Understanding what heroin withdrawal is really like

As a person battles to overcome an addiction, one of the most significant challenges faced is the withdrawal process. Withdrawal from heroin comes with an extreme toll on the body, and its addictive nature can create a cycle that feels inescapable.

Yet knowing the dangers and what to expect in heroin withdrawal may help a person as they strive to break free of heroin addiction. This article explains what happens during heroin withdrawal, including its effects and the importance of professional help in recovery.

What is heroin withdrawal?

Heroin is a strong Class-A drug made from opium poppies that grow in Mexico, Asia and South America. Heroin dependency develops quickly compared to many substances, forming in as little as 2 to 3 weeks.

Heroin withdrawal happens when a heroin-dependent person majorly decreases or ceases their usual dose. The withdrawal process for heroin is extremely serious and can be dangerous to carry out alone.

Medications are often used in the process of heroin withdrawal, including methadone and buprenorphine. These substances work in a similar way to heroin, attaching themselves to the opioid receptors in the brain. Research shows they are generally safer and longer-lasting than heroin, being that they are taken orally and are more easily monitored under medical detox. The World Health Organisation includes methadone and other opioid agonists as essential medicines in treating heroin withdrawal.

What is the timeline of heroin withdrawal?

An accurate timeline of heroin withdrawal is dependent on physical and mental health complications, the amount of heroin used and the frequency. A timeline can also vary if heroin is often used with other substances.

There is a general timeline guide for heroin withdrawal symptoms, which is:

• 8 – 12 hours after last use: The symptoms of heroin withdrawal appear. Intense cravings manifest just after the time a person would usually use the drug.
• 1 – 3 days after last use: As heroin begins to clear from the body, withdrawal symptoms can intensify for the first few days.
• After 5 days of cessation: Keeping heroin out of your system for a minimum of 5 days will start to see withdrawal symptoms gradually decrease in intensity. Some people may experience post-acute-withdrawal-syndrome (PAWS), which lasts for weeks and months.

What are the symptoms of heroin withdrawal?

When going through heroin withdrawal, there can be potential health risks if you attempt it alone. The severity of withdrawal depends on the level of dependence, how often it is taken, and other factors like how often it’s mixed with other substances.

It can be beneficial to separate the physical and psychological symptoms of the heroin withdrawal experience.

The physical withdrawal symptoms

Some of the most common physical withdrawal symptoms as heroin is purged from the body include:

• Extreme chills and sweating
• Fever, runny nose and teary eyes (early withdrawal phases may mimic flu symptoms)
• Sickness, vomiting and diarrhea
• Cramps and sharp abdominal pains
• Fatigue, completely drained of energy
• Dilated pupils
• Increased heart rate and shallow breathing

The psychological withdrawal symptoms

In addition to the physical ways heroin withdrawal can damage a person, there are usually intense emotional and psychological symptoms. Some of the most common can include:

• A low state, feelings of depression and anxiety
• Becoming highly irritable and agitated, with rapid mood swings
• Restlessness, leading to disturbed sleep patterns and insomnia
• Intense drug cravings that compound other psychological symptoms.

What are the biggest challenges in heroin withdrawal?

Heroin withdrawal is fraught with challenges throughout the recovery process. Heroin has a particularly high physical toll on the body,

Research shows that the withdrawal process for heroin and other opioids classically includes severe muscle cramps, bone aches and autonomic symptoms like dizziness when standing. This can make simple physical tasks like moving around and cooking for yourself feel undoable. Returning to using heroin provides an escape from physical impairments for many users.

The overwhelming psychological struggles in recovery also plague many people trying to break free from addiction. Heroin creates emotional lows that can be catastrophic for a user’s focus and determination toward becoming substance-free. Crippling anxiety, depression and restlessness disturb the healthy foundations needed to remove heroin from your life.

Heroin is sometimes seen as the most addictive drug in the world. Research from the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) estimates that almost a quarter of all people who try heroin become addicted to it. Symptoms of intense discomfort happen as the drug leaves the body during withdrawal. This inevitably increases the likelihood of a damaging relapse during recovery.

The role of professional help in withdrawal

Working your way out of a heroin addiction is best supported by a treatment plan and professional supervision. Full recovery from a heroin addiction presents tests to the body and mind. Your decision to initiate recovery is a courageous step.

With the right forms of support, the challenge of recovery may feel manageable. Professional medical support increases the likelihood of successful recovery. Professional support includes:

Safe management of physical symptoms

The severe physical reactions to heroin withdrawal benefit from professional detox programmes. Trained professionals can respond to the risks of heart irregularities, dehydration and abdominal pains. For many people going through heroin withdrawal, returning to using previous levels of the drug can increase the likelihood of a fatal overdose, for which an immediate medical response is needed.

Emotional and psychological support

The ordeal of heroin withdrawal frequently evolves into an emotional battle with oneself. Counselling and therapeutic support can help you work through intense anxiety and irritability as you withdraw. A person’s outlook and perspective can become extremely bleak during withdrawal, creating a need for genuine care and external support to help contextualise feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Personalised care plans

Care plans from professional detox centres give treatment to each person’s specific needs. Many heroin withdrawal programmes use personalised programmes like cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) to increase the chances of staying drug-free over the long term. Research shows the effectiveness of CBT in treating people withdrawing from opioids, and many aspects of a CBT programme can be tailored to suit the precise needs for full recovery.

Long-term recovery resources

The early stages of heroin withdrawal are just the first step on the recovery journey. Detox programmes often include aftercare plans that equip a person with the means to maintain sobriety. Support groups, family counselling and relapse prevention strategies stand as the backbone of effective aftercare programmes. Deeper psychological factors can also be worked through in aftercare support, as these factors often contribute to a person’s addiction.

Get the support you need for withdrawal and recovery

Escaping from a heroin or opioid addiction can be one of the hardest ordeals a person ever has to face. If you or a loved one are affected by any of the points raised today, we want you to know we’re here for you.

At UKAT, we specialise in expert detox programmes that provide the physical and mental support you need to recover. Our expert staff deliver detox, therapy and aftercare programmes to help you navigate the path to sustained recovery.

A lifetime of sobriety is just one phone call away. Choose us to help you get back on track and take control of the drug-free life you deserve.