Heroin is a misunderstood addiction, and these misunderstandings bleed into ideas about detoxing, too.
Today, we want to clear up some misconceptions about heroin detox in Manchester by outlining exactly what it is, how you can do it safely, and when you can get started.
If you’re considering detoxing from heroin, we’d advise you to arrange this as soon as possible, for your own safety. Please get in touch with us on 0800 140 4690 for a speedy referral.
Heroin is a type of opioid that’s made from morphine. It’s a highly addictive Class A drug.
To put its power into perspective, 23-38% of new heroin users develop dependence within 1-12 months (1).
So, even people with a low risk of addiction are playing with fire when they start using heroin. That said, there are other factors that increase the likelihood of becoming addicted, such as:
When someone is addicted to heroin, they find it incredibly hard to stop using it, even if they can see that it’s causing serious damage. This is why we refer to addiction as an illness.
In the DSM-5, Opioid Use Disorder is described as “a pattern of opioid use that leads to problems or distress, with at least 2 of the criteria below occurring within 12 months”.
The criteria includes things like spending a great deal of time obtaining or using the opioid or recovering from its effects, and problems fulfilling obligations at work, school, or home (2).
People may logically understand that they need to quit heroin, but the reality is they are physically and emotionally attached to it, which is very challenging to undo.
Heroin detox is often labelled the hardest drug to detox from. We’re not here to contradict that, but to make it clear that detoxing from heroin is possible, and plenty of people in Manchester have done it.
When you’re addicted to heroin, it can feel like heroin is running your life. It’s dominating your thoughts, controlling your decisions, and taking away your motivation to do anything.
Detoxing helps you take back control. It gets rid of all the heroin in your system, meaning you will be completely sober (possibly for the first time in a long time), and able to approach the next stage of recovery with a clearer mind and a healthier body.
As detox only lasts several days or weeks, it’s not going to transform you into the epitome of health. However, you’d be surprised at the power of a clearer mind, better sleep, increased energy, etc. All these things put you in a better position to resist cravings and stay focused on your mission of staying sober.
While you’re going through the detox, you may experience a range of heroin withdrawal symptoms. Professional detoxes in Manchester are structured in a way that makes these symptoms easier to manage, through ongoing monitoring and medications.
Sometimes, opioid substitute medications are provided as part of heroin detox in Manchester. They reduce certain withdrawal symptoms, such as cravings, which is particularly useful for relapse prevention when you’re dealing with a drug as addictive as heroin.
If the patient is going for a full detox, they will only take this meditation short-term, before tapering off it. Some patients stay on the substitute drug afterwards, which is known as maintenance therapy.
It may sound counterproductive to put a patient on another opioid after they’ve become addicted to heroin. However, these substitutes are much safer than heroin. They can still be tricky to detox from, but they’re sometimes a necessary bridge between severe heroin addiction and full abstinence.
The two main types of substitute drugs offered in the UK are:
Even though professional heroin detox in Manchester is a safety-first treatment, it can still be dangerous.
Withdrawal symptoms from heroin can be very intense, and even deadly.
Fortunately, doctors work round the clock to monitor and treat withdrawal symptoms, which means it’s much safer to detox at rehab than at home (especially if detoxing at home involves going cold turkey).
At rehab, any severe withdrawal symptoms will be recognised and treated immediately.
Most people won’t battle severe withdrawal symptoms, but it’s important to be aware of them just in case. More common symptoms include:
Lots of people report that detoxing feels like the flu. Although you can’t predict exactly how you will feel, the flu analogy is an accurate idea of what detox feels like for many people.
You should also consider what your circumstances are like, as this can give you an indication of how taxing the detox will be.
People who have a severe heroin addiction, physical health issues, high tolerance and strong cravings tend to have a harder time withdrawing. Even so, they receive the care they need to get through it.
Something else to keep in mind is that the above symptoms won’t necessarily happen all at once.
Some are more likely to appear early on, and others might crop up later, so you may get a break from some of these uncomfortable symptoms.
Where should you go for a heroin detox in Manchester?
One option is residential heroin rehab in Manchester. There are many rehabs welcoming inpatients onto their 28-day treatment programmes, which start with a heroin detox.
Alternatively, you can go to rehab for the detox alone (though further treatments are highly recommended).
Pros:
Cons:
Withdrawing from heroin at home involves keeping in touch with a heroin home detox provider in Manchester and following their advice. There’s a lot of trust involved, but in the right situation, it can be life-saving.
Pros:
Cons:
Interested in rehab but can’t commit to leaving your home? Outpatient detoxing helps you to withdraw from heroin with the knowledge that you can be back at home every night.
Pros:
Cons:
It’s not uncommon for people to relapse after a heroin detox. Addiction has great power over drug users, and one detox doesn’t always keep them away from relapse (especially if they don’t get psychological treatments afterwards).
However, relapsing can and should be avoided at all costs. It’s dangerous at any time, but particularly right after a heroin detox.
After withdrawing from heroin, patients are completely sober, and their tolerance is therefore much lower than it once was. Using heroin again is linked to a higher risk of overdose.
Addiction recovery comes with a lot of change. A stable detox environment can help clients cope with this change by making them feel safe, secure, and supported.
First, what does a stable environment look like in the detox phase?
In this comfortable setting, patients are much more likely to tackle the detox with motivation and resilience.
This is because:
Where do you go after heroin detox in Manchester?
Don’t worry, the support doesn’t have to end there.
If you know anything about Rehab4Addiction, you’ll know that we strongly recommend comprehensive treatment programmes, which include both detoxing and therapy.
Addiction doesn’t just affect your body, it impacts your mind. If you neglect psychological treatments, you’re missing out on a huge part of recovery, and this is a common reason people relapse early in recovery.
So, please consider pursuing an addiction programme that offers therapy after you detox. If you’re an inpatient, you’ll be able to do this alongside other patients (group therapy), but you will also get some time for yourself and your therapist to privately address your addiction (individual therapies).
Other productive ways to move forward after heroin detox are:
The most risky option you could take is ignoring the depth of your addiction. It’s incredibly hard to face your problems head-on, but that’s what rehab teaches you to do, and it’s what helps people transform their lives after heroin addiction.
Being open and honest with yourself and others will keep you accountable as you continue to recover from heroin addiction. The key word here is “continue”. Recovery isn’t a quick fix, it’s a journey you will be on for the rest of your life, so if you’re not choosing sobriety, you’re choosing addiction.
With enough support, anyone can get started with recovery. We urge you to consider heroin detox as soon as possible, as this is the first step of many that could turn your life around.
Recovery is never an easy choice to make, but take a moment to consider the alternative. Addiction treatment gives you a chance to start again, and we’d always recommend taking that chance.
With Rehab4Addiction, you can get sober with the support of a reputable treatment provider, such as an inpatient rehab, outpatient rehab, or home detox provider.
Let’s talk treatment today on 0800 140 4690. We’d love to relieve the stress of finding the right provider.
Below, we provide answers to common questions around this important topic:
Heroin withdrawal lasts up to a few weeks. This varies greatly depending on the severity of the problem, whether withdrawal symptoms are present, and other factors, so it can be as short as several days, or even longer than a few weeks.
Yes, some people relapse after getting addiction treatment at rehab. Relapse is most likely in the first year following rehab, which is why aftercare is put in place to help clients stay sober.
Even though relapse can still happen after rehab, it’s still the most successful treatment type. If someone has been to rehab, there’s a much better chance that they will either not relapse at all, or know how to recover from their relapse and regain momentum for recovery.
Yes, someone with a heroin addiction, or in fact any addiction, is more likely to have a mental health condition.
It’s called dual diagnosis, and there are specific treatments for it. Some rehabs even specialise in dual diagnosis, so they offer therapies that are known to be particularly effective (e.g., trauma therapy for patients with heroin addiction and PTSD).
[1] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2681168
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK558319/table/box1/
