The Greatest Heroin Detox Mistake I Ever Made: And How a Detox Center Saved My Life

As a drug addict, I lived for the next high. Every moment I had a stretch of sobriety, I immediately began craving the sweet release of my next dose. Eventually, I became so absorbed in heroin that I realized I needed to make a change.

I was alone, abandoned by friends and family, with only a network of fellow drug addicts as my daily companions. I knew I was destroying my body, and I wanted to fix it. And that is how I made the greatest heroin detox mistake of my life.

Detoxing From Heroin on Your Own Is Dangerous

I thought I could do a detox all on my own, without any help. I was aware I would probably go through some of the common withdrawal symptoms, like nausea, vomiting, pain, cravings, headaches, and diarrhea. However, I didn’t think they would be that bad – it almost sounded like having the flu.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. It was an excruciating process that also caused muscle aches, insomnia, agitation, irritability, and more. It felt like I was going to die, and I knew the only thing that could make me feel better – more heroin.

I was so desperate to inject, that I didn’t even think about how much I was loading into myself. All I wanted was for the pain to stop. When I realized what I’d done, it was too late, and I was in the middle of an overdose.

Checking Into a Heroin Detox Center

“One of the most helpful tools in my recovery was calling the DetoxCenters.com hotline.”

That overdose nearly killed me, but I was lucky enough to survive. The hospital said that if I had arrived just a few minutes later, they probably wouldn’t have been able to resuscitate me. Afterwards, I knew that I couldn’t try such a stupid feat on my own again. I needed professional help.

I started by calling the DetoxCenters.com hotline at 800-315-1376 (Who Answers?). They directed me to a center in my area, where I showed up a few days later.

Immediately, the doctor on staff prescribed me a medication called buprenorphine to help me slowly wean myself off heroin. Instead of stopping cold turkey, this allowed me to slowly get the drug out of my system, preventing me from the terrible withdrawal process I had before.

In fact, I had very little withdrawal symptoms at all. It felt strange being sober for the first time in years – in a way, normality was almost its own high.

Additionally, I was enrolled in therapeutic counseling to help motivate and encourage me. I met with a group of individuals who were in the same boat as me, and hearing their stories was very inspirational.

Finally, the heroin detox center provided me with relapse training to help me from ever going back to heroin. I now know that the threat of relapse is ever present, and I have to be vigilant each and every day to prevent myself from getting high again.

Get Help for Your Addiction

As one of the 435,000 people who used heroin in 2014, I know how dangerous the drug can be. And that is why I implore you to get professional help for you addiction.

One of the most helpful tools in my recovery was calling the DetoxCenters.com hotline at 800-315-1376 (Who Answers?). They were able to direct me to the perfect detox center for me, which helped to save my life.

If you don’t get help, you run the risk of overdosing any time you shoot up. I was lucky to only have one overdose in my life, but that was enough. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

Once you are free from the clutches of heroin addiction, you can have your life back. I have rebuilt my relationships with family and friends, gotten a full-time job to support myself, and even bought a new car. Without a heroin detox center, none of that would have been possible.