UK Toll-Free : 0808 26 REHAB (73422)          SA: 082 74 REHAB (73422)

Heroin Detox

There are no “easy” drugs to detoxify from. Some drugs, like heroin, tend to attain a worse detoxification reputation than others. Addiction is addiction, regardless of the drug that you need to detoxify and withdraw from. The only way to begin dealing with a heroin addiction it is to stop taking it regardless of whether you’re smoking, snorting or injecting it.  

Whilst this can sound almost too simplistic for a heroin detox and addiction recovery, it is true. The good news is that there is help available and the first part of detoxifying from heroin is asking for professional medical help and ensuring that the addiction rehab you enter for a detox is a registered and reputable one.  By doing this, you’ll ensure that your withdrawal from heroin is as painless as possible.

All drugs have their own characteristics and when it comes to the early addiction recovery phase of stopping heroin use, an effective detoxification is crucial to the suffering addict.

Once addicted to heroin the body has learnt to tolerate and need the opiates. As a result the detox process is characterised by withdrawal symptoms that can frequently be harsh and extremely uncomfortable if you don’t get the right professional addiction help. Heroin withdrawal symptoms can include anxiety, nausea, diarreah, stomach cramps, insomnia, alternating chills and sweats, sneezing, sniffing, and a general feeling of physical weakness as well as mood swings and irritability.

Unless heroin withdrawal symptoms are managed by an appropriate, experienced medical doctor, the harshness can lead to heroin addicts dropping out of detox and treatment. If your heroin addicted loved one doesn’t finish the detoxification, their residential rehab treatment cannot be done and this makes even short term addiction recovery very difficult indeed.

Heroin detox is complex as the drug impacts on three important neuro chemicals. Excessive amounts of Dopamine and Endorphine are released by heroin use whilst the drug suppresses the release of Norepinephrin.

The heightening and exaggerating of these chemical effects during heroin use leads to a high of exuberant feelings, safety, contentment and pleasure while lowering the awareness of stress. Without professional addictions treatment these factors can make detoxifying an agonising period for the heroin user.

The addiction recovery process can be an extremely arduous one and accepted statistics show that some addicts will attempt to detoxify from heroin between 10 and 25 times frequently relapsing. The fact is that there is no easy way to get clean from heroin and a medically supervised detox is a fundamental component of the treatment process. A completely medically supervised heroin detox is most effective when carried out as the first stage of a residential addictions treatment programme.

The withdrawal symptoms listed above can set in within 12 hours of not using and can last for 3-5 days.  Usually day three can be most difficult in the withdrawal process. Any reputable primary care addiction rehab centre will supervise this detoxification procedure in conjunction with qualified medical professionals and alleviate the worst aspects of detox with the administration of heroin replacement drugs or substitutes such as methadone or subutex.

These drugs can block some of the heroin withdrawal symptoms. Observation by trained nursing staff, supervision over meal times and counselling for the psychological aspects of the addiction all play their part in expediting as comfortable a detoxification experience as is possible.

This professional support enables heroin addicted patients to focus on their recovery, thereby encouraging any existing motivation to get well and stay well.  Reputable addiction rehab facilities also encourage and manage additional support from family and friends as well as the scrutiny of a multi-disciplinary treatment team with further referrals where these may be deemed helpful or important.

This comprehensive approach by a professional and multidisciplinary team is crucial to the heroin addicted persons treatment and recovery as there may be underlying issues that surface during the initial addiction treatment phase that will prohibit the patient coming clean from heroin. 

Once any issues of co-morbidity or dual diagnosis have been indentified and accurately diagnosed, the treatment plan can be changed to appropriately incorporate this new information as a part of the heroin addicted person’s long term recovery strategy.

Physical dependence (addiction) to heroin can be overcome relatively quickly in the correct setting with a detoxification process managed by professionals, but the nature of the drug and of the addict’s problem can often have deep reaching psychological elements which make the heroin addict in early recovery particularly susceptible to relapse. Mental cravings for heroin and for its effect during the withdrawal phase can seem absolutely overwhelming.

If the detoxification procedure has been managed in a registered addiction rehab centre, then an ongoing treatment plan will be devised by the professional team. It is generally accepted that detoxification from heroin alone will not keep a heroin addict clean. Ongoing addictions treatment is vital.

Most reputable, residential (in-patient) addiction rehab centres are registered with the department of Social Development or relevant health authorities. They offer programmes varying from 21 days to 6 months and longer. It is generally accepted in the field of addiction treatment that heroin addicts who undergo 90 days treatment in residential rehabs offering the therapeutic community models will have an enhanced opportunity at successful recovery.  

Please call us on 082-747-3422 (South Africa) if you think we could help you to detox from heroin or other drugs, including alcohol.

If in the UK - call Toll-Free on 0808-267-3422 today to find a Private heroin detox and rehab.

This Article article was created on 29th March 2010