Two Intense Approaches To Heroin Drug Detox
Diamorphine, or heroin, as it is more commonly known, is the deadliest and most destructive of the twenty most widely used recreational drugs. It is the most destructive both in terms of the physical harm it causes and the potential for addiction. Most methods of heroin addiction medical detox utilize either the 12-Step Program, widely accepted by recovering alcoholics, chemical analogues or antagonists that compete with the drug for opiate binding sites. These antagonists do not induce the same sense of euphoria as the addictive substance but they do bypass the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms that cause so many attempts at detox to fail.
Methods
Two unconventional methods of detoxifying from diamorphine will be discussed. One, called DIY or do-it-yourself cold turkey, is a carefully planned approach to cutting yourself off from drug use that does not involve going to family drug addiction counseling or checking into a drug treatment facility. At the other extreme is instant detox, using a combination of drugs that are injected while the patient is under a general anesthetic. This method is reported to wipe the body clean of the drug in as little as twenty minutes. The patient is then prescribed oral naltrexone for a year afterward.
Instant Detox
Instant detox was first used by an Austrian doctor in 1988. He injected addicts with naloxone, the intravenous analogue to the oral naltrexone. By itself, the naloxone treatment cleared the drug but caused the patient immense discomfort. The doctor added a sedative to make the patients more comfortable. This approach reduces the drug clearance time from a period of several weeks down to a matter of a few days.
Cold Turkey
At the other end of the spectrum lies DIY cold turkey. Cold turkey is a term meaning the abrupt stoppage of a drug rather than gradually taking smaller and smaller doses or using drug antagonists. DIY involves careful planning if it is to succeed.
The Plan
Instead of waking up one morning and deciding today is the day to stop using heroin, the individual is advised to plan ahead and set aside a two-week period during which to stop taking the drug. Building up a small nest egg to use for intermittent rewards during the detoxification process is strongly encouraged to help succeed. The family is sent on vacation and friends are asked not to stop by or telephone during the detox period.
Where To Stay
A key part of DIY is to find a comfortable place to live during these two weeks. Being able to get up and make a cup of tea, watch television and read the addict’s own books are crucial components to the success to this technique. If the individual’s own home isn’t suitable, a friend, sibling or parents’ place will be fine. The process won’t be easy. The early stages will be full of insomnia, depression, chills, shivers and severe muscle cramps.
Rewards
Break the interval into tiny, manageable milestones and reward each one by reading a good book, watching a DVD or ordering a pizza. Within two weeks, maybe less, the body will have been purged of the drug and you are on your way to a drug-free, productive life.