Are you thinking about entering a heroin detox program? There is no smarter choice that you can make for yourself and those that you love than leaving heroin behind. Every time you use heroin, you risk losing your life to an overdose. We at Knoxville Recovery Center have repeatedly seen firsthand the way that heroin use tears lives and families apart.
It is understandable that you may feel concerned about how the whole rehab process works. In case you are wondering, you definitely must be completely free of heroin before you can begin the rehabilitation process. Let’s take a moment to discuss why that is a must-do.
Why Is Detoxing From Heroin Absolutely Necessary?
In order for your body to heal and recuperate, you must begin by clearing it of the poisons that you have been feeding it. This means that the first logical step is detoxing yourself from heroin. Slowly weaning yourself off of heroin is not the way to go. You must commit to letting go of the drug completely, cold turkey if you will. This is the only way that a rehab program can be administered effectively. Sometimes you have to break down and let go of what is not working in your life before you can embrace what is going to lift you up and heal you.
What to Expect During Heroin Detox
Detoxing from heroin is not exactly a piece of cake, but it is definitely something that you can accomplish. When you give up heroin, you may expect withdrawal symptoms to begin showing up around 12 hours after the last time you used. You may start to feel like you are coming down with the flu. You may feel nauseous, begin vomiting or have diarrhea. Your muscles may begin cramping and you may sweat excessively. Sleeping may become difficult. You may have hot and cold flashes, feel anxious, and have watery eyes and a nose.
Your withdrawal symptoms may peak during the second or third day of detox. How long your withdrawal period lasts depends on a few different factors. The first is the length of time that you have been using heroin. The second is how much heroin you took each time. Next is how often you used heroin and the method in which you used it. If you have underlying mental or medical health issues, this can also affect the length of your detox period.
Treatments for Heroin Addiction
Treating heroin addiction is often a threefold process. The first aspect is called medication-assisted treatment. This is where specific medications are prescribed in order to alleviate symptoms that are associated with heroin withdrawal, including relieving drug cravings. Other medications such as Methadone are often given long-term to help you from relapsing on opioids.
The two other approaches that may be utilized in treating a heroin addiction include contingency management and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Contingency management involves patients earning vouchers for abstaining from drug use, which can be traded for goods or services. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is useful in teaching you how to make smarter choices for your future.
Knoxville Recovery Center’s Heroin Detox Program
We at Knoxville Recovery Center are ready and willing to help you heal from your heroin addiction, 24 hours, 7 days a week. However, you must have faith in yourself that you can truly overcome your illness. Our team of friendly and supportive specialists are always at the ready to help you when you truly need it. Please don’t hesitate to call us at your earliest convenience, and ask us any questions that you might have about our comprehensive heroin detox program.
