From one of the (many) articles in the Heroin Vault on Erowid:
Once you have decided to stop using, donÕt just say ÒthatÕs it, no moreÓ as
you are bound to fail. You need to plan your detox properly. Decide a time
when you are going to do it. It could be relatively soon, or it could be some
time in the future. Whenever it is, put aside at least two weeks when you
donÕt need to do anything stressful and you donÕt have any responsibilities.
If you have children, send them to their grandparents or to a friend for a
holiday. They wonÕt enjoy spending this time with you, and youÕll be glad
not to have to worry about them.
Tell everybody about your decision to stop using. People who love and care
about you will give you support through this period. Other users may
resent your ability to break the habit and try to tempt you into using. If
you suspect that this is the case, explain what you are doing, and tell them
that you would rather they didnÕt come around during this period. You can
decide later whether you still want to see them, but if they insist on trying
to tempt you, you can be certain that they donÕt really care about you, so
donÕt feel guilty about excluding them from your life.
Try to put some money aside. You need to be able to pamper yourself with
rewards during this period. Giving up drugs is a very brave and difficult
decision, so you shouldnÕt feel guilty about indulging yourself in other, less
destructive ways. If you are unemployed, perhaps you could avoid paying
the rent for a week and make up the arrears a bit at a time later on.
Finally, find a comfortable place in which to do your detox. One of the main
reasons for doing a detox as an in-patient is that some people donÕt have
anywhere comfortable that they can detox. For most people though,
detoxification is much easier if you can make a drink in your own kitchen,
watch your own T.V., read your own books and listen to your own stereo. If
the place where you live isnÕt very nice, see if you can go back home to
your parents, or if you can stay with non-addicted friends for a couple of
weeks.
Personally, I think you should regard a detox as being like a prison
sentence. Rather than focussing how long you have felt lousy, focus on
how much closer you are to feeling better. Make a calendar and tick off the
days, or keep a diary and write down how you feel. Identify landmark
points so that you can look back over it and see how much progress you
have made. Stopping using drugs is one of the major decisions in your life
Ñ it will be nice to look back and see how you managed to overcome each of
the obstacles, or even just how much you suffered without quitting.
Every time you complete a certain period, congratulate yourself for having
made it. Give yourself a reward. For each day you complete it could be
something small, like something special to eat or drink. For each week that
passes, do something really nice for yourself. Buy yourself something to
wear or go out for a meal. Think about both the detoxification and the
rewards as investments in the new you Ñ the person that you want to
become rather than the person that you were.
One of the most difficult aspects of opiate withdrawal is the lack of sleep.
Some people might be tempted to use sleeping tablets in a desperate attempt
to get some respite. Personally, I find that they donÕt really help, they just
dope you up so that rather than lying around withdrawing, you are lying
around feeling doped-up and withdrawing. You still wonÕt sleep and
benzodiazapines are addictive too, so you could end up replacing one habit
with another. Remember, there are no easy solutions, youÕve just got to bite
the bullet and ride it out.
Finally, donÕt get hung up thinking about the length of time that a detox is
going to take. Like they say in Alcoholics Anonymous, just try to get
through one day at a time. ItÕs difficult trying to imagine a life without
drugs, but far easier to make it through to the end of a day. Then you can
again start afresh tomorrow. Remember, every day that you manage to stay
clean is an investment in your own future Ñ and if you canÕt be bothered to
invest in yourself, you can be pretty damn certain that nobody else will.
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