Heroin is a dangerous drug with an extremely high potential for addiction. Heroin withdrawal symptoms are so severe, that many people have difficulty breaking their heroin addiction. Admission into a heroin addiction treatment center in Los Angeles, CA is the first step towards making a lasting recovery from heroin addiction.
Why Is Heroin So Addictive?
When you use heroin over time, your body becomes accustomed to the drug. You develop a tolerance. Thus, you need more of the drug to achieve the same high. Eventually, you may not even experience an intense high from the drug. You may be using it just to avoid the signs of heroin withdrawal.
However, heroin can be addictive the first time you use it. The high is intensely pleasurable, causing the release of high amounts of dopamine and serotonin, the brain’s feel-good chemicals. But your brain doesn’t differentiate between good things that cause this to happen, like recognition for a job well done or a compliment, and dangerous things like heroin. Therefore, your brain will tell you to do it again because it feels good, resulting in cravings.
Severe withdrawals, cravings, and psychological symptoms come together to make the desire to use the drug overpowering. You simply want the bad feelings to stop. But the only way you know to accomplish this is to continue to use. A Los Angeles substance abuse program provides the support you need to overcome the urges to use heroin.
Short Term Signs of Heroin Withdrawal
Often, the signs of heroin withdrawal will begin within the first day within 6 hours or more after the last dose. Muscle pain is usually the first sign. It is followed by nausea and diarrhea. Also, anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia are early signs of heroin withdrawal.
Symptoms will be at their worst 2-3 days after withdrawal begins.
It’s common to experience:
- Severe muscle or joint pain
- Abdominal cramps, nausea, and diarrhea
- Sweating and chills
- Severe anxiety
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure
- Insomnia
Long Term Signs of Heroin Withdrawal
The intense symptoms should begin to taper around day 5-7. You will begin to recover physically, as the symptoms abate. Fatigue, diarrhea, and muscle aches can linger for a week or two at a lower intensity. However, heroin causes physical changes to your body and nervous system, which will take much longer to repair.
Heroin is a depressant. Over time, your body gets used to functioning at a slower state. Thus, when you stop using heroin, your body and mind feel overstimulated. Your brain has also become accustomed to large amounts of serotonin and dopamine. The quantities released from normal activities won’t give you the happiness and satisfaction they once did. You may find yourself avoiding activities you once enjoyed, have little motivation, and feel apathetic about your life.
Long term signs of heroin withdrawal can last for months after you stop using the drug. This is known as PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms).
The most common lingering symptoms are:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Irritability or mood swings
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
Heroin Addiction Treatment Programs
A heroin addiction treatment program in CA treats not only the symptoms of your drug addiction but also the underlying mental health conditions contributing to your heroin addiction. A heroin addiction treatment program in CA provides a range of addiction treatment programs and addiction therapy services necessary to make a lasting recovery from heroin addiction including:
- Medication-Assisted Treatment
- Life Skills Training Program
- TMS Therapy Program
- Trauma Therapy Program
Heroin Addiction Recovery
The signs of heroin withdrawal can make the thought of quitting scary. If you use heroin, you have likely experienced some of these symptoms before. But the good news is that you don’t have to go through it alone. A heroin addiction treatment center program in CA can make the process much more comfortable and increase your chances of success. Heroin is as dangerous as it is addictive. So if you are struggling with heroin addiction, reach out to someone who can help today.
