Numa Recovery Centers provides medical detox in Los Angeles for adults who are ready to stop drinking or using drugs and want to do it safely, with doctors and nurses close by around the clock. Detox takes place in small craftsman homes in Los Angeles, not a hospital wing, and every care plan is overseen by our Medical Director, Dr. Ariella Morrow, MD. If you are unsure whether you need detox, our admissions team can talk it through with you confidentially at (888) 991-6862.
Medical detox is the process of clearing alcohol or drugs from the body under the supervision of licensed physicians and clinical staff. It is not simply waiting out withdrawal. Symptoms are monitored, complications are watched for, and medication is used when it is clinically appropriate to ease discomfort and protect your safety.
When the body has adapted to a substance, stopping suddenly can cause withdrawal. For some substances, withdrawal is mainly very uncomfortable. For others, especially alcohol and benzodiazepines, it can become medically serious. MedlinePlus notes that alcohol withdrawal can range from mild symptoms to a severe form that needs emergency care, which is one reason supervised detox is recommended for people who drink heavily every day.
Detox is also only the first step. The National Institute on Drug Abuse describes substance use disorders as chronic, treatable conditions, and effective care usually combines medical support with counseling and behavioral therapy. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism likewise describes alcohol use disorder as a medical condition that can be treated. Detox settles the body so that the rest of that work can begin.
You do not need to have been using for years, or to have lost everything, to benefit from supervised detox. It is worth a conversation with our team if any of these sound familiar:
If you are not sure where you fit, that is fine. A short, confidential call with admissions can help you understand whether medical detox is the right starting point.
Withdrawal looks different depending on the substance, how long it has been used, and your overall health. Each of our detox programs follows the same medical standard, with a plan tailored to the substance involved. Learn more about each one below.
| Program | Who it is for |
|---|---|
| Alcohol detox | People who drink heavily or daily and experience withdrawal when they stop or cut back. |
| Heroin detox | People dependent on heroin who need medical support through the acute withdrawal phase. |
| Methadone detox | People who want to stop methadone and need a carefully paced plan for its longer withdrawal timeline. |
| Opioid and opiate detox | People dependent on prescription painkillers, fentanyl, or other opioids. |
| Prescription drug detox | People dependent on benzodiazepines, sleep medications, or prescription stimulants. |
| Drug detox | People dependent on other drugs or on more than one substance at once. |
MedlinePlus explains that opioid withdrawal is very uncomfortable but usually not life-threatening on its own, while alcohol withdrawal can become dangerous. Benzodiazepine withdrawal can also carry a risk of seizures without proper medical management. That difference is why your plan is built around what you have actually been using, rather than a single standard protocol.
Every person’s detox is individual, but the structure of care is consistent. Here is what to expect from your first call through the end of detox.
The length of detox varies with your substance use history, including the substance, how much and how long it was used, and your overall health. Detox typically lasts several days to about 10 days. Your clinical team will give you a realistic estimate during your assessment and adjust it as you progress.
Safe detox depends on the people providing it. At Numa, care is delivered by licensed physicians, psychiatric staff, nurses, and therapists, many of whom also understand addiction from personal experience. Numa was founded by people in recovery, and that shapes how our team speaks to clients from the first day.
Dr. Ariella Morrow, MD, Medical Director, is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and holds a Master’s degree in Public Health. She oversees all medical detox protocols and clinical decision-making at Numa, practices addiction medicine and internal medicine in Los Angeles, and is directly involved in the most complex cases, such as high-acuity withdrawal or significant medical conditions.
Our medical team includes physician William Stanley, MD, psychiatrist Danny Duel, MD, and nurses Veronica Quintero and Perla Vallejo. Medical and psychiatric staff provide 24/7 clinical coverage during the detox phase, conduct psychiatric evaluations for clients with co-occurring mental health conditions, and manage psychiatric medications where clinically indicated. For people withdrawing from alcohol or benzodiazepines, physician involvement is continuous rather than occasional.
Clinical Director Karen Cohen, LMFT, leads our therapy program, and each client is matched with a primary therapist who develops and maintains their individual treatment plan. Our therapists use approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), trauma-focused therapy, and motivational interviewing. You can meet the full Numa team here.
Substance use and mental health often go together. Anxiety, depression, trauma, and other conditions can make withdrawal feel harder and can drive the urge to use again. At Numa, mental health is assessed at intake and treated alongside substance use from day one, not after detox ends. Read more about our approach to co-occurring disorders.
Detox at Numa takes place in renovated craftsman homes in Los Angeles. With 18 beds across our three locations at 826 N Mariposa Ave, 832 N Mariposa Ave, and 731 N La Brea Ave, the community stays small, and every location shares the same clinical team and standard of care. Rooms are private or semi-private, meals are chef-prepared, and there are living rooms, outdoor spaces, and meditation areas for quiet time. Phones are allowed in designated areas, so you can stay in touch with family while you focus on getting well. You can take a tour of our facilities to see the homes before you arrive.
Detox treats physical dependence. It does not address the reasons someone started using or the patterns that grew up around it. That work happens next, in residential treatment.
You can explore all of our treatment programs to see how each level of care fits together.
Numa Recovery Centers is accredited by The Joint Commission, licensed by the California Department of Health Care Services (License 191284AP), and LegitScript certified. This page was medically reviewed by Dr. Ariella Morrow, MD, Medical Director, Board Certified in Internal Medicine, MPH.
Reaching out is often the hardest part, and you do not have to have everything figured out before you call. Numa works with many PPO plans, and our admissions team can check your benefits, answer questions about detox, and help you decide on next steps. Call (888) 991-6862 or verify your insurance online. It is confidential, and there is no obligation.
Medical detox is the process of safely clearing alcohol or drugs from the body under the care of doctors and nurses. At Numa, the medical team monitors your health around the clock and uses medication when clinically appropriate to ease withdrawal and prevent complications.
Detox length varies with your substance use history and overall health. It typically lasts several days to about 10 days, and your clinical team will give you a realistic estimate during your assessment.
All medical detox protocols are overseen by our Medical Director, Dr. Ariella Morrow, MD, who is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and holds a Master’s degree in Public Health. Medical and psychiatric staff provide 24/7 clinical coverage during detox.
Numa works with many PPO plans. Our admissions team can confidentially check your benefits and explain your options before you make any decisions.
Most clients move directly into residential treatment at Numa, which can last up to 90 days. After residential care, our team refers you to trusted outside providers for PHP, IOP, outpatient care, or sober living.
Yes, phones are allowed in designated areas, so you can stay in touch with family while you focus on recovery.
Medical detox at Numa takes place in private craftsman homes with 24/7 clinical care, then leads straight into residential treatment with the same team. Call (888) 991-6862 or verify your insurance to get started. The call is confidential and there is no obligation. You can also see what this looks like in our homes.
We work with most major insurance providers. Our admissions team will confidentially verify your benefits and walk you through your options at no obligation.
