• 💊 OTHER DRUGS 💊 Welcome Guest
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
    Notable Threads 1 Notable Threads 2
    Dangerous Combos Addiction Support
    Emergency Services Benzo Guide v.1
    Addiction Stories Scary Case Studies
    Biology, Pharmacology & Drugs 101
  • Select Your Topic Then Scroll Down
    Alcohol Bupe Benzos
    Cocaine Heroin Opioids
    RCs Stimulants Misc
    Harm Reduction All Topics Gabapentinoids
    Tired of your habit? Struggling to cope?
    Want to regain control or get sober?
    Visit our Recovery Support Forums

How Hard is it to get off of Heroin

A

Angie19

Bluelighter
Joined
Sep 23, 2000
Messages
339
Location
Delaware City, Delaware, US
One of my best friends has been addicted to Heroin for almost a year. He has been clean for about 5 days. Also he had a problem with it 3 1/2 years ago. He doesnt want to go to rehab or be put on Methadone. He is going to a therapist and has his family and friends' support. Is that enough? Has anyone have or had a problem with Heroin that could give me some advice. I posted a more detailed post In the Dark Side. I would appreciate any advice. Thanx and much love.
 
Taken from:
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n1359/a01.html?12525
"Heroin is a true addiction, with a recovery rate of 40-50%," explains Giel van Brussel, who has been head of Amsterdam's addiction care department for many years. "With cocaine, the recovery rate is around 90%, so we don't see it as such an enormous problem." That is rare sanity from a policymaker, but then Dutch policymakers are saner than most.
------------------
Tree huggin hippy, hardcore muthafucker.
The big fuzzy plur bunny that under the right circumstances will FUCK YOU UP, son.
 
How hard is it to get off heroin? It isn't easy by any means. In my experience anyway. The physical withdraw can be maddening, depending on the size of the habit, how much one uses in a day, how often, how long they have been using. But I don't even think that is the most difficult part. The really hard part is being accustom to that warm, numb feeling, which for me took the place of all other feelings, then loosing that feeling and being left with several unpleasent feelings.
The thing about it is when I was using everyday, I never felt stress, never felt sad, depressed, happy, bored, tired, angry...
When I cleaned up I felt all those things, one after the other for no apparent reason.
Also, and I think the biggest thing for me was this. Toward the end of my active addiction I was miserable, I hated my life and who I had become. But I knew that there would be moments through out the course of the day when I could completely erase that misery. Those moments where something to look forward to. When I stopped using there was a period of six to eight months where I felt the same about myself and my life, but had no sort of relief to look forward to. That period of time is the most difficult. Not knowing when the cloud will lift, or if it will lift. Just waiting it out and feeling like there is nothing in life to look forward to.
That was my experience with it. It may be different for your friend.
It sounds like your friend has alot of support which will help. Just understand that if he has been using for a long time it could take several months for him to overcome the depression, and general lack of interest for life that often follows that type of addiction.
 
Well, I started shooting heroin at 14 I am now 31 and I have been clean for about 17 months. I tried pretty much everything there is for treatment of heroin addiction with the ecception of hibogaine (sp?). I've been in rehab,methadone, tried meetings, kick kits,tried having sex every time you feel like shooting up.... Nothing worked, I was in a love/hate relationship with heroin. Experts say you need to get really tired of your junky way of life to be ready to quit, you need to hit bottom. I never sold my ass on a streeet corner and managed to keep a job and a roof over my head during my junky years, and my "bottom" was having to kick in jail, I was on "drug court" ( an awful program here in Seattle) and they kept sending my ass in jail for every dirty ua (basically every time I ua'd and didnt't have a clean sample to slip in) I had to do 3 ua's a week , it was terrible.
Buprenex saved me, I got in this NIDA study and buprenorphine worked like a charm on my receptors, I stopped having cravings a month into the study, the study ended in january and I'm still clean and craving free. Buprenorphine it's in the process of being approved by the fda (maybe it already has been) I highly recomend it. It works great on the cravings, when I was on methadone I always had mind blowing cravings for heroin, they never left me. Heroin is powerful shit, the physical withdrawal is nothing, it's only the first hurdle, the real problem is trying to learn to live your life without it, dealing with the mental part of your addiction.
-cristina
 
You'll find no sugar-coated answers here.
In Short: One of the most difficult battles one could go through.
First though, let me say that the above quoted doctor from Amsterdam is ignorant fool.
Comparing the success rates of Cocaine addicts to Heroin addicts is absurd!
With no risk of physical dependancy from cocaine use, of COURSE the success rates are going to be higher! Any fool with an iota of willpower can 'get off' coke.
Heroin, sadly, is another story.
The physicaly withdrawal that one goes through in the beginning stages of heroin withdrawal is nearly unbearable. Every sound, every vibration, every slight movement of color sends waves of pain through your body strong enough to make even the toughest man collapse in pain.
Then, once you FINALLY get past those horrendous 7 or more days...you have to deal with the NEVER ENDING physical cravings. The addage "once an addict, always an addict" is so, so true.
Without a doubt, he will *never* be the same person he was before. Every waking hour he'll be thinking about it. He'll say things that he does not mean, do things he will regret.
YOU have to be stronger than HE does. He will tell you he hates you...He will not be able to sleep, nor will he want to be awake.
It is going to be PURE hell.
One of the toughest battles he'll ever face? Absolutely.
-but-
This battle is NOT an unbeatable one.
PhreeX has a FANTASTIC FAQ on opiate withdrawal. Read it. Make your friend read it.
And for his own sake, ENCOURAGE him to stay away from methadone. It boils my blood to even think about.
We are all here for you and him. Ask any questions and ask for any help you may need.
Together you can do it.
Best wishes my friend.
 
yeah i also agree that the worst part of OPIATE WITHDRAWAL is the MENTAL cravings and being able to live life on "normal" temrs,IE not being high all day long..thats the worst part i think..i have seen a good number of guys quit OPIATES, and go thru the withdrawals, only to start back up in a few weeks..they always tell me u feel "empty" after not taking OPIATES...i havent ever tried to quit and stay off, as i dont want to, but i have suffered thru withdrawal more than a few times..it sucks, u are DEPRESSED,TIRED as hell, u can't SLEEP,u are IRITABLE,nothing is FUN, u see no reason to LIVE..there are other things like DIARRHEA,LEG KICKING(horrible symptom),PARANOIA,etc etc..i have withdrawed from OXY and NUBAIN, but never HEROIN..i imagine HEROIn withdrawal is a tad worse, so your friend has some tough times ahead..i wish him luck..
i have a close buddy that is trying to quit NUBAIN, and he is literally going fucking CRAZY..he tells me he can't think, and that he doesnt even like talking to anyone..he says he also cant stand being alone, cuz he feels waves of PARANOIA...i told him to down some VALIUM, and go to sleep..
n e wayz, if ya have some VALIUM,XANAX, or ATIVAN, go ahead and take sdome..it will HELP...
also, go stock up on IMMODIUM AD,B VITAMINS, and some L-TYROSINE..those things will all help withdrawal..nothing will help the CRAVINGS though..
 
Thank You All for your in depth replys. You all gave me a much better understanding of what my friend is going through. He is dealing with the withdrawel, but I know he is having a hard time. He told me the worst pain is at night when he is trying to sleep. I know he can get through this, because he is very determined to move past this and make a better life for himself. He seems to be fine when he keeps himself busy, but when he has nothing to do or no one to talk to, he gets depressed. I am willing to do anything I can to help him get past this because he like a brother to me. It is so hard seeing someone go through this. I ve already seen my cousin go through the same thing. Thanks again everyone!!!!
 
BRY! GodDamnit! We've asked you nicely!
PLEASE stop with the RANDOM capitalization of WORDS!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top