1. Admit You Have a Problem
You've probably heard it said that the first step to getting help for a drug addiction is to admit you have a problem. It's true. You won't be able to get help until you've admitted to yourself that you need help. Until that point, you are living in denial, thinking that you can quit any time you want and that you are just choosing to keep using.
2. Recognize the Symptoms
Long-term heroin use has a variety of physical and social consequences. Slowed mental function, miscarriage, abscesses in the skin, lung problems, hepatitis and collapsed veins are just a few of the physical issues you may be dealing with when you're on heroin. Plus, your obsession with it and willingness to do anything to get more will eventually alienate your friends and family, isolating you and causing heartbreak for them. Heroin addiction often leads to crime, too, as you become more and more desperate to maintain your supply. Once you've seen these signs in yourself and recognize that a problem exists, then you can take steps to end it.
3. Detox From the Heroin
To get over heroin addiction, you have to detox from it, and it isn't going to be easy. The detox period removes all lingering traces of heroin from your system, allowing you to start your addiction recovery program from a position of power. Unfortunately, heroin is both psychologically and physically addicting, so the withdrawal symptoms are harsh. Most people need to detox under medical supervision, so treatments can be given to alleviate the worst of the symptoms. Typical withdrawal symptoms include nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, cold flashes, shakes, convulsions and insomnia. In most cases, these symptoms last about a week. Once you've gone through withdrawal, you can begin recovery in earnest.
4. Wean Your Body From Its Dependence on Heroin
Even after you go through detox, your body will still crave heroin for a while. This is because you've become physically and mentally dependent on it. To combat the intense cravings you'll experience, your doctor may prescribe methadone for you. Methadone is a legal pain reliever that is often used as a substitute for heroin, since many of its effects on the body are similar to that drug. Your doctor will monitor your methadone use and gradually reduce your dosage over a long period of time until you are completely weaned off it. At this point, your cravings should have either disappeared or diminished to manageable levels, and your heroin addiction will be over.
