What Happens When You Quit Heroin?
A heroin addiction is something that can completely destroy your life. When you come to a point where you’re ready to address this terrible substance abuse issue, it’s critical that you reach out to one of the detox centers that are local to your area so that you can take the initial step of recovery.
There are many people who forget the fact that drug addiction isn’t a light switch that you can turn on and off. When you’re ready to leave drug addiction in your past, there is a strong possibility that you will experience some form of withdrawal symptoms, especially if you’re struggling with a highly addictive substance such as heroin. This is the leading reason why it’s so important for you to detox from heroin in an environment that is safe, which is exactly what you will find when committing to a detox and rehab program at a treatment center.
Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms
One of the dangers of going through the detox and withdrawal process is the fact that there are numerous withdrawal symptoms that you could potentially experience. The leading danger when it comes to these withdrawal symptoms is the fact that they are unpredictable. It’s possible that you could experience withdrawal symptoms that are mild while there is also the possibility that you could experience something that is more severe. Here is a list of possible withdrawal symptoms that you may experience during the time that you’re in detox:
- Sweating
- Cravings
- Nausea
- Agitation
- Nervousness
- Depression
- Abdominal pain
- Shaking
It’s important to remember that while you will experience the height of your withdrawal symptoms, there is a strong possibility that you may experience lingering withdrawal symptoms weeks or even months after your initial time in detox. Although these symptoms will not be as severe as what you experience during the initial detox stage, they can still make you question your sobriety and your recovery. During the time that you’re working through your treatment program, your treatment team will teach you more about the condition which is commonly referred to as post acute withdrawal symptoms or PAWS.
Heroin Detox Timeline: How Long Does Heroin Withdrawal Last?
Before you begin the detox process, it’s imperative that you have a clear understanding of the timeline of detox so that you know what you could experience. There are many people that are surprised to learn that withdrawal symptoms are something that can set in quite quickly. In fact, you will likely begin to feel the impact of withdrawal and detox within just a few hours from the time that you last take heroin. Your withdrawal symptoms will continue to get worse as time goes by and ultimately you will experience the height of your withdrawal symptoms within the first three days of your time in detox.
Overall, you will need to spend approximately seven days in a detox program to ensure that you’re in a better place both physically and psychologically to move on to the next stage of your recovery journey. During the time that you’re in treatment, you will have around-the-clock access and care from your addiction treatment team. This is key because they will be able to provide you with the immediate care that you need. Although it’s understandable that staying home for your recovery is something that may
Rehab Treatment After Heroin Detox
Although detox is an important part of any substance abuse addiction treatment, it’s important not to overlook the fact that going to one of the detox centers is only the first step in the process to overcome your heroin addiction. The next step is to take advantage of the treatment programs that your facility of choice has to offer. It’s important that you make the decisions regarding the treatment programs that you want to commit to with the help of your addiction team.
When you’re completed your time in drug and alcohol detox, the next decision that you will need to make is whether you’re going to work through inpatient treatment or an outpatient rehab program. If you recently completed a drug and alcohol detox program, you may feel more comfortable committing to inpatient treatment or a residential treatment program. The reason for this is that this addiction treatment program provides you with the around the clock care that you initially received while you were going through withdrawal and detox. During inpatient care, you will be able to live on the campus of the treatment center of choice. This provides you with the safe and secure environment that you need to be able to exclusively focus on yourself and your well-being during the time that you’re in recovery. Another bonus of an inpatient treatment program is that it gives you the opportunity to meet and interact with others that are working through their own addiction treatment program. This can help you to build your support system which is something that is critical as you begin to heal from your addiction.
There are several people who are unable to commit to an inpatient treatment program for a variety of reasons. For instance, there are many people who don’t feel comfortable with the premise of inpatient treatment while there are several other people who cannot commit to an inpatient program due to their work or school responsibilities. However, this doesn’t mean that you would not be able to commit to an addiction treatment program. Instead of inpatient treatment, you can opt to work through an outpatient treatment program. Outpatient treatment gives you the flexibility that you need to work through the different factors associated with your addiction without putting your job or other responsibilities in your life.
Regardless of whether you decide to work through an inpatient or an outpatient addiction treatment center, you will need to participate in certain forms of addiction therapy which will help you to come to peace with the events in your life that may have led to your addiction. Although it’s true that counseling can feel uncomfortable at times, meaningfully and honestly participating in addiction therapy will help you to work through the different facets of your addiction. Here are some examples of addiction therapy that you will experience during your time in treatment:
- Family therapy
Unfortunately, family relationships often suffer when a member of your family is suffering from addiction. When you come to a point in your recovery where you feel as though you’re ready to start addressing these relationship issues, your treatment team can organize family therapy in which you and your loved ones can participate in. As a result, you may be able to begin to put back together with the relationships that you may have lost as a result of your addiction and work toward developing a system of support.
- Group therapy
Do you feel as though you’re completely alone with what you think and feel when it comes to experiencing addiction? During group therapy, you will learn that there are other people that may have gone through similar experiences and feeling the same thing. You will see that group therapy is similar to going to a Narcotics Anonymous meeting in many ways. Group therapy will give you the chance to share and listen to the experiences of others which can also lead to you developing your own system of support if you’re able to relate to others that are in your group.
- Individual therapy
Individual therapy is something that will also play an important role in your recovery because it will give you the chance to interact with your treatment team in a more personalized manner. During these personal therapy sessions, you will be able to talk to your treatment team about the different events in your life that contributed to your addiction but you don’t feel comfortable sharing in a group environment. Individual therapy also gives you the opportunity to review your treatment program with your recovery team and make any changes or adjustments as needed.
- Behavioral therapy
During the time that you were in active addiction, you likely learned certain harmful behaviors that need to be addressed and adjusted going forward. Behavioral therapy will help you to recognize those behaviors so that you can continue to lead a sober and healthy life.
What to Expect in Heroin Detox at Muse Treatment Center in Los Angeles
If you’re struggling with drug dependence and you’re ready to put together a treatment plan which includes going to a medical detox center, the addiction experts at Muse Treatment Center are here to help you. Regardless of whether you are struggling with an addiction to heroin or you’re suffering from an alcohol addiction issue, you can rest assured that our treatment and rehab facility will provide you with the tools and addiction resources that you need to work through the different contributing factors of your disease. For more information about treatment for heroin and our individualized substance abuse treatment programs, we encourage you to get in touch with us at (800) 426-1818.
