Hi,
Great question!
Often, when US English speakers use “detox,” they talk about stopping something for a certain amount of time. For example:
- I need to detox from social media. I’ve been on Snapchat way too much this week.
- I am on a detox diet this week, so I am only drinking juice.
However, the true meaning of “detox” is to clean toxins from the body. When a person is detoxified, they have removed these bad substances from their body. Maybe, they will use these substances again, or maybe, they will not.
With your example, I would probably say:
- I quit smoking two-and-a-half years ago. My body needed one month to detox, but then I felt much better.
I would not replace the word “quit” with the word “detox” because the meanings are a little different. However, “detox” can describe the process of your body’s change after you quit. You stopped detoxifying when there were no more cigarette chemicals in your body.
Best,
Amy
|