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How Do I Stop Using Heroin

Often addicted individuals ask themselves .How do I stop using heroin?. For those who have found this webpage they are in luck. Here we will answer how an individual ends their addiction to heroin once and for all.

The majority of heroin addiction rehabilitation programs in the United States utilize the 12 steps derived from the Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous programs as their foundation. In the past, the 12 step philosophy was combined with inpatient treatment in a hospital setting for a period of at least 28 days. Addicts would attend AA or NA meetings while receiving group therapy.

Unfortunately, this model proved to be less than successful and the insurance industry has become unwilling to pay for extended stays. The current trend is to admit someone with a heroin problem to a hospital just long enough to get them through the worst of the physical withdrawal and then to send them to outpatient counseling. This method of treating heroin addiction is the most widely used and also the least successful.

There are alternatives to the common 12 step model of drug addiction recovery. Theses other drug rehabs often are more successful in answering the question of .How do I stop using heroin?. Their programs utilize unique therapeutic training drills and instructional courses which address the underlying cause of addiction in an intensive manner and from many different angles. The result is a person who has dealt with the sense of hopelessness which, as it turns out, causes a person to start using heroin in the first place. This individual, in most cases, no longer feels the need to use heroin or any other drugs.

Once you have made the firm decision to stop using heroin it is important that you know some of the withdrawal symptoms you can expect. There are three phases of heroin withdrawal. The first is acute heroin withdrawal, in which the heroin addict experiences the withdrawal syndrome. This phase peaks after about three days and ends after about five days. The second phase occurs over the next two weeks. During this period, the body re-learns the process of making the endorphins which the body has been substituting with heroin. The third phase can take anywhere from a week to a couple of months. During this phase, the body stabilizes its endorphin production.

Primary Symptoms

It is only after the completion of phase three that the former addict really feels good. However, it is the first phase that is the hardest to get through because the pain is so intense.

The primary symptoms are as follows:

Abdominal Cramps

Depression

Diarrhea

Insomnia

Nausea

Vomiting

Secondary Symptoms

The list of secondary symptoms is seemingly endless. The following list contains the most commonly experienced symptoms:

"Goose Flesh"

Alternating sweating and chills

Anxiety

Dehydration

Dilated pupils

Fever

Gagging

General body aches

Hot flashes

Hyperactivity

Increased blood pressure

Increased heart rate

Irritability

Leg cramps

Nervousness

Perspiration

Restlessness

Watery eyes

Weight loss

Here are some solutions to the question, .How do I stop using heroin.:

It is absolutely necessary to change your lifestyle

Do not go out with or associate with the same heroin using people

Do not go to the same heroin using places

Find new activities to occupy your time now that you are not using heroin

Develop friendships with non-using people

Make plans for your free time so you are not bored and thinking about using heroin

Determine what you consider risky situations/feelings/thoughts that could cause you to use again (for example: "one last time", or feeling lonely, or having a lot of money and the opportunity to buy some heroin). Try to find alternatives for all these situations.

Think of what you can do when you feel the need to use. Try to list as many alternatives as possible, for example, take a shower, exercise, call a friend. The bottom line is finding a distraction.

Developing a generally healthy lifestyle can help you stop using heroin. Make the following a regular part of your life:

Regular exercise (at least 30 minutes three times a week), regular, and nutritious meals, and at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep per night.

A support system of people you can talk to comfortably. Ask for help at home or work when the load is too great to handle.

Find ways to reduce stress that work well for you, such as participating in recreational activities and hobbies, listening to music, and doing relaxation and deep breathing exercises.

Develop and maintain a positive attitude. Believe that things will work out.