Like it or not, drug tests are a part of life. For employers, they help ensure that a drug-free workplace stays intact. For employees, they not only incentivize sobriety but allow them to work safely in a drug-free environment. Most often, drug tests occur for pre-employment screenings, during annual physicals, and also in post-accident investigations. In each of these, an employer is trying to determine the functioning ability of their employee. However, for someone with substance use disorder, these tests can be the scariest thing in the world. As a result, it can lead them to search for any way to pass. Most typically stumble upon the common myth that is the cranberry juice detox when searching.
Addiction can be one of the most difficult things to recover from. Fortunately, sobriety is possible with the right help. Call us at 405-583-4390 today to learn about all the options for recovery. Let us make this challenging journey a little easier for you.
Content
Continue reading below for more information about passing drug tests. If you require additional assistance with addiction, then please reach out to our experts today.
Does Cranberry Juice Help You Pass a Drug Test?
When one searches online for ways to pass a drug test, there are a number of websites that claim to have methods or products that can help. Truthfully though, these are all false. So, can cranberry juice clean your system and help you pass? No, it cannot. Despite claims that drinking copious amounts of cranberry juices can flush drugs from the body, it is simply not true. There is no substance, chemical, or vitamin in cranberries or in cranberry juice that has some special ability to flush drugs from one’s system. Though many will claim cranberry juice can clean out one’s system in as little as an hour, it is just a rumor that has gotten out of control. It will not help you pass a drug test.
However, the cranberry juice myth is not the only one. Some websites sell additives, which are pills that they claim will add chemicals to one’s urine to cleanse or mask drug abuse. These methods are not going to help. At the moment, there is no magic pill containing any combination of compounds that can cleanse or mask drugs in one’s system. Even if by some miracle one of these additives is used and the drug test is passed, the additive itself will show up as traceable in the drug test. This red flag will lead to suspicion and another drug test. So, don’t waste your money on additives or excessive amounts of cranberry juice – unless you really like to drink cranberry juice.
How Long Drugs Stay in Your System
When consuming drugs, there is no shortcut to sobriety. A cranberry juice detox will not cleanse the body; the only thing that can eliminate drugs from one’s system is the body itself. Eventually, the body will detoxify, and the substance will no longer be present. Once out of the system, it will not appear on a drug test. However, the amount of time it takes the body to detoxify depends on the drug and your body. Physical factors like age, ethnicity, biological sex, weight, and medical conditions can contribute to how long the detoxifying process takes. Factors like these are why people can have radically different experiences despite using the same substance. Other factors that can impact detoxification are the dose of the substance and whether or not there are also other drugs in the body.
Generally speaking though, research has established timelines for how long it takes the body to detoxify from certain drugs, for instance:
- Marijuana – 1-7 days
- Crack (Cocaine) – 2-3 days
- Heroin (Opiates) – 1-3 days
- Amphetamine/Methamphetamine – 2-3 days
- PCP – 7-14 days
- Ecstasy – 2-4 days
- Benzodiazepine – 1-4 days
- Barbiturates – 1-3 weeks
- Methadone – 1-3 days
- Antidepressants – 2-7 days
- Oxycodone – 1-2 days
If you, or someone you care about, are suffering from addiction, then please call today. Our experts will be able to work with you to make sure you get the help you need. We will ensure that you get the best treatment for you and your situation.
How to Pass a Drug Test
Although the body can generally detoxify itself of most substances in a few days, one must acknowledge the potential discomfort those few days can have. For those with substance use disorder, the experience of eliminating those substances from the body can be anywhere from uncomfortable to painful. An individual with addiction typically encounters substantial cravings and symptoms of withdrawal during this time. These symptoms can vary from person to person. However, the most common symptoms include:
- Confusion
- Disorientation
- Depression
- Anger
- Aggression
- Hallucinations
- Seizures
- Death (in some rare, unsupervised cases)
This is why detox is best as an inpatient procedure at a treatment or medical center. While under the care of medical professionals, a person with serious, long-term addiction can be assisted with medications for discomfort and/or pain. The team can also keep one from harming themselves or others.
Furthermore, despite what some suspicious websites might have to say, the only way to truly pass a drug test of any kind is to be sober. While the process of becoming sober can be difficult, it is possible with the right help. Our addiction specialists are available to give you guidance on different treatments and treatment programs. Once you have found the right program, the first step will be detox. However, this cleansing of the body is only the first step. To truly address one’s substance use disorder, there is a great deal of emotional and social treatment that is also needed. To recover and live a sober life, one must essentially rebuild oneself. One must explore how their substance use disorder began, what triggers it, and find ways to overcome or cope with those triggers.
What Treatment for Substance Abuse Looks Like
Fortunately, for those seeking recovery, there are a variety of treatment programs and centers out there. These present a person with plenty of options for how to go about the process of recovery. Typically, after detoxing, a treatment center will enroll an individual in one or more therapy programs. These programs are tailored to the individual’s needs and help get to the emotional root of their substance use disorder. Therapy can range from one on one to group settings and can even include more unorthodox methods like music therapy or mindfulness meditation. One should engage in as many therapies as possible to try and find what works best for them in finding and engaging with the root of their substance use disorder.
Moreover, once the emotional root of one’s substance use disorder is found, they can then begin to engage in cognitive behavioral therapy. The goal of cognitive behavioral therapy is to create new behaviors to cope with substance use disorder. This why identifying one’s triggers is so important. Through working with a cognitive-behavioral therapist, one can not only identify them but find healthy ways to cope or overcome them. For example, if a person is triggered, they will find it easier – through force of habit and repetition – to opt for exercise or mediation instead of giving into temptation and relapsing. With this kind of treatment, one can achieve lasting sobriety and never need to worry about a drug test again.
Interested in learning more about your treatment options? Then contact our specialists today and they can provide you with all of the information you need in order to start living your happiest and healthiest life.
We Are Here to Help
To summarize, is cranberry juice good for passing drug tests? No, it is not. The cranberry juice detox is not a scientific or miraculous solution to cleanse the body before a drug test. Sadly, there is nothing like that on the market that can – no pill, no juice, no quick fix. The only way to eliminate is a substance from the body is to give the body time to detoxify itself. The body will naturally metabolize the substance or substances, and within a few days, the body will be clean again. However, one must keep in mind the potential dangers of detoxing. Those with serious, long-term addictions should seek care at an inpatient facility. After detoxifying, one should also seek further treatment. Therapy can help reveal the source of substance use disorder and help one create new habits for their life with sobriety.
However, if you or a loved one are currently suffering from an addiction, there is hope. Sobriety is possible; it just takes the right help. Give us a call today to speak to an addiction specialist. They will be more than happy to help guide you to the right treatment or treatment program. Remember, you can overcome it.
Written by Richard Morris
START YOUR PATH TO HEALING AND SOBRIETY TODAY!
GIVE US A CALL AT 405-583-4390!
We here to help with your guidance and questions.
If you have any questions about drug and alcohol treatment, give us a call. Our trained professionals are standing by to answer your questions and help you get the help you need.
Sources
- https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/workplace/mro_guidance_manual_508_final_march_2018.pdf
- https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/drugs-abuse-tests/drugs-abuse-home-use-test
- https://www.samhsa.gov/workplace/resources/drug-testing
- https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/treatment-recovery
- https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/frequently-asked-questions/how-effective-drug-addiction-treatment
