Meth and heroin are among the most intense drugs that can quickly draw you into addiction. Both drugs are very dangerous and the detox process can be agonizing. When considering how to get off methamphetamine or heroin without going to jail to force the detox, it’s critical to consider your timeline. While alcohol takes 7 days to detox from, meth can take a month.
Heroin detox can be fatal without medical support and medications to wean you off the drug. It’s very important that you focus on the difference between detox and rehab. During detox, your cravings will be intense and may lead to a lot of discomfort. Symptoms from detox may put you and those around you at risk, such as
- nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
- agitation, anxiety and depression
- sweating and muscle cramps
- extreme irritability to the point of violence
Because detox can require supporting medications, be aware that you may need to then detox from products such as methadone. Your body will need time to shed these drugs to come into balance.
Cleanse, Heal and Learn to Love Yourself
If detox is a cleansing process, it will likely leave you feeling empty and rather raw. You may have been putting a great deal of your energy and focus into getting more drugs to feed the cravings. While detox can lower the intensity of your physical need, your mental and emotional cravings will continue to be intense. The next step after detox is to enter rehab. For those who have been struggling against the pull of chemicals such as heroin and meth, it’s a good idea to enter inpatient rehab. Your treatment process may include
- mental health diagnosis and treatment
- ongoing physical assessments to help you overcome the damage done by the drugs
- behavioral counseling to help you better understand your addiction triggers
- family therapy and group counseling
Depending on the length of time you’ve been using, you may have lost contact with family and healthy friendships. If your social connections are all tied to drug use, rebuilding community will be a part of your drug rehab. Learning to get back into the world and build healthy friendships may well be part of your training. Many people who struggle with addiction come from families that have been scarred or twisted by addiction.
If your family has a history of addiction of any sort, you may have a very negative view of yourself as a weak or destructive person. You may have done terrible things to family members who trusted you in an effort to get more drugs. The person you were may well not be the person that you are trying to become. Be patient with your family; it may take more time for them to be able to recommit to you and the person you’re becoming.
The cultural view of addiction may have gotten in your way of entering detox and rehab. If your understanding of addiction is that it is a sign of weakness, you may have struggled to stop using on your own for years. Getting help for your illness may be the first step in accepting drug addiction as an illness. Bringing your family to this viewpoint may take more time.
Because both meth and heroin are illegal, you may have made connections with people who are dangerous and not good for you or your family. New social connections are critical for anyone doing the work of detox and rehab. Your rehab facility may encourage you to join in community activities that may or may not have a religious bent. Be very honest with your counselors and even your chaplain about any discomfort you may have regarding your religious history. Help is available. To fully change your life and get off of heroin or meth, you will need a great deal of support and, most importantly, time. Our counselors are available 24 hours a day. Call 833-820-2922.