addiction, putting the individual at risk of all the nasty unpleasantries associated with drug abuse and addiction.
A medically supervised detox, on the other hand, allows the person to safely taper off the drug under the care of a team of trained medical professionals. Tapering off the medication allows the body to get used to ever-decreasing doses of the substance. In this case, withdrawal symptoms aren’t nearly as severe. Symptoms also aren’t as dangerous. And, undergoing withdrawals in a secure environment prevents relapse.