Self-detox is very dangerous when you’re going through heroin withdrawal, and it’s also one of the leading causes of relapse. It’s understandable that you may want to detox alone because you feel like a slave to heroin. Many people try to self-detox as a way to prove that they have power over the drug. The reality is that you don’t have to do it alone, and you have a better chance of recovery by seeking some help.
What Happens During Heroin Withdrawal?
The reason people develop a heroin addiction is because the drug releases massive amounts of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical that gives a person pleasure, but eventually, a tolerance and dependence overwhelm the person. When you use an opiate like heroin, it attaches to specific receptors in the brain that are vacant during withdrawal. As the drug leaves your system and the receptors are vacant, the brain begins to misfire causing heroin withdrawal.
Some of the most common symptoms of withdrawal from heroin include:
- Nausea
- Fever
- Cold sweats
- Aches and pains
- Anxiety
These are only some of the symptoms of heroin withdrawal, but the list is actually much longer. Long-term abuse of heroin does damage to the heart and other organs, which makes withdrawal more dangerous. There have been many cases of people who tried to self-detox, and the withdrawal led to cardiac arrest. This is one of the primary reasons why you need to get professional assistance when you’re ready to get clean.
Heroin Withdrawal Alone Often Leads to Relapse
One of the main reasons that people relapse on heroin is because the symptoms of withdrawal are so harsh. Although you may think that you can overcome the symptoms on your own, your mind severely wants heroin. At a certain point during self-detox, people often justify using again just to get rid of the withdrawal symptoms. This keeps a person in a never-ending cycle of continuing to use and never actually recovering.
How a Detox Facility Helps
Thankfully, modern medical science has new medications that greatly help with the symptoms of withdrawal. Since the symptoms of withdrawal occur from the receptors in the brain being vacant, there are ways to trick the brain. Medications like Suboxone are non-narcotic medications that act by attaching to the opiate receptors in the brain. While on this type of medication, the symptoms of withdrawal are much less severe and more manageable.
Steps to Recovery is here to help you overcome your addiction in the long run because detox is only the first step. We work with a local detox facility that will help you overcome withdrawal, but your journey doesn’t end there. It requires intensive therapy as well as a new design for living to overcome an addiction for good. Steps to Recovery has the tools you need to enjoy recovery from heroin addiction, for the last time. Call 267.719.8528.
