How to Quit Using Heroin
Quit cold turkey only if you're healthy enough to endure it., Set a definitive date and then taper down as much as you can., Burn all your dope bridges., Find a place to stay., Stock up on everything you'll need for 5-7 days., Drink lots of water...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Quit cold turkey only if you're healthy enough to endure it.
Withdrawing cold turkey means quitting heroin abruptly and getting your withdrawal symptoms over with as quickly as possible, usually 5-7 days of flu-like symptoms and suffering.
It can be traumatic psychologically and physically, making it only recommended for users in relatively good health.
Cold turkey heroin withdrawal is, in some cases, fatal, making cold going cold turkey is not recommended for pregnant women, or people with severe health problems. -
Step 2: Set a definitive date and then taper down as much as you can.
If you want to go cold turkey, it can help to try to get yourself down to as low a dose as possible before you stop altogether it to lessen the shock.
Whether you want to say, "I'm cold turkeying starting Friday" or "I'm cold turkeying as soon as this runs out" is up to you, but set a point at which you'll have to force yourself to cold turkey, and go through with it.
Take off work and get ready for the process.
It's critical that you avoid "tapering down" as an excuse to keep using.
If you're out of dope and you convince yourself to buy more just so you can taper, you're still using and you're not quitting.
When you make the decision to cold turkey, you need to jump.
Now.
It's like a Band-Aid, just yank that thing off and get it over with. , When your cold turkey date rolls around, it's time to destroy all your works, your needles, your dirty spoons, flush your dope, get rid of the empty baggies lying around, even throw out your belt if you need to.
Delete your dealer's number.
Get rid of anything you associate with taking heroin in preparation for cold turkey.
Make it impossible to use.
If you don't trust yourself to really make it impossible, get help.
Let a trusted friend, family member, or sponsor go through all your drawers with you and take everything away.
Don't throw it in the kitchen garbage, destroy it by smashing it with a hammer and having someone else throw it away at an undisclosed location., Have someone come over and help prepare your place, stocking up on the necessary supplies for enduring withdrawal, if you're going to cold turkey there, or check yourself into a safe place like a hotel or a friend's house where you'll be able to spend the week in quiet, and have them clean out your place for you while you're in the middle of it.
Either way, wipe a week off your schedule and get ready for hell.
Get someone to check up on you regularly throughout the hard week to come, or better yet, get someone to stay with you and see you through the process.
It can be a dark and lonely feeling cold turkeying all by yourself.
So don't. , The single most important thing you'll need is lots and lots of drinking water and time.
It's essential that you stay fully hydrated while you're in the throws of cold turkey and that you cut yourself off from your life as an addict while you're going through withdrawal.
Fluids, over-the-counter flu medication, and some food you'll be able to stomach like peanut butter and soup will help make the process a lot easier, as well as enough clothes to change into and out of., Drink as much as you can stomach.
Night sweats and diarrhea will be a problem, both of which can dehydrate you quickly, so make sure you've got plenty of water and you're keeping it down as best you can.
Gatorade helps keep your electrolytes and your blood sugar up, while grapefruit juice can provide essential vitamins.
Likewise, straight up multi-vitamins and isotonic mixtures do wonders.
If drinks other than water nauseate you, try to water them down to drink them.
Gatorade will really help keep your electrolytes up, which is essential.
Cut the drink with some water and keep it down.
You've got this. , There's no use beating around the bush:
Heroin withdrawal will feel like the worst flu you've ever had, and it'll last for several relentless days.
Common symptoms include severe night sweats, nausea, and diarrhea, so it's a good idea to keep some flu medication around and take it as needed to keep the symptoms in check and help you get some rest.
In preparation, sometimes it helps to take a dose of milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide, a laxative) a few days before you start, while you're still tapering down, to clear out your system and make the diarrhea somewhat milder during cold turkey.
Some have found success in taking large doses (30-40 mg) of Imodium for the first couple of days during the worst part of cold turkey, and then starting to taper down to avoid constipation.
Try to space out the OTC drugs you take, if any, and avoid abusing them.
Natural alternatives like Valerian are also popular and effective in calming your nerves and softening the nausea you'll experience.
Since it even binds to the same brain receptors, think of it like herbal Valium that's cheap and available at Walmart. , Bread and peanut butter can save your life during cold turkey.
It's going to be hard to keep anything down, but forcing yourself to eat a few bites of peanut butter sandwich will help give you strength and help you feel human.
Keep some broth or ramen on hand to heat up and vary the routine a little, but whatever you do, try to eat a little bit every day to stay as human as possible. , Have a pile of bedsheets handy because the night sweats can be rough.
Change your clothes and underwear every day. try to keep yourself as clean as possible, if for no other reason than to distract yourself.
Take warm baths when it feels appropriate and rest up.
You're fighting the good fight, so try to relax as much as possible and rest.
Feeling extremely cold chills will be common for you throughout cold turkey (that's why it's called cold turkey).
Warm baths can feel really great, keeping you warm and close to normal.
When you're feeling the chills come on and you can't get warm, jump in the bath or the shower and let the steam work on you. , It might sound ridiculous, or like the last thing that you'd want to do, but going for a long walk or jog is the single most effective way of relieving the leg cramps and chill-pains you're going to feel throughout the process.
Sometimes it's even as if you don't have any symptoms at all when you're using your body to get some exercise.
Force yourself to move around and then reward yourself with a warm bath.
Take those first few steps toward being clean. , You're fighting the hardest fight you'll ever be in.
It's not going to be fun, but you're doing the first necessary work of quitting heroin for good and reclaiming your life.
You're not a slave to dope.
Prove it. -
Step 3: Burn all your dope bridges.
-
Step 4: Find a place to stay.
-
Step 5: Stock up on everything you'll need for 5-7 days.
-
Step 6: Drink lots of water
-
Step 7: Gatorade
-
Step 8: and grapefruit juice.
-
Step 9: Take Nyquil
-
Step 10: Imodium
-
Step 11: and dramamine to combat the flu symptoms.
-
Step 12: Eat something.
-
Step 13: Stay clean and try to sleep.
-
Step 14: Get some exercise
-
Step 15: if at all possible.
-
Step 16: Take it a day at a time.
Detailed Guide
Withdrawing cold turkey means quitting heroin abruptly and getting your withdrawal symptoms over with as quickly as possible, usually 5-7 days of flu-like symptoms and suffering.
It can be traumatic psychologically and physically, making it only recommended for users in relatively good health.
Cold turkey heroin withdrawal is, in some cases, fatal, making cold going cold turkey is not recommended for pregnant women, or people with severe health problems.
If you want to go cold turkey, it can help to try to get yourself down to as low a dose as possible before you stop altogether it to lessen the shock.
Whether you want to say, "I'm cold turkeying starting Friday" or "I'm cold turkeying as soon as this runs out" is up to you, but set a point at which you'll have to force yourself to cold turkey, and go through with it.
Take off work and get ready for the process.
It's critical that you avoid "tapering down" as an excuse to keep using.
If you're out of dope and you convince yourself to buy more just so you can taper, you're still using and you're not quitting.
When you make the decision to cold turkey, you need to jump.
Now.
It's like a Band-Aid, just yank that thing off and get it over with. , When your cold turkey date rolls around, it's time to destroy all your works, your needles, your dirty spoons, flush your dope, get rid of the empty baggies lying around, even throw out your belt if you need to.
Delete your dealer's number.
Get rid of anything you associate with taking heroin in preparation for cold turkey.
Make it impossible to use.
If you don't trust yourself to really make it impossible, get help.
Let a trusted friend, family member, or sponsor go through all your drawers with you and take everything away.
Don't throw it in the kitchen garbage, destroy it by smashing it with a hammer and having someone else throw it away at an undisclosed location., Have someone come over and help prepare your place, stocking up on the necessary supplies for enduring withdrawal, if you're going to cold turkey there, or check yourself into a safe place like a hotel or a friend's house where you'll be able to spend the week in quiet, and have them clean out your place for you while you're in the middle of it.
Either way, wipe a week off your schedule and get ready for hell.
Get someone to check up on you regularly throughout the hard week to come, or better yet, get someone to stay with you and see you through the process.
It can be a dark and lonely feeling cold turkeying all by yourself.
So don't. , The single most important thing you'll need is lots and lots of drinking water and time.
It's essential that you stay fully hydrated while you're in the throws of cold turkey and that you cut yourself off from your life as an addict while you're going through withdrawal.
Fluids, over-the-counter flu medication, and some food you'll be able to stomach like peanut butter and soup will help make the process a lot easier, as well as enough clothes to change into and out of., Drink as much as you can stomach.
Night sweats and diarrhea will be a problem, both of which can dehydrate you quickly, so make sure you've got plenty of water and you're keeping it down as best you can.
Gatorade helps keep your electrolytes and your blood sugar up, while grapefruit juice can provide essential vitamins.
Likewise, straight up multi-vitamins and isotonic mixtures do wonders.
If drinks other than water nauseate you, try to water them down to drink them.
Gatorade will really help keep your electrolytes up, which is essential.
Cut the drink with some water and keep it down.
You've got this. , There's no use beating around the bush:
Heroin withdrawal will feel like the worst flu you've ever had, and it'll last for several relentless days.
Common symptoms include severe night sweats, nausea, and diarrhea, so it's a good idea to keep some flu medication around and take it as needed to keep the symptoms in check and help you get some rest.
In preparation, sometimes it helps to take a dose of milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide, a laxative) a few days before you start, while you're still tapering down, to clear out your system and make the diarrhea somewhat milder during cold turkey.
Some have found success in taking large doses (30-40 mg) of Imodium for the first couple of days during the worst part of cold turkey, and then starting to taper down to avoid constipation.
Try to space out the OTC drugs you take, if any, and avoid abusing them.
Natural alternatives like Valerian are also popular and effective in calming your nerves and softening the nausea you'll experience.
Since it even binds to the same brain receptors, think of it like herbal Valium that's cheap and available at Walmart. , Bread and peanut butter can save your life during cold turkey.
It's going to be hard to keep anything down, but forcing yourself to eat a few bites of peanut butter sandwich will help give you strength and help you feel human.
Keep some broth or ramen on hand to heat up and vary the routine a little, but whatever you do, try to eat a little bit every day to stay as human as possible. , Have a pile of bedsheets handy because the night sweats can be rough.
Change your clothes and underwear every day. try to keep yourself as clean as possible, if for no other reason than to distract yourself.
Take warm baths when it feels appropriate and rest up.
You're fighting the good fight, so try to relax as much as possible and rest.
Feeling extremely cold chills will be common for you throughout cold turkey (that's why it's called cold turkey).
Warm baths can feel really great, keeping you warm and close to normal.
When you're feeling the chills come on and you can't get warm, jump in the bath or the shower and let the steam work on you. , It might sound ridiculous, or like the last thing that you'd want to do, but going for a long walk or jog is the single most effective way of relieving the leg cramps and chill-pains you're going to feel throughout the process.
Sometimes it's even as if you don't have any symptoms at all when you're using your body to get some exercise.
Force yourself to move around and then reward yourself with a warm bath.
Take those first few steps toward being clean. , You're fighting the hardest fight you'll ever be in.
It's not going to be fun, but you're doing the first necessary work of quitting heroin for good and reclaiming your life.
You're not a slave to dope.
Prove it.
About the Author
Julie James
Enthusiastic about teaching practical skills techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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