Kicking an addiction habit of a Schedule 1 drug such as heroin isn’t something you can do at home. Most people use the quitting cold-turkey method, but the withdrawal symptoms and cravings are too severe to sustain over the long term. There are multiple reasons why you need to kick heroin addiction at Serenity House Detox & Recovery Houston, and not at home. Contact our team today at 866.516.8356 for more information.
Why Is Kicking Heroin Addiction So Difficult?
Heroin is an opioid-based drug, which means it affects the pleasure centers of the brain. With chronic use or abuse, heroin binds on the opioid receptors and activates them, flooding your brain with dopamine. This action creates feelings of pleasure, euphoria, and satisfaction associated with a heroin high.
When the user starts feeling high, the neurotransmitter dopamine initiates a positive feedback loop, making a person crave more heroin. While the heroin flows, he/she feels confident, upbeat, and generally fine.
Once the supply dissipates, however, the brain’s chemical balance is affected, and the body starts to crave more heroin to trigger dopamine release. In chronic users, dopamine receptors get damaged, which is why more of a drug is needed to give the same high. If none is forthcoming, the withdrawal symptoms set in.
Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms
Whether you have been using heroin for a week or a few years, there are painful withdrawal symptoms if you don’t take the drug once its effect wanes. It takes just a few days to become dependent, and tolerance starts to develop immediately.
Withdrawal symptoms become more severe with prolonged and increased usage of the drug, which is why it’s beneficial to join a heroin detox center. Some of these symptoms include:
- Anxiety and depression
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Insomnia
- Severe mood disturbances
- Bone, joint, and muscle aches
If you’re trying heroin detox at home, the cravings alone will make you fold, especially if you have easy access to supply. If treatment specialists do not manage your diarrhea and vomiting carefully, you can quickly get dehydrated. As a result, you need a medically-assisted detox program.
The clinical professionals in this setting have the expertise to manage withdrawal symptoms using substitute medication and close supervision. The new and comfortable environment eliminates the stressors in your environment so that you can focus on detoxing and recovery.
Why You Should Not Try Heroin Detox at Home
Acute heroin withdrawal symptoms will start about 8-12 hours from the last dose and worsen over 1-2 days. It takes about 5-7 days to get through the worst part of the detoxing phase.
Depending on the level of usage, the withdrawal symptoms alone can become triggers for other medical problems. If you have underlying health issues, such as heart conditions or hypertension, the rapid pulse can bring on a full-scale heart attack or heart failure.
If you struggle with depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues, withdrawal from heroin can worsen your symptoms. At worst, you may begin to hallucinate or have delusions that can lead you down the path to suicide.
Heroin withdrawal symptoms can be very severe, and qualified professionals should be able to manage them in a residential detox center. They will make the detox process more comfortable, which means you’re more likely to follow through to recovery.
Get Help with Serenity House Detox & Recovery Houston Today
Getting off heroin addiction is more than just quitting cold-turkey and attempting heroin detox at home. At Serenity House Detox & Recovery Houston, we have a specialized team of clinicians in our heroin detox center. They will help you to manage the risks of heroin detox. We also offer a range of other treatment options, including:
Additionally, if you have other mental health issues, our dual diagnosis treatment program will help you to deal with them, so that we send you home whole, body, mind, and soul. Reach out to Serenity House Detox & Recovery Houston at 866.516.8356 if you or your loved one needs any addiction detox and treatment.
