A person with heroin addiction is facing a life-threatening battle for their life. Many of those seeking addiction help in Florida will have a far better outcome than if they tried to stop using at home and on their own. Why is that?
Heroin detox creates numerous symptoms of withdrawal as well as emotional and psychological changes. In a safe setting, these symptoms can be managed.
The National Institutes on Drug Abuse reports that over 47,600 people overdosed on heroin in 2017. You don’t have to be one of them. Through detox, it is possible for you to break free of your addiction.
Why is Heroin Detox Needed?
Heroin is a powerful opiate. It creates a feeling of euphoria and well-being, so much so that it can be hard to stop using the drug. When a person has used the drug numerous times, their body becomes dependent on it.
You crave that feeling again. You need the drug just to get through the day. Yet, it is this dependency that makes detox so vital.
Without detox in a medically monitored environment, you may find it very hard to stop using. You may continue sacrificing your health, your family’s needs and other responsibilities just to keep using the substance. Most importantly, the body’s dependency on the drug makes it nearly impossible to just stop.
What Happens When You Stop Using Heroin?
If you don’t seek out heroin detox help in South Florida, chances are good you will experience withdrawal. Heroin withdrawal can occur in many people, including those who have used the drug just a handful of times. Withdrawal is different for every person.
However, many experience symptoms such as:
- Flu-like symptoms, known as being “dope sick”
- Gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea and vomiting
- Cold, clammy skin
- Night Sweats
- Anxiety and nightmares
- Involuntary movement, especially of the legs
- Bone and muscle pain
- Hallucinations
- Intense cravings for more of the drug or other drugs
Withdrawal symptoms make it critical to consider heroin detox in Palm Beach County or any other area where medical care is available through the withdrawal process. At FHE Health, our Broward County facility provides detox from heroin in a protected facility.
Why Heroin Causes Withdrawal Symptoms
Heroin is a member of the opiate class of drugs that suppress the central nervous system, including heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. It binds to special receptors in the brain, increasing chemicals like dopamine, that are responsible for feelings of pleasure. When a person uses heroin, they get an immediate rush of euphoria, and when the drug is removed from their system, the opposite occurs, leaving them feeling like they are going through the worst possible physical and emotional pain.
Withdrawal symptoms can be worse for some people. If you have a history of addiction, withdrawal is likely to be more pronounced.
Also note that those who have a history of depression, diagnosed or not, are likely to face life-threatening challenges. Detoxing from heroin can increase suicidal thoughts and behaviors because of the chemical dependency formed in the brain from repeated use.
What Are Your Detox Options for Heroin?
There are options to help you. Heroin medical detox tends to be the best option overall. Detox takes place in a facility like our locations in Palm Beach County and Broward County.
There, your doctors recommend a course of action that is best for your needs. There are several ways doctors can help you. Take a closer look at the most commonly used options.
Detox With Suboxone
One of the most common options is suboxone. Heroin is one of the few addictive drugs that can be treated by using another drug in its place.
In this case, the replacement drug, suboxone, helps wean a person from their dependency at a safe rate to minimize any complications and life-threatening reactions. This type of heroin detox medication that can only be administered by a licensed professional and used in a controlled environment.
Suboxone contains buprenorphine, which works as a mild form of the opiate drug. It creates some of the same effects that the brain is used to when it was receiving heroin, which helps the brain to slowly become less dependent on it. It works well to prevent shock and acute withdrawal symptoms.
However, it’s important to recognize that suboxone can also create a dependency if used inappropriately. As a result, it can only be used for a short time and, right from the start, tapered properly. Inpatient addiction treatment helps minimize these risks.
Medically Assisted Heroin Detox
Entering a heroin medical detox can be the best step for many people. Our Florida detox center lets you work one-on-one with your doctors to ensure the substance is safely removed from your body. Because the detoxification process can create intense withdrawal and life-threatening events, such as seizures, loss of consciousness and delirium, it’s best to be in a medical facility that can monitor your health and stabilize your pain.
A key component of a heroin medical detox is not just providing you with a safe place to detoxify, but giving you support for your mental health during this process. You also begin addiction support during this process as your body allows.
Beginning Vivitrol After Detox
Many people seeking heroin detox help don’t realize how long a process it is to eliminate this substance from the body and, in the long term, to improve the body’s ability to manage its absence. Some people may benefit from the use of Vivitrol (naltrexone) during this process.
Vivitrol is a type of opioid antagonist. That means the medication works to block the same opioid receptors that heroin does. By blocking them in this manner, the drugs cannot cause the same release of dopamine.
As a result, heroin doesn’t reduce your cravings anymore, and eventually, your body stops wanting it. Drug-seeking urges start lessen overall.
Vivitrol is typically a part of our Medication-Assisted Treatment at FHE Health. When you visit our detox center in Florida, we’ll talk more about whether this treatment is right for your needs.
Is Heroin Detox at Home Safe?
The short answer to this question is no. Detoxing from an addictive substance like this is dangerous. There are numerous risks to your health, including the possibility of seizures, loss of consciousness and other health-related complications.
Additionally, because of the psychological, physical and emotional hold that heron has on most people, it is nearly impossible to stop using on your own. To avoid these risks and to ensure you get the best possible chance at recovery, contact our team for detox service and, if necessary, inpatient treatment for your addiction.
Heroin Detox at FHE Health
As a full-service heroin detox program in South Florida, FHE Health covers all of your needs in medically assisted and mental health support. Contact our team for 24-hour help to learn more about our services and to get immediate assistance if you are facing a severe need. Our detox facility is always available to provide you with immediate help when you call us at (833) 596-3502.
