Heroin addiction is a tough battle for everyone involved. Certainly it is hard for the addict, as well as all the people around them who love them dearly. If there anything that was ever cunning, deceitful, and sneaky, then it is heroin and the grasp it has on the people who unfortunately fall into its trap.

You’ll hear many people say that once their loved one tried opiates for the first time, it was like a switch was flipped, and in a sense, this is true. Drugs in the opiate family bind to opiate receptors in the brain, the same things that are responsible for happy feelings and memories. Basically, the drugs in this family become like the most amazing security blanket the addict has ever wrapped themselves in, despite all of the negative consequences, it is worth it.

Handling Heroin Addiction

When you or a loved one are battling heroin addiction, it is important to remember to never let your guard down. Days, months, even years can pass without a person using and then all of a sudden one day an overwhelming desire can hit. Sadly, this often leads to the deadly overdoses we hear about in the news, and from friends. No one expects it to happen to them, and most addicts don’t want it to. Their families certainly don’t either.

This article isn’t meant to be all doom and gloom, but the fact is that heroin is an incredibly difficult enemy to be up against. If you are dealing with it on any level, it is important to remember that you have been touched by heroin. Your switch has been flipped, and it is going to be hard work for a long time to keep that switch off. Sure, things will get easier with time, but there will be ups and downs, peaks and valleys, and having a good support system in place will be key in getting through that.

No matter how bad the addiction is, help is out there. People have come to treatment after being on the streets and selling their body for drugs and completely turned their life around. Recovery is definitely possible, but it is all about starting it off strong and making sure that while your past has closure, you keep reminders around so that you never turn back to it.

Recovering from Heroin Addiction

Treatment is a necessity when you are trying to get sober off of heroin. The withdrawal symptoms are incredibly unpleasant, and most people don’t make it through detox without relapsing, simply because the pain and bad feelings are too strong. Detox comes first, and after that, it is recommended that you spend at least a month in inpatient rehab. There, you’ll be allowed to completely focus on yourself and learning about your addiction so that you can unravel old and unhealthy patterns. You’ll re-learn how to live your life sober.

Post-rehab, you need to protect your sobriety with everything you have. One of the most important things you can do is surround yourself with the right people. Second, focus on doing well just one day at a time. Slowly but surely, those days will add up and eventually weeks, months, and years will pass by. Make sure you have a support system in place in the form of doctors for any medical needs, a therapist, 12-step meetings, and sober friendships and people you can turn to when you are in need.

Heroin addiction will always be a part of you once you have been there. However, it doesn’t need to dictate your future and can stay a part of your past permanently.