Stopping taking heroin means fighting for your life against an addiction that has invaded your interior, wants to control you, possess you and kill you. Choosing to detox and learn how to take the reins of your life back is probably the most important decision you will ever make. Your existence belongs to you, and you can learn to regain control of it.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Stop Point Blank
Step 1. Stop out of the blue only if you are healthy enough to bear it
Stopping heroin overnight means detoxifying abruptly and trying to get over the after-effects of withdrawal as quickly as possible. Typically, this means experiencing flu-like symptoms and other pain for 5-7 days. It can be psychologically and physically traumatic, so it is only recommended for an addict who is in relatively good health.
In some cases, suddenly stopping heroin is lethal. Consequently, this method is not recommended for pregnant women or those suffering from severe health ailments
Step 2. Establish a definitive date and then cut your consumption down as much as possible
If you want to quit out of the blue, it may be helpful to try gradually reducing the doses before detoxifying completely - this allows you to ease the shock. The choice is yours: you can quit one week after the moment you make the decision or the moment your heroin supply runs out. In any case, set a date when you will have to force yourself to detox, and stick to it. Get to work and prepare for the process.
It is essential to avoid clinging to the gradual reduction in consumption, using it as an excuse to continue using it. If you run out of stock of drugs and you convince yourself to buy more so that you can gradually get used to the withdrawal, you will continue with the drug and you will not stop. When you make the decision to detox, you have to skip. Immediately. It's like taking off a patch - tear it off and move on
Step 3. Burn all bridges with drugs
When the date you have decided to quit for good approaches, it is time to destroy all the traces, the needles, the dirty spoons; you have to throw the drugs down the toilet, get rid of the empty bags you have lying around, even throw away your belts if you really have to. Delete the dealer's phone number. In view of abstinence, get rid of everything you associate with taking heroin. It must be impossible to use it.
If you don't trust yourself and believe that you won't be able to make consumption impossible, ask for help. Let a friend, family member or trusted sponsor go through your every drawer with you and take it all away. Don't throw drugs in the garbage can, destroy it by hitting it with a hammer and ask someone else to throw it in a place they won't reveal to you
Step 4. Find a place to stay
Ask someone to keep you company in your home - they should help you properly prepare the environment and supplies needed to endure abstinence (if you stop there). Alternatively, go and stay in a safe place, such as a hotel or a friend's house, where you will be able to spend the week in peace. As you go through this time frame, ask your friend or relative to clean up your home. Either way, take a week off, get rid of all your commitments and get ready for this challenge.
Ask someone to visit you regularly over the course of this tough week or, better yet, invite a friend or family member to stay with you and assist you in the process. Going through withdrawal completely on your own can be a particularly dark and lonely time. So, don't do this
Step 5. Set aside everything you will need for 5-7 days
In particular, you will absolutely need a lot of drinking water and time. It is essential to maintain optimal hydration while dealing with the after-effects of withdrawal. Also, it's important to avoid all the habits of your addict life during this phase. Liquids, over-the-counter medications, and foods that you will be able to eat without problems, such as peanut butter and soup, will help make the process a lot easier. Also, you should have enough spare clothes on hand.
Step 6. Drink lots of water, Gatorade and grapefruit juice
Consume the right amount of fluids that you can tolerate. Night sweats and diarrhea will be a problem, and both are causes of sudden dehydration, so make sure you have enough water and drink regularly according to your needs. Gatorade allows you to replenish lost minerals and raise blood glucose levels, while grapefruit juice provides essential vitamins. Similarly, smooth multivitamin and isotonic drinks work wonders.
If you can only drink water and other drinks make you nauseous, try diluting them to consume them. Gatorade will really help you recover your minerals, which is essential. Dilute it with water and drink it. You can do it
Step 7. Take medications to combat flu symptoms, dizziness and diarrhea (such as Imodium)
Your doctor or pharmacist will be able to recommend the right medications. There's no need to go around it: heroin withdrawal will seem like the worst flu you've ever had, and it will last for several days, relentless. Some of the more common symptoms include severe night sweats, nausea, and diarrhea, so it's best to have flu medicines on hand and take them as needed to keep the situation under control and help you get some rest.
- In preparation, it is sometimes helpful to take a dose of milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide, a laxative) a few days before starting, while still in the phase of decreasing the amount of drug consumed. This allows you to clear the body, and the diarrhea will therefore be milder during withdrawal.
- Some have felt much better taking high doses of Imodium (30-40mg) in the first two days of the worst phase of withdrawal. Afterward, she began tapering the dosage to prevent constipation. Try to alternate taking over-the-counter medications, if you take them, and avoid abusing them.
- Natural alternatives, such as valerian, are just as popular and effective for calming the nerves and relieving the nausea that often occurs. Since this substance binds to the same receptors in the brain as Valium, consider it its natural, affordable, herbal version.
Step 8. Try to eat something
Bread and peanut butter can save your life during withdrawal. It will be difficult to swallow food, but forcing yourself to eat a few bites of a peanut butter sandwich will help you have the strength you need and remember that you are a human being. Keep some broth or ramen handy to reheat, and vary the routine a bit. Either way, try to eat a little every day to feel better.
Step 9. Keep clean and try to sleep
Keep a stack of sheets close at hand, as night sweats can be unbearable. Change your clothes and underwear every day. Try to take care of your personal hygiene as much as possible, if only to distract yourself. When it seems appropriate and you feel rested, take lukewarm baths. You are fighting the final battle, so try to relax and calm down as much as possible.
Having extremely cold chills is common during this time frame, which is why abstinence in English is called cold turkey, which literally means "cold turkey". Lukewarm baths can make you feel pretty good, allowing you to warm up and at least partially recover back to normal. When you feel the chills kick in and you can't get warm, run to take a bath or shower and let the steam take effect
Step 10. If possible, try to get some physical activity
It might sound ridiculous, or it's probably the last thing you want to do, but a long walk or jog is very effective in relieving the leg cramps and cold sweats you will feel in the process. Sometimes, when you use your body to make a movement, it may even feel like you don't have any symptoms. Force yourself to move and then reward yourself with a lukewarm bath. In this way, you also take advantage of it to maintain good personal hygiene.
Step 11. Take it one day at a time
You are fighting the hardest fight of your life. It may not be fun, but it is the first effort needed to stop taking heroin for good and get your life back in hand. You are not a drug addict. Prove it.
Method 2 of 5: Quit Gradually
Step 1. Consider taking prescription medications to alleviate the effects of withdrawal
If this is possible, taking prescribed medications in a controlled and careful environment may be a more effective way to permanently eliminate heroin from your life. You can more accurately observe ingestion, curb withdrawal symptoms, and continue living feeling relatively normal while detoxing.
Sure, you run the risk of developing further addictions to other substances, but learning about ways to quit gradually can help make sure you don't fall for other drug traps
Step 2. Find out about free or low cost solutions in your area
Compared to sudden detox, gradual detox requires a financial investment that you may not be able to afford, because you have to buy medicines. Call a specialized switchboard to find out more about the centers where treatment is possible for free or at a reduced cost. This way, you can go there personally and learn more about the procedure.
To avoid developing an addiction to other prescription drugs, don't rely on the same old chain of drug dealers who contributed to your current situation in the first place. Don't try it alone. Do it wisely, i.e. by seeking professional support available to help you and guide you in taking the right medications
Step 3. Find a medical center in your area that has methadone treatments
Methadone is an opioid agonist that is administered in a regulated manner in medical centers, usually free or at a low cost. Its purpose is to help heroin addicts who want to avoid withdrawal symptoms and detox under close supervision. You will still be the one to decide how to experience detoxification, but undergoing a special test and checks performed by doctors while you do it can help you to curb the psychological trauma experienced by some addicts during withdrawal. You will be doing the right thing.
- Try to start with the lowest possible dosage. Some centers start with doses in excess of 70 mg, making the process "particularly easy" for several addicts hoping to quit faster and more effectively. Talk to the staff and explain that your intention is to detox, don't let the process drag on for long. If you are healthy enough to be able to take a lower dose, try to force yourself to start small.
- Unfortunately, it is common for heroin users to become addicted to methadone, or even to combine the two, taking methadone in the morning and starting heroin later in the day when the effect of methadone wears off. Methadone isn't for everyone, but it's usually the cheapest option, especially if you can get treatment for free at a nearby medical center.
Step 4. Talk to your doctor about the suboxone or subutex approach.
Taking suboxone or subutex is sometimes less difficult than taking methadone, and it helps you a lot to control your craving for drugs. Compared with methadone, it is much easier for some addicts to reduce their consumption. Furthermore, the time interval for taking suboxone or subutex is significantly shorter than that of methadone, and maintenance usually lasts 3-6 months, depending on the patient and the doctor.
Step 5. Be prepared for the doctor's questions
If you want to take prescription drugs to help you stop taking heroin, it's important to be completely honest with the doctors and other experts who are dealing with your case. Inventing elaborate and imaginative tales to get you to prescribe a couple of Xanax tablets could trigger a chain reaction: you will be rejected, you will get angry and end up consuming heroin again because you will not be able to cope with withdrawal. Get clean. If your goal is to totally detox, then explain your intentions to your doctor. It can help you.
You may need to agree to periodically have specific drug tests, HIV monitoring, and other procedures before you are admitted for treatment. Taking prescription drugs can be a much more elaborate process than taking a couple of tablets, so be prepared to be scrutinized from top to toe
Step 6. Learn about other prescription medications to address withdrawal symptoms
If you don't want to take methadone, or there are no inexpensive solutions available in your area, ask your doctor about other prescriptions that can help ease the withdrawal phase. Provided you take them intelligently and in a controlled manner, they can be an effective way to quit. When detoxing, never abuse prescription drugs.
- There clonidine is a non-narcotic blood pressure medication; it is prescribed by most specialists, and is quite effective in dealing with withdrawal symptoms, especially the anxiety associated with the process.
- The Valium and it Xanax they are benzodiazepines effective for treating addiction, fighting insomnia and treating anxiety.
- The phenobarbital and the lorazepam they are relatively mild narcotics that are sometimes prescribed to dampen withdrawal.
- The tramadol is a pain reliever that is sometimes prescribed specifically to combat leg pain or restless legs syndrome, and has been shown to be quite effective in relieving the agitation associated with withdrawal.
Step 7. Prepare for secondary withdrawal
The biggest problem with these gradual methods of quitting heroin is essentially that you are still taking foreign substances. They will also have a different name, but you will take medications on a daily basis to live relatively trouble-free, that is, you will not completely detoxify. Whatever medication you are prescribed, you also need to commit to another difficult phase, which is to stop taking it and recover your sobriety completely.
Depending on the method you use to gradually quit, secondary withdrawal may be short and light, or it may be similar to that of heroin. It can take several weeks before you start feeling normal again. Go through the same process as for heroin: choose the date you will quit and stick to it
Step 8. Consider going to a detox and rehabilitation clinic if you can afford it
The safest way to gradually quit is to be admitted to a private rehab facility. You will stop there as you go through abstinence under full surveillance, receiving medical and psychological treatment, and walking away from your life as an addict. Unfortunately, a comprehensive treatment in such an institution lasting several weeks is not cheap at all.
These treatments are often arranged following family interventions, and can actually have their drawbacks. Indeed, addicts can feel extremely guilty because of the resulting costs. If you stop taking heroin out of the blue and then fall back into the trap, you risk failing only yourself. However, if you face abstinence in a place that costs your parents hundreds of dollars a night, you may feel much worse, and these emotions will be amplified. Don't let addiction get to the point where you need to resort to such a solution
Method 3 of 5: Understanding Drug Addiction
Step 1. Remember that surviving abstinence does not mean that you have definitely gotten the problem out of the way
Quitting heroin is not like quitting alcohol, smoking cigarettes, or consuming cocaine. The physical and psychological consequences of addiction are equally powerful and difficult to deal with. Heroin is the hardest drug to detox from, and many addicts who have successfully overcome complicated physical abstinence have ended up starting to use it again because they have not been able to overcome the inevitable psychological withdrawal as successfully. Once you get through the initial months or weeks of fighting addiction, the work of a lifetime begins.
Step 2. Deal with mental addiction
If you have decided to quit permanently, you need to get clean and be honest with yourself - you are a drug addict. You could be forever. You have to accept that this appearance of yours may not change - you may always want an injection or a strip. Your addiction may always be waiting for you in the parking lot like a thief, beating you, stealing your wallet, and ruining your life. Stopping heroin means making the conscious choice to avoid this addiction, one day at a time.
If you think "I can't do this for the rest of my life", it's hard to feel motivated to quit. Don't worry about the rest of your life. Make sure you stay clean until five in the afternoon. Then, start worrying about staying clean until Monday
Step 3. Learn to cope with and anticipate the need for "euphoric flashes"
Soon, you may start to have obsessions. You think about how great it would be to inject yourself with heroin or inhale it. You let the memories of all the pain and problems that come with it fade on the horizon, you just focus on the fact that you want to take drugs again. You may even begin to savor the euphoria of buying drugs and taking them home, making you obsess over and over with the urge to use them. Learn to manage this craving and stop it in the bud.
Step 4. Prepare for difficult times
After an initial period of two weeks or two months, you may find yourself facing moments where it will all seem flat, lifeless, as if the world is a boring black and white movie that you have to watch in school. You will feel like an airplane in a waiting circuit, unable to take off. It is at this time that most addicts relapse, often with disastrous results. Depression is a major problem for recovering addicts, so it's important to lead a busy life and start living sober.
Step 5. Start talking to people
Meetings of Narcotics Anonymous can be extremely helpful in offering addicts a structure and a community of people who experience the same emotions. You are not alone in your struggle, and hearing the stories of others, having a place to tell your experiences, can be encouraging and liberating for many. Find out where Narcotics Anonymous meetings are held by visiting this site.
- However, at times, Narcotics Anonymous encounters can actually put someone off. If you are annoyed with the idea of spending several hours a week listening to other drug addicts talk nonstop about drug use, or think it might lead you to use them again, look for other social groups that can similarly fill certain spaces. Learn about bowling leagues, handicraft groups, or other types of sober social organizations that will give you a chance to discuss a common topic or interest with other people.
- For many addicts, seeing a therapist can be rejuvenating and instructive. Deciding to take your addiction head on means talking about it, being honest about it, and being able to discuss it with someone who won't judge you or your life.
Method 4 of 5: Stay Sober
Step 1. Set up a rewards system
Whether you decide to participate or not, one thing that all 12-step programs have in common is learning to recognize sober periods and rewarding yourself for it. Even if rewarding yourself just means having the opportunity to look in the mirror in a moment of sobriety and say, "You've been sober for a week," it's important to give yourself the chance to celebrate this success.
Some addicts find it helpful to save all the money they used to waste on drugs and use it instead to buy something nice once a milestone is reached. Go on a trip, or buy an item you've been wanting for a long time. You deserve it
Step 2. Create a garbage can in your mind
There will be temptations. Sooner or later the time will come when you will want to start taking drugs again, using heroin, and these feelings will be strong. Many relapses occur within 3-6 months of quitting. You may not be able to prevent these thoughts from appearing, but you can definitely keep them from lurking and obsessing over you. Some addicts find it helpful to visualize a garbage can in a corner of their mind, where they can throw away all temptations, and get rid of them as soon as they are felt.
When you have a temptation, imagine the garbage can, and imagine that craving is a piece of paper. Throw it in the container. Close the lid with nails. Keep it at a safe distance
Step 3. Research the feelings of well-being that the drug gave you in healthier alternative activities
And so you stopped taking drugs. And now? Boredom can quickly become one of the biggest challenges for an addict on the road to recovery. How you decide to fill in all that time you used to spend under the influence of drugs is completely up to you. However, if you can find a productive and healthy way to reproduce similar feelings of pleasure, the chances are that you will be more successful. This could mean creating something, playing sports that put you to the test and will give you a feeling of euphoria, trying a simple activity, such as taking long walks and thinking. Take advantage of sobriety as an opportunity to create a new life. It's like a blank page. Start filling it.
Step 4. Rediscover your body by exercising
Your body is not a slave to heroin. Physical activity allows the body to expel everything it has inside; in fact, it is like a natural detox, regulating metabolism and creating natural peaks of endorphins. Find a form of regular exercise that you enjoy and can follow regularly. Play sports or jog. If you can't stand it, start hitting the club to rock out on the dance floor. Have fun, you are sober!
Step 5. Use sobriety as an opportunity to detox from other drugs you may have used
Generally, in formal rehabilitation programs, addicts are not encouraged to try to quit everything at once. However, learn if you can cope with sobriety, and how you do it, by eliminating all other toxic substances you can get rid of and replacing them with productive activities.
- If you replace the well-being that heroin gave you with other drugs, this may work for a short period of time, and it is also likely that you will continue to hang out with the same types of people, face the same types of temptations, and will not regain sobriety. Know yourself.
- If you're still fighting a tough battle against heroin temptations and think a couple of cigarettes a day is your only lifeline for not losing your mind, don't try to quit smoking right away. Know your own limits and set a set of personal goals. If you want to detox from it all, when will you do it? In a week? A month? Set a date to detox from weed, alcohol, or cigarettes if that fits your life goals.
Step 6. Regain control over your body by eating healthy
The concept of eating and enjoying food can be baffling to some addicts, but taking care of your sobriety by embracing a healthful diet can help you get the right nutrients for your body and keep you healthy.
Step 7. Find new hobbies to make good use of your free time
Avoid the old hangouts and your old buzz mates. Instead, cultivate new knowledge gained from sober and explore hobbies that keep you busy. If you have something else to do, it will be much more difficult for the heroine to find her way back into your life by sneakily crawling.
It's not the best, but sometimes it's necessary to sever old friendships with people who would probably suck you back into the drug world, from which you ran away with difficulty. You have to be wise and take the reins of sobriety in hand. If you are concerned that dating a certain person might make you fall back into the temptation to take drugs, you need to avoid them. Explain that you don't trust yourself when you are together, but that you would like to see her again once you are clean
Step 8. Allow yourself to relax
Depression, guilt and addiction sometimes always seem to be lurking for an addict. Imagine you are driving: look at the road in front of you, don't stare at the rearview mirror all the time. Don't focus on what you've done and what you may regret, shift your focus towards the finish line and what you want to achieve in this new sober life. Start living it.
Method 5 of 5: Ask a Friend for Help
Step 1. If your intentions to detox are serious, you need to have a friend to help you and who really wants to be there
Ask them to check your cell phone: maybe someone tries to call you and try to persuade you to buy drugs, or your drug dealers call you to find out why you no longer called.
Step 2. Prepare your chosen person for help
Explain the severity of withdrawal symptoms so that she can offer you the right assistance and continue to help you through the process.
Step 3. Try to be optimistic, even when you think your life is completely over
Never bottle up your emotions, this would only cause more problems. Make sure the person chosen for the process is trustworthy and sincerely willing to help you. You need to make sure you get a friend who you can talk to about everything that happens in your life; better be someone you have known for many years.
Step 4. Remember that the chosen person is not responsible for what happened to you
So, even when you face the darkest moments, don't forget that she doesn't have to help you and that it is her choice to be by your side. Most importantly, remember that she has feelings too. Warn her in advance: she needs to know that you will have ups and downs and that you don't need to take everything you say seriously during withdrawal.
Advice
- Make a list of what you have lost to heroin and what you want to recover. Refer to this list whenever you feel the need to take drugs.
- Find a place to start living again. Don't go back to the same people and situations.
- Don't blame yourself. Be proud of what you are doing.
- Focus on your healing and everything that makes it possible.
- If you stumble, you don't have to get up right away and regain your strength immediately. Rise up as you can and turn the page.
- Finding a support network is essential, whether it's friends and family or other addicts on the road to recovery.
- When you hit the bottom, get up and climb, don't stop doing it. If you feel on the verge of slipping, look down, hold on and remember to regain your balance; smile and continue on your way stronger than before. Don't criticize yourself, you have to be your first supporter.
- Do your best not to give in to the craving for drugs. When it shows up unexpectedly or catches you off guard, you can instantly find help with the Narcotics Anonymous 12-step program.
- You set new goals, dreams or heroin-free life plans, and decide to make them happen, however difficult they may seem at first. If you stay clean, anything is possible.
- Avoid all the people and places you frequented in your drug addict days.
- Some things may make you rethink heroin, and lead you to feel the need to take drugs. Try to avoid them.
