If heroin has become a part of your life, the single most important thing you can do for yourself this year is to rid yourself of it. Perhaps you have already been through detox, and you are curious about relapse prevention as you feel yourself craving heroin again.
Whether you have already been through detox or you have yet to begin, we at Knoxville Recovery Center are here to guide you every step of the way. You do not have to struggle with your addiction alone. Let’s take a moment to discuss what to expect with detox, and identify a few relapse prevention methods.
Going Through Heroin Detox
Detoxing from heroin can be a rough road. That is why it is wise to go to a detox clinic instead of trying to get a handle on it at home on your own. Soon after you stop using heroin, you should expect to feel agitated or anxious. Although you may find yourself yawning a lot, you may have trouble sleeping. Your muscles may ache, and you may have teary eyes and a runny nose.
As your detox progresses, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal cramping
- Goosebumps
- Dilated pupils
Although you may feel uncomfortable during detox, thankfully your symptoms are not life-threatening.
Can Heroin Detox Prevent Relapse?
After going through this tough phase, you may want to have some reassurance that you will never want to use heroin again. We wish it were that easy. Unfortunately, the truth is that 90 percent of opioid users end up relapsing at one time or another and do end up going back to using again.
This may likely happen due to a condition known as Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome or PAWS. Along with a desire to use again, PAWS is a set of symptoms that may persist for weeks or months after you have been off of heroin. These symptoms, which may come and go at will, may include:
- Depression, anxiety or panic
- Irritability
- Difficulty with cognitive tasks
- Obsessive-compulsiveness
- Sensitivity to stress
- Apathy or pessimism
- Trouble maintaining social relationships
Methods of Relapse Prevention
Although there are no guarantees that you won’t become tempted to relapse, there are some strategies that you can try to help prevent it from happening.
Start by eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of sleep. Not getting enough sleep and not being properly nourished are both associated with substance abuse. Getting regular exercise is also helpful. Exercise is a wonderful outlet for stress relief and overall wellness. Consider trying yoga or meditation. They are ideal ways to calm your mind and body and stay occupied at the same time.
Another thing that you need to be certain to do is to avoid people that you used to use heroin with, or that you used to buy heroin from. The same goes for going to places that you used to frequent. Finding new friends and new places to go will help divert your attention elsewhere.
Get Help at Knoxville Recovery Center
At Knoxville Recovery Center, when you are going through withdrawals our staff will attend to you, giving you medication that will help keep you as comfortable as possible. After your detox period is over, we teach you relapse prevention skills that will help you out indefinitely. We urge you to not wait any longer to give up your heroin habit. All it takes is one overdose and your precious life is gone. Contact us today to speak with an addiction specialist and take the first step toward becoming clean again. We are here to help and support your recovery.
