There's no good way to go through withdrawals; goodness does not exist for that period of time. You might have heard that withdrawal is like a bad version of the flu and, consequently, gotten the impression that it's not as bad as junkies make it out to be. In fact, it is similar to the flu, physically at least, which is why the physical symptoms aren't what cause most of us concern (most, not all. I can't speak for everyone.)
What makes the withdrawal from heroin, or any other opiates, so bad is that for all intents and purposes, you're insane for about 3 days to two weeks, depending on body chemistry and frequency of use.
Quick side note: While I'm going to evaluate different withdrawal methods based on the pain and discomfort each method causes, in no way am I claiming that they don't work or are unnecessary; different scenarios call for different approaches, and the most important thing in an addicts life is making the first step to quit. I write this article in order to present information to those wondering what are the safest and least unpleasant ways to do so, as this is often a huge concern for those thinking of getting off H.
Imagine a starving person. They've been without sustenance for a week or two, so death is now on the table. Every part of their conscious brain is screaming that they're suffering and need food to alleviate the suffering. I think, in this scenario, that it's not hard to imagine that a person in that situation would probably do anything for food. They'd rob, whore, kill, or commit some otherwise unspeakable crime for it, because they've devolved into a purely survival based mindframe. (I bring up the food analogy because in biology, when addiction is studied using animals, a common standard to meet to qualify addiction is that the rat chooses drugs over food.)
That's what it's like. The physical symptoms on their own aren't the worse part, it's the fact that your brain is so haywire that even a papercut brings you to your knees in pain. It's unbearable; youre exhausted from the pain, but the pain keeps you up. You crave more heroin to such an extent that it's perfectly imaginable that you'd kill someone for it. If ever there were a dysphoria, it exists here. That's coming with someone with gender dysphoria, just to put that into perspective.
With all of that in mind, there are at least less horrible ways to come off of opiates. But it's no fun if I start with that, so I'll lead with the ways not to do it.
Way 1: Incarcerated.
Ohhhhh boy am I thankful this has never happened to me. It's hard enough for someone to imagine withdrawal if they've never done it, most can't imagine incarceration. Putting the two together is impossible even for me, as while I've gone through withdrawal multiple times, I've mercifully never been incarcerated. However, I think that even though I can't precisely pinpoint just how bad it is, I can make some safe assumptions; the first being that being in such a horrid mental state while you're in a place of restraint and constant predatory behavior is rather awful. The second being that freedom of movement and action, an important duo in any scenario, is something awful to remove from someone in detox. Remember, everything gets magnified, so being in such a place is quite hellish.
Funny fact: heroin desensitizes you while you're under its effects, so a common experience to those kicking is that they notice a marked increase in sexual responses. This might sound appealing, but it's quite horrible; even unwanted touches to the genitals can cause an orgasm, quite rapidly. Imagine being in jail while experiencing that.
Way 2: Locked in your room by concerned friends or family.
Also known as the Mark Renton part II, electric boogalo approach, this method is similar to incarceration while removing the predatory behavior; a concerned friend or family member gets ahold of you and, ostensibly for your own good, keeps you at their house and denies you any sort of reprieve that they don't approve of in hopes that you can kick.
Here's one reason why that's a bad idea: Heroin addiction can, though only in rare circumstances, actually kill you; even though it's unlikely, at least in prison you're under constant observation so if you experience an absolute emergency you'll have access to a doctor (and unless it's such an emergency you're still on your own.) Lay people simply aren't qualified to guide such a process, and these good intentions are nightmarish.
Way 3: The supply is dry and no ones selling.
Withdrawal is heavy. It demands all of your attention, and delicate care must be taken to ensure it's done in a bearable manner; consequently, it follows that you'd want to do it under your own volition, with plenty of preparation. This actually applies to the previous two methods, and it's actually the worst component of all of them; having withdrawal forced on you feels violating, and the experience is much worse than it needs to be. When the streets run dry, suddenly you're forced to deal with this giant monster of an experience without the necessary prep. It's bad.
I could come up with more bad ways to do it, but it would be redundant; the binding theme of all of these methods is that it's done involuntarily. I can't stress this enough, the most bearable way to kick is by doing it of your own free will; this isn't to suggest that it can't be successful when forced upon you, or that it's not often necessary, but rather that the least traumatic way to do it is by doing it by your own choice.
Less bad ways.
Way 1: Check yourself into rehab or a hospital.
The argument could be made to separate these into two different methods, but I don't think that's necessary; furthermore, I considered putting these in the bad category, but as these are, at lease initially, voluntary, I decided to put them here. It's noteworthy that of all the less bad ways, this is probably the least pleasant.
The reason this method can still be rather bad is that while you make the choice to enter into these programs, you often can't choose to leave; it's quite possible to be deemed incompetent in such a state, which means that they can decide whether or not you'll leave. If that happens, guess what they'll choose.
I'm gonna take this time to again stress that just because I'm marking these methods as bad doesn't mean they're not necessary; a hospital would probably be the safest space to withdrawal. Again, I'm purely writing about the subjective experience.
Way 2 and 3: Alone or with the help of a voluntary, understanding friend.
Again I find myself combining methods; this time I chose to do so because the experience is very similar and the choice between doing it solo or with help depends on personal preference. The layout will be the same; this is, in fact, what I hope to write the most about.
I'd like to take this time to list some of the needs of the addict undergoing withdrawal:
- Sustenance. This is probably the biggest one; your sense of taste is wrecked in this time, and your stomach is a warzone. It's very easy to just skip eating for a long time due to how unpleasant it can be- don't. Some of the more withdrawal friendly foods are ice cream, soups without many chunky components, soft items, etc. You get the idea, things that you don't really have to chew and savor much. If it's drinkable, it's a plus.
- Temperature control. Get both a fan and a heater, please.
- Pain, shakes, and restless legs. These aren't the easiest to combat; I could make suggestions on how to deal with them but most would be inconsequential. There is hope, however, and I'll expand on that soon.
- Sexual needs. Like I said, you become sensitized again. You'll get random states of arousal most likely, so having porn/lube/toys around if you have them is a plus, though these aren't really necessary.
- Boredom and restlessness. This is a big one, inbetween the feelings of empty despair and craving you'll likely notice how mind-numbingly bored you are. Video games, tv, music, internet, books; whatever it is that will hold your interest, you need to have it around. This is where company comes most into play, at least in my experience.
- Stomach stuff. You'll need something to combat the nausea and diarrhea. Like number three, there's more to say on this soon.
- Last but not least, the cravings. It's pretty much the worst part of this toxic mixture; a way to help alleviate this, and what was alluded to in number 3 and 6, is kratom. Kratom can be quite efficient in tapering off of heroin, though do so at your own risk, as it's undecided whether or not it leads to its own withdrawals.
Hopefully those paint a good picture of why you want to do this on your own terms; there's no institution in the world that fits all of these needs. While they're not critical to survival, I'd argue that they're critical for sanity and comfort. What comes after withdrawal, regardless of how it happened, is perhaps even more challenging, albeit in a more subtle manner. A great boredom that can easily become a depression is on the horizon, so it's important to keep yourself fulfilled. This is actually another reason that rehabs, while being an uncomfortable withdrawal area, are worth considering for this endeavor; the post withdrawal period can be much less debilitating if you're working on your flaws, future, and recovery.
As a final point, I'll go back to the issue of taste; if you smoke cigarettes, please consider using this time to quit those as well! The taste of a cigarette is so disgusting during this period, and you're already so miserable, that the nicotine kicking is actually relatively unnoticeable. Your choice.
