What Heroin Detox Feels Like
Heroin addiction goes hand in hand with physical dependence due to the highly addictive nature of opioids. Physical dependence is a sign that a person’s body has adjusted its function to accommodate the presence of heroin and requires more heroin to maintain this physically dependent balance. When substance abuse stops, withdrawal symptoms emerge and continue until the body is able to return to its normal functioning state.
During heroin detox alone or unaided, a person can expect common heroin withdrawal symptoms such as:
- Insomnia
- Vomiting and nausea
- Cramps
- Muscle and joint pain
- Intense craving
- Cold sweats
- Fever
- Diarrhea
- Anxiety
- Depression
These withdrawal symptoms can make it hard to stop alone because a person can feel driven to keep using heroin just to find relief. In a medical detox program, however, withdrawal symptom management medication can be provided to help a person more easily overcome their physical dependence and get through detox. You will help helped by supportive medical professionals and the entire experience is much easier and safer in a medical setting.
Click here for job protection & behavioral health, call Union First today at (855) 215-2023.
Can I Detox from Heroin at Home?
One of the dangers of detoxing from heroin alone is that you relapse after your tolerance level has lowered, thus opening you up to a greater drug overdose risk. It’s possible to detox from home but in a medical detox program, you will be supported emotionally and physically, and be in a drug-free setting where relapse can be prevented and your physical reliance on heroin broken.
Why Choose Medical Detox for Heroin?
The withdrawal symptoms from heroin can be intense; it’s often described as the worst flu-like symptoms you can imagine. A medical detox program will utilize FDA-approved medications which allow you to safely detox from heroin – usually in a clinical setting with round-the-clock care. It provides you with a comfortable, controlled detox experience where you will be assisted with every step of your detox process.
How Medical Detox Works
Medical detox works by using medications designed to manage your symptoms, essentially weaning a person off heroin at a more comfortable and safer pace. These medications will be given as needed and can be adjusted to ensure the effectiveness of detox. During the process, you’ll be monitored by nurses and other medical professionals to ensure that you recover safely – monitoring medical concerns and ensuring that you can are getting the right vitamins and minerals to improve your recovery process.
How Long Does Heroin Detox Last?
A heroin detox generally takes around 5 to 7 days to complete. Symptoms can begin within hours so you’ll likely start your program immediately. Symptoms will progress and reach their peak on roughly the second to the third day of recovery. After the peak, you’ll start to feel better until you are ready to complete your program on around the fifth to the seventh day.
Find Safe Heroin Detox with the Help of Union First
Our employee assistance program provides key benefits for employees suffering from behavioral health issues such as opioid use disorder (heroin addiction). Union First helps its members to find accredited addiction treatment programs while also helping members to keep their job while receiving behavioral health care including heroin detox programs.
As a Union First member, you can focus on your heroin addiction recovery and not have to worry about potentially losing your job or having to sift through countless rehabs to find one that will work for you. Get in touch with Union First today so that we can help you find an accredited opioid detox center and help you find a rehab center to treat the underlying causes of your addiction.
Click here for job protection & behavioral health, call Union First today at (855) 215-2023.