Kyle Ruggeri, CARC – Page 13 – Soberdogs Recovery

Every inch of my body felt as if someone was slowly sticking an ice pick in it. Early recovery from heroin (opioids) feels like you're going to die. Fortunately, it's extremely rare to die detoxing from heroin. Getting through the first 30 days of detox is not easy, but countless others (including myself) have got through it and so can you! It takes hard work, patience, and a great support system. During this time you will need to embrace your negative feelings both mentally and physically and remember it won't last forever. Once I got through the first 2 weeks, the light at the end of the tunnel began to come into view. Many people (myself included), think that we will feel normal after the initial withdrawal is over. We expect to go through withdrawal and that's it, then we feel normal again. Anyone who has been through those first few months knows it's going to be a roller coaster of emotions, feelings, and a lot of hard work. What To Expect During The First 30 Days Of Detox Days 1-10: Acute withdrawal symptoms will start 8-12 hours after last use. These may include, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, chills, anxiety, muscle aches, and insomnia. Withdrawal symptoms are similar to Flu symptoms except worse. These symptoms will peak within 2-4 days. These symptoms typically last 5-7 days. Days 11-20: PAWS (post-acute withdrawal syndrome) usually begins once the acute withdrawal is over. Common symptoms of PAWS may include anxiety, depression, cravings, insomnia, irritability, and fatigue. PAWS symptoms tend to be more mental and emotional than physical. These symptoms may persist for weeks or months. Days 21-30: Post-acute Withdrawal Syndrome will typically continue due to the neurological effects caused by prolonged heroin (opioid) use. Symptoms such as irritability, mood swings, and intense emotions may get worse. Intense heroin (opioid) cravings can persist for months. Certain medications are usually prescribed to help overcome cravings. Cravings will usually lessen and become more manageable with time. **The duration and intensity of withdrawal symptoms will vary based on the amount of drugs used and period of time over which they were consumed. Many days in early recovery SUCK! But once you get through them you realize your new sober life can exceed your wildest expectations. I finally got sick and tired of being sick and tired! Days 1-10 Days 1-10 are going to be the most physically demanding part. These symptoms will resemble Flu symptoms but ten times worse. For me, the first 10 days were a blur of depression, sleep, and sweat. The withdrawal symptoms of heroin typically consist of: Upset Stomach/Diarrhea Hot cold flashes Nausea lack of sleep/Excessive sleep Restless leg syndrome Runny Nose Anxiety/Agitation Muscle Aches Cramps Chills/Goosebumps Vomiting Withdrawal symptoms will vary depending on what drugs the individual was using. Most addicts do multiple drugs during their addiction. **Quitting drugs like benzodiazepines or alcohol can be deadly. Please seek medical supervision before quitting drugs or alcohol.** During these first 10 days, the urge to get high is going to be through the roof. Your body is going through extreme withdrawal. It will be screaming at you to stop the madness. There are only 2 ways to stop the pain: Get high (start the cycle all over again) Push through this and know there is relief on the other side Choose To Use If you choose to use during the withdrawal period, your withdrawal symptoms will temporarily go away, but they won't be gone. When we choose to use during withdrawal all we are doing is starting the process all over again. As soon as we run out again...the symptoms will return worse than before. It can be very tempting to use during this period. Your body and brain will be pleading with you to just get high once more. Don't do it! All it will do is prolong your suffering. Days 11-20 By day 11 your physical symptoms should be all through, or at the very least subsiding drastically. PAWS (Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome) usually begins around this time. At this point, the psychological aspects of withdrawal start to really ramp up. I believe this period of time is the most crucial in regards to having a great support system around you. Symptoms of Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome may include: Anxiety Drug Cravings Depression Lack of Energy/Increased Energy Mood Swings Anxiety Now that the physical symptoms have subsided the psychological effects of coming off of heroin will increase. Anxiety is very common. Your brain is not used to functioning without drugs. Your brain is confused trying to run normal but doesn't have the chemical (heroin) that has been flooding it over the past few months or years. This will cause anxiety. This anxiety can range from slight discomfort to full-blown anxiety attacks. Drug Cravings Drug cravings during this period become more psychological than physical. Your brain will tell you to get high, that you need more dope. This is due to the fact that during your use your brain slowed down its production of certain chemicals (endorphins, dopamine) because it was getting plenty of them from the opioids. Now that you are not taking opioids, it will take your brain time to start producing endorphins naturally again. Until that period cravings will be more frequent and more powerful. Click here for a great article on overcoming and beating drug cravings Depression It's very common for someone coming off heroin or opioids to be very depressed. As explained in the paragraph above, your brain will still be a state of imbalance. It will take time for the brain to start working normal and creating feel-good chemicals again. The key is to continue to do things that naturally help boost your mood (exercise, bonding, healthy diet, fun activities). Make sure you talk to your support system if you have any thoughts of suicide. If you experience this do not believe this is permanent. This feeling will pass and become much more manageable as your sobriety continues. More importantly by day 20 the black cloud hanging over your head will start to disappear. Lack of Energy/Boost of Energy Most people will experience a lack of energy during this period. This time is similar to coming off of a really bad Flu. You are feeling better from the physical symptoms, but your body and brain are still working overtime to rebuild their energy. Low to moderate activity can help with your energy level. Get outside and go for a long walk or swim a few laps at the local pool. This will help give your body a push back to normal energy levels. Some people will have the opposite effect during this period. Now that you are on days 11-20 and the physical symptoms have gone away you may get a boost of energy. Getting a boost of energy can be a great motivator during this tough time. I will caution you don't expect that this is your new normal state. Depending on how long you were using heroin the long-term effects can last months. Although you may get an energy burst on day 14, on day 25 you could slip back into depression, low energy. I tried to take everything slow during my first few months of recovery. Mood Swings Mood swings will be common during the first month or two of detox. Many of us addicts spent so many years using drugs and alcohol that we don't know how to live life sober. One moment we are happy to be alive and happy to be sober, the next we are miserable and depressed. Activities like exercise and meditation can help regulate our moods during this period. The longer a person abstains from drugs the more stable their mood will become. The mood swings will not be permanent in most cases. Positive connections with family, friends, and a support group will make these mood swings more manageable. Talk with your doctor, medication may be required for some people. Days 21-30 "A little relief...finally. A little bit of normalcy started to creep back into my life at this point. The sun was starting to look bright yellow again, I had a little pep in my step finally." AR - Recovering Heroin Addict You will start to feel much better, but don't get complacent and think it's all smooth travels. Cravings, depression, anxiety can and will creep up. Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome can last months. During this period put your pride away and ask for help if and when you need it. Having a good recovery program is the key to a long and healthy recovery. Outpatient rehab, AA meetings, NA meetings, community groups or just working with or talking with others in recovery can be a huge help. Lean On Your Support System I've never felt comfortable in my life admitting my faults. One of my biggest faults is asking for help. I found it especially hard to ask my family for help. I can say without a doubt I wouldn't have got through this period without my family being there supporting me. None of us are mindreaders, your support system doesn't know what you are going through unless you tell them. I went through this miserable withdrawal in a jail cell 2 times. That is one of the worst places possible to deal with heroin detox. They provide you with the bare minimum. Not having a support system to rely on during this time mad it substantially harder. Click here for an article on the importance of a support system. As much as it sucked going through withdrawal in jail, it also serves me as a reminder today to never go through that again. Medical Assisted Detox The best option for coming off of heroin or any substances is under medical supervision at a detox center. These facilities can offer medications to help with the withdrawal symptoms and cravings as well as mental health treatment to deal with anxiety and depression. Drugs like suboxone and methadone are often given to addicts to treat the withdrawal symptoms and cravings. I was on suboxone for heroin cravings multiple times for months at a time. Suboxone can be a great tool if used properly. When I finally took my sobriety seriously and used the medications as prescribed they worked great. Long-Term Sobriety Program Undoubtedly the most important aspect of my recovery has been being involved in a program. The most common recovery programs are 12-step based programs. This can be Alcoholics anonymous, Narcotic's anonymous, or Al-Anon. I work a 12-step program with my sponsor and attend between 4-6 AA/NA meetings every week. I am also in a long-term outpatient recovery program. There are hundreds of different programs available. If a 12-step program does not work for you please don't give up. No matter who you are and where you are from there is a program that is right for you. PLEASE SEEK PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL SUPERVISION BEFORE BEGINNING ANY MEDICAL TREATMENT OR MEDICATIONS Related Questions What can loved ones do to help during detox? It is very important for loved ones to support the person going through detox as well as each other. Family can help make the environment as comfortable as possible for the person detoxing, but do not enable the user. An addict in withdrawal may ask for money to get rid of the pain. Do not give it to them, it will just prolonge the misery. It's up to the addict to get clean. The family needs to be supportive and calm during this period. The person detoxing will be on an emotional and physical roller coaster, having a stable rock to lean on is essential. Won't Suboxone or Methadone just be a substitute? Suboxone and Methadone are both powerful prescriptions used in aiding a person detoxing from opioids (heroin). Both of these medicines are physically and mentally addicting. Both of these medicines can also be abused. Using either of these medicines can be considered a substitute or crutch. The pros and cons need to be considered with a medical professional. Considering most people who continue to use heroin end up dead or in jail, I believe choosing suboxone is the better option.