Shame is one of the top obstacles to detoxing from heroin. If you’re battling heroin dependence or addiction, please know that you’re not alone, and shame will only push you further away from getting help.
Heroin addiction is an illness that you can’t control. However, you can regain your control by recovering with the help of addiction specialists.
To find out how you can get sober with a heroin detox in Leeds, please contact our advisors on 0800 140 4690.
Heroin has been taking lives for many years, but 2010 was a key milestone, involving a sharp rise in heroin overdose deaths (1). This was just one of several opioid overdose waves.
Though heroin overdose rates have thankfully declined over the past few years, opioids still make the single largest contribution to illicit drug-related mortality and morbidity worldwide (2).
What’s clear is that heroin dependence and addiction are extremely difficult to overcome.
Withdrawal from heroin can cause very uncomfortable symptoms, which is often what keeps people trapped in the cycle of dependence: a fear of experiencing these symptoms.
Recovery requires heroin users to be prepared for their bodies to be reset and their brains to be rewired. It’s at odds with addiction, which tempts people to stay dependent on heroin, and convinces them they need it to survive.
To break free from heroin dependence, a detox must take place. This doesn’t fix the addiction, but it makes it easier for the individual to choose sobriety. They’re slowly eased off the addictive drug, helping them to cope without it, and to be in the right headspace to take on heroin addiction recovery.
Think of it like the calm in the storm. Addiction is extremely chaotic, but detoxing stabilises the situation, and provides a clear structure for the patient to follow, creating a safe environment for recovery.
This process takes time, so don’t expect detoxing from heroin to be a relaxing experience from the get-go. It’s likely to include uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms, which can last from days to weeks, but when you push through this phase, you’re rewarded with a more stable mind and body.
Here are some key things to know about heroin withdrawal:
Withdrawal symptoms vary from person to person, but it’s common to experience: runny nose, abdominal cramps, muscle pain, sweating, dilated pupils, vomiting, nausea, depression, insomnia, yawning, cravings, and anxiety.
As for heroin detox risks, keep in mind:
Overall, heroin detox is not as risky as many other drug detoxes, but it can be dangerous. It’s always wise to detox in a professional setting, where any risks are accounted for and mitigated.
If you’re concerned about these risks, please know that the lowest-risk option is to detox in residential rehab in Leeds. In this scenario, you’re avoiding some of the risks entirely (e.g., cold turkey detoxing), and keeping yourself safe in case other risks arise. You’d be fully supported by medical professionals, who would keep risks as low as possible.
Another thing to keep in mind is that heroin addiction also carries risks. You may not be signing up to it in the same way you’d request a detox, but you’re still living with plenty of risk of long-term damage. Heroin detox in Leeds saves lives by gradually reducing risk until
To explain how detoxing helps the brain’s reward system, we need to clarify how heroin interferes with the reward system in the first place.
People who use heroin are experiencing huge rushes of dopamine when the effects kick in.
It’s not dopamine itself that’s the issue. We all need dopamine. It’s an important chemical that brings us a sense of reward for maintaining our survival, e.g., eating.
However, heroin-related dopamine surges are much stronger than the rush we get from natural dopamine, which feels good in the moment, but causes damage to our reward pathway.
Essentially, the brain wants to avoid these chaotic surges of dopamine, so it does this by producing less dopamine. As we’ve established, we all need dopamine, so this reduction in dopamine can lead to an inability to feel pleasure from everyday activities, which is known as anhedonia.
What’s more, we’ve grown to associate the boost of dopamine with survival, so our brain starts to link heroin to survival, and becomes increasingly reliant on it.
Over time, users start to seek out more heroin to feel the same level of reward, which is called tolerance.
At this stage, the switch has flipped. It’s no longer a case of simply wanting to feel euphoric, it’s a case of avoiding the negative symptoms that come when you aren’t consuming heroin.
As you know, heroin detox isn’t simply a treatment for the brain’s reward system. It’s effective across many different areas, with the ultimate goal of removing dependence on heroin.
That said, detoxing is the best treatment for unnatural dopamine levels following heroin addiction.
When you undergo heroin detox in Leeds, you will gradually taper off the drug, which gives your brain time to adapt to the changing dopamine levels.
Although there will be withdrawal symptoms along the way, after a maximum of a few weeks (excluding any rare complications), dopamine levels will improve, and patients will be able to enter recovery with a more stable baseline mood.
They’ll also find it easier to feel joy from simple activities once again, and feel a sense of reward from activities that bring much less stimulation than heroin.
Sometimes, it takes more time for this to happen, and requires ongoing addiction therapy. Regardless, being free from heroin is something to celebrate, and there’s no doubt that approaching further treatment in a sober state significantly boosts your chances of a smooth recovery.
Short-term use of heroin is incredibly rare. It’s such an addictive substance that most people end up developing dependence or addiction.
Being dependent on heroin affects the brain and body in many ways.
This is when someone needs more heroin to feel the same effects. As they take more heroin, whether it’s consuming higher doses or taking the same amount more frequently, they’re risking more severe damage to their brain and body, from extreme fatigue to brain damage.
People who are addicted to heroin are often emotionally attached to the drug. This can make it incredibly difficult for them to regulate their emotions without using heroin.
It’s very common for heroin users to report low energy levels. Addiction is a physically and mentally exhausting disease, so it’s bound to have an impact on your energy.
Following on from low energy, poor sleep is a common symptom of heroin dependence. It’s tricky to sleep well when you’re battling severe symptoms, and when this becomes a chronic problem (such as insomnia), it can become dangerous.
Below, we outline what a heroin detox is like:
Your detox experience will be very different depending on where it takes place.
Outpatient detox in Leeds provides patients with a comfortable environment, tailored detox plans, and the flexibility of daytime care (patients get to go home every evening).
On the other hand, inpatient detoxing is more structured, as it all takes place at the treatment facility, and patients don’t go home until the end of the detox.
Both options offer medication, emotional support and aftercare. The main difference is the hours spent at the treatment centre. For people who are high-risk in terms of relapse, it’s usually recommended to detox as an inpatient, where there is 24/7 supervision and care.
When it comes to getting a private vs NHS heroin detox, the main differences are budget and time.
NHS detoxes are free, so they’re a great option for anyone who is struggling to afford detox in Leeds.
However, a key problem with NHS detoxes is low availability. Lots of patients aren’t able to access a free detox, so going private allows them to withdraw from heroin very quickly.
It doesn’t have to be expensive. There are lots of different options for heroin detoxes, and whilst some are costly and luxurious, others are very much budget-friendly.
Some people get a heroin detox as their only type of addiction treatment, and then they go on to maintain sobriety. Yet, it’s very unlikely that someone will stay sober if they don’t address their psychological needs.
The most effective way to withdraw from heroin long-term is to follow a full heroin treatment plan, which begins with a heroin detox, includes lots of psychological support along the way, and ends with aftercare.
If a full treatment programme isn’t possible for you, please prioritise aftercare. It will help you to avoid relapse in the months and years following your heroin detox, through things such as:
Yes, medication is often used as part of heroin detox in Leeds.
Methadone and buprenorphine can be used to help patients withdraw from heroin safely, without experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms.
Other medications can also be used to treat existing mental health disorders, ease cravings, and reduce specific symptoms such as nausea.
It’s important to note that each patient will receive an individual treatment plan, so the medication they receive may differ.
Ahead of the detox, doctors will work with patients to find out their medical history and determine which medications are safe and effective for them.
We often say detox should happen as soon as possible. By this, we mean that delaying detox can be very dangerous for people with a heroin problem, as symptoms can escalate very quickly. Even if someone has been using heroin for decades, it’s not safe to wait it out.
That being said, heroin detoxes need to be planned out methodically. So, how do heroin rehab facilities maintain this sense of urgency whilst prioritising planning?
There’s a set process for rehabs to follow. Staff are experienced in moving through each stage of the planning process with great care. They implement:
With this structure in place, rehabs can sometimes offer detoxing within just a day.
Despite the process being fixed, the details are not. Each patient’s individual needs are highly valued, and will be taken into account at every stage.
For example, if a patient is dual diagnosis, their mental health needs will be included in their plan, and will be reflected in the type of emotional support they receive. This could look like:
Our expertise on heroin detox, and our many years of experience in the addiction treatment industry, put us in a great position to refer you to some of the most successful treatment providers in Leeds.
Not convinced? Have a chat with one of our advisors, who may have even gone through the heroin addiction treatment process themselves: 0800 140 4690.
Below, we provide answers to common questions around this important topic:
When you’ve taken heroin for a long period of time, you may not realise just how high your tolerance is. Withdrawing from heroin reduces your tolerance significantly, which makes you more at-risk of heroin overdose.
It’s dangerous to detox from heroin without professional help as you don’t have the resources needed to keep detoxing safe, such as 24/7 monitoring, medication, mental health support, and education/experience in tapering.
Some people choose to work with a home detox company, which is a much safer option. However, risks still remain, as there’s no round-the-clock-care, so it’s not recommended to all.
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/overdose-prevention/about/understanding-the-opioid-overdose-epidemic.html
