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Searches in Detox

  • anonymous Asks ...
    anonymous

    No money so how can I get treatment like a human being? I was treated like a criminal and a scumbag even though I had come voluntarily. I kid you not they even wanted to body cavity search me but I refused and they backed down because they had to admit in the end that it was not legal for them to do that because I was not a CJS offender but they would not let me stay anyway. Why would I come to detox with heroin when I want to get off dope? Can you explain to me why they treat people who volunteer to get clean like criminals?

  • Anna Deeds Says ...
    Anna Deeds

    Thank you for your question! I don't believe the detox was trying to treat you as less than human. People go to detox for many different reasons even if they are voluntary. Sometimes they go voluntarily for their family, their spouse or even because their their methadone or Suboxone treatment facility threatens to detox them if they don't get off other drugs like benzos or cocaine. Sometimes people go because they have upcoming charges or for probation and are just trying to make it look like they are getting help. I've even heard of people going to rehab just for the purpose of selling drugs because they can sell them for much more money than on the street. Demand and desperation raises the price of any product especially drugs. Because people have ulterior motives to go to detox even if they are voluntary, they may want to search people coming into the facility. The whole purpose of detox is to help people get off drugs so facilities are cautious because if one person brings in drugs, every patient in the facility is put at risk. They were just trying to protect their other patients by searching you.They really do have a valid reason for doing it. You may not have had any other motive than to get off drugs but everyone who goes to detox is not there for the same reason. Many people with substance use disorder only seek treatment when they are forced to do so by someone or some situation. I'm not faulting them for this or judging them as I know that addiction is a difficult disease and the desire to stop using doesn't always come so easy to someone in the grips of an addiction. I hope this makes sense and you can feel better about why they wanted to search you.  

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