Opiate Detox TSL - Gracious Care Recovery, Inc. … · resistance, like the voice of a deceitful...

Opiate Detox

What will I go through? How long will it last?

Put together with hope & love:

by, Robin Bright at

ThatSoberLife.com

Other books, programs and resources from That Sober Life: I Am Recovered Living Vice-Free Big Promises for Tiny Hearts: A book of blessings to read to your children. About the Mission Find out more about living an empowered and vice-free life at: ThatSoberLife.com If you are a business, and would like an informational eBook like this one created for you, contact [email protected]

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addiction is an experience,

not an identity.

-Holly Glenn Whitaker

Copyright © 2016 That Sober Life

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning or other – except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in the United States by Vive Media Group.

If you are interested in distributing or quoting this booklet, please inquire at:

[email protected]

Robin Bright 239-440-6856

mailto:[email protected]

To every person who has ever

desperately wanted to stop using, but

found the

terror of withdrawal to be

too much to handle.

We have put this together for you.

A special thank you to Tom Goris,

Dan Workman & Chad Sabora for

putting your raw stories out there in the

hopes of helping others.

medical disclaimer. Below is all the stuff we are required to say because some people like to sue people, and we don’t want to be sued. Simple: Detox is dangerous. People can die during detox. You should never detox alone or without consulting with your physician. That’s not smart. Keep that in mind. All opinions expressed in this booklet are probably wrong, and should never be taken as medical advice in any form for any reason. Detailed: The information in this booklet is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for a doctor-patient relationship nor does it constitute medical advice of any kind. Any information found here should not be acted upon without first consulting with one's own health care professional. Purchasing this material does not create a physician-patient relationship between you and the author. You should not rely on anything contained in this booklet, and you should consult a physician licensed in your state in all matters relating to your health. You hereby agree that you shall not make any health or medical related decision based in whole or in part on anything contained in this booklet.

inside.

1 Your Brain on Opiates 9

2 Your Spirit on Opiates 14

3 Personal Withdrawal Timeline 21

4

5

Ripping the Band-Aide Off

Cold Turkey

39

49

6 Detox Timeline 69

7

8

Detox Shopping List

Resource List

73

81

your brain on opiates.

Withdrawal sucks.

Trying to get through the stages of

withdrawal can be terrifying. But guess

what? The more you know about what’s

going on inside your brain and your

body, the more confident you’ll be that

you actually can get through the stages

of withdrawal and move on to the

recovery portion of your life.

So, what’s going on in your brain that

makes withdrawal so hard? Let’s look at

the physical part first.

What’s Going On In My Brain?

Our body naturally produces opiate-like

chemicals. That’s why our brain has

opiate receptors in the first place.

It’s all part of our brain’s reward

reinforcement system. In simplest

terms, when we do something that

contributes to our well-being or

survival, like eating food, having sex,

praying, or even giving someone a hug,

our brain releases feel-good chemicals.

This helps train us to keep repeating

these behaviors because we like the

way we feel.

Our brain also releases these chemicals

as a response to pain or extreme

exertion, to take the edge off.

But when drugs (specifically opiates)

are introduced, that natural pattern is

interrupted, and things get a little crazy.

Opiate drugs have a chemical structure

very similar to endorphins. Endorphins

are your body’s natural painkillers. The

word endorphin is derived from two

words, endogenous (from within) and

morphine.

Opiates hi-jack the receptors and

ultimately overtake the chemicals

naturally produced by your body.

Okay, cool, but why withdrawals?

Your body was created with this

amazing power to adapt, so it’s always

trying to figure out what’s going on and

then start working toward creating

balance, If you’re busy putting opiates

in your body every day, you’re sending

a signal to your body that says, “Hey!

We have a surplus of these chemicals!”

As these levels remain elevated, due to

continued drug use, the brain starts to

adapt in a couple of ways, tolerance

and subsequent withdrawal:

Tolerance

The neurons in the brain eventually

become desensitized to these high

levels of feel-good chemicals and more

are needed to produce the same effect.

Withdrawal

When you stop putting opiates in your

body, the body is caught short.

Remember? It reduced production of

the feel-good chemicals on it’s own in

an effort to adapt to the opiates you

were providing. When you suddenly

stop, the result is pain.

That pain is withdrawal.

It takes courage to endure the sharp pains of self-discovery

rather than choose to take the dull pain of unconsciousness

that would last the rest of our lives.

—Marianne Williamson

your spirit on opiates.

Fear of withdrawal is one of the top

barriers to recovery.

What do we fear? Is it the flu-like

symptoms, restless legs, aching body,

chills, vomiting and diarrhea?

Yes. But, obviously it’s more than that.

If you told me I could have a beautiful

life, my family, friends and meaningful

work and all I had to do to begin was

agree to have the worst flu and body

aches ever for three to five days, I

would immediately jump at the

opportunity. I think everyone would say

yes! I mean, just look at how we punish

our bodies at the gym or training for

marathons. Look at the pain of childbirth

or the stamina we can muster up when

we are studying for finals or fighting a

deadline.

When there is a clear goal to be

reached, we are capable of almost

anything.

The Spiritual Malady

Withdrawal is terrifying because along

with the physical symptoms, it takes

your spirit to a hollow, empty, anxiety

filled place. For me, it was a place

where there was no peace.

In active addiction, there is more going

on than just feeling good and having a

happy, euphoric mood. Our drug of

choice is seductive. It becomes our

solution to damaged emotions, pain,

anxiety, and the empty places that are

longing to be filled in our lives.

After a while, our addiction has a voice

inside our spirit. It talks to us in

hundreds of different ways and

scenarios. For me, toward the end, it

talked about death, about slowly

relinquishing control and agreeing to

drift away into the darkness. I

remember what it felt like when I

started to align my spirit with this

thought process. Addiction slowly and

methodically broke down my

resistance, like the voice of a deceitful

lover, until I thought ending it all was a

rational idea. I thought it was my idea.

This is why addiction is described as a

spiritual malady. The word malady

comes from the Latin words, mal,

meaning bad or ill, and habitus,

meaning to have or to hold onto.

Addiction is, without a doubt, something

evil that has a hold on us to such a

degree that we have become its slave.

Addiction is bondage. It is highly

spiritual.

We have become disordered, out of

order, out of alignment with our Creator.

We need to break free, but the spiritual

side has brought us to this place of

incredible inner bankruptcy, so the

spiritual side of withdrawal is just as

frightening (or in my case, more

frightening) than the physical

withdrawals.

Personal note:

I went through withdrawals from both

alcohol and opiates, probably ten or

more times in my life. All of it was

horrific. During my very last home

detox, my sister offered to spend the

night with me. She actually slept in my

bed right next to me. This was critical

for my recovery because not only did

this make my home detox safer, but it

also kept me from listening to the voice

of addiction (which spoke in first person)

and wanted to give me a million

reasons to wait one more day to quit.

The enemy takes our life one moment

at a time. That’s all he needs to do is

convince us to put off detox a little

longer. He is well aware that minutes

add up to hours, and hours add up to

years wasted in active addiction.

Don’t fall for that lie.

The best time to start over is right now.

God will help you get past the spiritual

emptiness. People describe withdrawal

as being in hell. I believe this is true. I

remember sitting on my back porch,

raw, crawling out of my skin, wired yet

exhausted, smoking a million cigarettes,

physically shaking, and saying out loud:

“Jesus, you said you are the Prince of

Peace. Well, I don’t feel any peace right

now and I need it. I want to feel your

peace.”

Did this prayer help me? I think it did.

God knows where we are and what we

are going through at all times. In fact,

He is there with us. He is with you now,

while you are reading this and making

your decision for recovery. Let Him in.

Invite Him to this process with you.

Sometimes when you’re in a dark place,

you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted.

—Christine Caine

personal detox timeline.

I asked Tom Goris, co-creator of I Am

Not Anonymous, to share his personal

opiate detox timeline. Here is his

experience:

Tom Goris

“What am I going to experience and

how long will it last?” If you’re looking

for a specific timeline of the worst part

of withdrawal, it was 16 hours to 3 days

for me.

I think it’s important to mention how

long I was using substances for before I

get into the withdrawal process of

http://www.iamnotanonymous.org/http://www.iamnotanonymous.org/

coming off them. I say this because as

my illness progressed the strength of

the voices in my head got stronger.

Those voices were what drove me back

out every time I tried to detox myself on

my own, whether it was successful or

not. It wasn’t until I checked into a safe

place to detox that I was able to

achieve recovery. I’m in the “one and

done” club, but in my opinion it’s

because I followed up my detox with

inpatient treatment and used my

determination and resiliency to be

successful in staying on the aftercare

track laid out for me by the inpatient

treatment center. I actually increased

layers to build a stronger foundation for

my recovery (which wasn’t suggested

of me) but hey, I really wanted to live a

life in recovery and never go back to

being ill again.

I used alcohol, cocaine, pot, pain pills,

and heroin for 15 years. Ten of those 15

years were spent in the state of daily

dependence. The last eight years, I was

daily dependent on opiates and

injected them for four years.

What did I experience when

withdrawing?

As I mentioned above, the mental

obsession to calm the uncomfortable

feelings associated with coming off

opiates was so strong that I never had a

chance of accomplishing a detox

process on my own. I personally

needed a safe place far away from my

supply to have a chance at succeeding.

On December 20th 2013, I checked

myself into an inpatient treatment

center on Long Island, NY. I went in as

high on heroin as I possibly could afford

to. It was early afternoon. About eight

hours later I went to bed and wasn’t

feeling any withdrawal symptoms.

However, when I woke up the next

morning I knew I was in for a world of

discomfort with no end in sight for days.

As I woke, I felt a little sick and the cold

sweets had started. So did the jitters.

Also, I felt dehydrated and my bowl

movement was watery. My addiction’s

first thought was to leave immediately

because it didn’t want to get well. My

mental and physical resiliency was

already being put to the test. I knew it

was just going to get worse and I made

the decision at this time to refuse all

anti-withdrawal medications to ease the

symptoms. In that moment I made the

decision to put myself through the pain,

discomfort, and utter misery on the

horizon so I could have this experience

to remember for the rest of my life. With

this decision, I created a 10-day long

moment in my life that I will never

forget.

My bed would literally become my life

for the next three days. I had lost all

ability to move, but the voices in my

head intensified. Physically, I was

experiencing hot and cold sweats. My

saliva glands were working in overdrive

and I had to spit constantly (every few

minutes) while awake and remember to

keep my mouth open if I was lucky

enough to fall asleep. If I didn’t do this,

the saliva would build up in my empty

stomach and mix with the bile resulting

in the most gut-wrenching and painful

vomiting, which caused my esophagus

to burn as if it was on fire.

Drinking anything to cool the flames

wasn’t possible because that too would

come back up and I needed every

ounce of energy I had to battle the

voices as well as and the physical

symptoms of withdrawal. At this point,

even the thought of having to move

created intense anxiety due to my

weakened physical state and pain in

every muscle, joint, ligament, and bone

of my body.

Oddly, the only thing that gave me

periods of comfort was the

uncontrollable shaking from head to

toe. But this too became annoying and

exhausting after a while. Sleep was all I

wanted to do because sleep was a

blessing. Well, it was until I woke up

and immediately had to vomit or use

the bathroom. I made the decision after

my first trip to bring over a garbage can

to vomit in and was okay with the idea

of having urine and feces on me. The

idea of having to move an inch was

overwhelming and the shakes that once

were mildly comforting were now about

to driven me insane.

Wrapping myself in blankets due to the

cold sweats worked for a few minutes

and then it caused me to sweat too

much and that sweat felt like boiling

water rolling down my skin, or freezing

water. Nothing was comforting for more

than a few seconds.

After a while I fell asleep from pure

exhaustion. I’ll never forget being

woken up by the treatment center

technicians. These two poor guys came

in just doing their job and boy did they

get me at the wrong time. Being woken

up when in full withdrawal put me right

back where I left off, in a state of

constant immense irritation and pain.

“Thomas, Thomas, wake up.” I was

awake but I didn’t want to be bothered. I

just wanted sleep. “Thomas, wake up!

We have to take your blood.” My

response, “Fuck off.” “Thomas, you have

to see the doctor.” My response, “Tell

the doctor to fuck off!” “Thomas, wake

up.” My response, “Leave me the fuck

alone.” All I wanted to do was sleep.

“Okay, we will come back soon.” Well,

they came back sooner than I would

have liked and got the same responses.

This time they didn’t leave when I yelled

at them. I eventually got up.

When on my feet, I remember being

completely disoriented and with every

step I took the thought of collapsing

seemed better than continuing on. I

vaguely remember having my blood

drawn and speaking to the doctor. I do

remember being told I was

noncompliant with the detox process

since I wasn’t taking any detox meds. I

was made to sign a paper stating my

noncompliance. Hell, I would have

signed away anything at that moment if

I could just go back to my bed and try

to sleep. On my way back to my room, I

distinctly remember getting my sense

of smell back. This wasn’t a good thing

because the hallway smelled like

suboxone, and I couldn’t stand the taste

or smell of the stuff. I proceeded to

vomit on the spot.

On my third day of detox, hunger and

dehydration started to cripple me.

There is nothing worse than getting

severe muscle cramps while

withdrawing and knowing I needed

fluids but if I drank anything it would not

stay down. I finally got to a point where

the hunger and dehydration was more

uncomfortable than the withdrawal

symptoms. This made me get out of

bed and seek out a PB&J sandwich and

Gatorade. Making the sandwich took

about 30 minutes because I was

operating in slow motion. I took one bite

and chewed, and chewed, and chewed,

and chewed. It hurt to chew and the

idea of swallowing the food became a

task. So I washed it down with a sip of

fluid and I was done eating and drinking

for the time being. My body couldn’t

take in anymore,

I got up and returned to my room

because my head was pounding, my

vision was blurred, and my stomach

was on fire. Note to everyone; never eat

a banana while withdrawing from

opiates. I learned that lesson the next

morning.

Later that day I was cut from my

insurance because I was not compliant

with the detox process. I was informed

that going home and attending IOP

would be covered by my insurance. At

this moment, my determination to

survive took over and I said something

that just came out of my mouth without

a thought. “If you send me home, I’ll be

dead in an hour.” The gentleman who

just told me he was sending me home

looked at me and said, “Well now you

can’t leave.” My response, “Good, I don’t

want to go home. What are my other

options?” He left the room and came

back. My other option was to get on a

plane down to Florida where I would be

admitted to another treatment facility.

There it was, an opportunity to get well

and I was going to take it. They handed

me my belongings and gave me a ride

to the airport. My girlfriend, at the time,

met me at the airport with summer

clothes and my phone.

Phone in hand, I immediately walked

into the airport bathroom and called my

dealer. That determination to get well

suddenly was being overtaken by the

need for my addiction to survive at all

cost. He refused to come to the airport. I

was both relieved and angry at the

same time. I walked out of the

bathroom and changed my shirt

because the sweat had soaked through.

Having to constantly change your

clothes is pretty common when

withdrawing from opiates.

As soon as I boarded the plane I

realized this was going to be the worst

plane ride of my life. I couldn’t sit still.

Internally, I felt the overwhelming need

to run up and down the aisle, but I’d

look like a mad man if I did. Instead, I

made conversation with the couple

sitting next to me.

I introduced myself. They asked if I was

going down to Florida to see family for

Christmas. For the first time I got

completely honest and said, “No, I’m

going to rehab for opiate addiction.”

Instead of things getting awkward, the

woman told me her niece did the same

thing a few years ago and she was

doing really well now. This conversation

gave me hope and for a few minutes I

forgot how shitty I felt.

Little moments like this are a gift. They’ll

keep you going forward.

Soon, the feeling of wanting to jump out

of my own skin returned and turned into

wanting to jump out of the plane.

Having to control these urges and

thoughts was exhausting. I survived the

flight without any incident and was

picked up by the treatment facility to

continue my recovery journey.

Once I arrived at the facility I knew I was

in the right place. I immediately felt

welcomed and safe. I was happy for the

first time during my detox and recovery

process. I was thankful I fought to stay

in treatment and everything played out

like it did. I felt this glint of confidence in

myself for the first time. This confidence

grew as each day passed and my body

started to restore itself while I worked

on a life of hopeful, long-term remission

from my illness.

Ten Days

It took me ten days without any

withdrawal medication to start feeling

somewhat normal again. I started to eat

regularly around day five, which I

believe really helped my process move

along sooner. Hell, I had my first solid

shit at day ten because I was finally

eating regularly. I was so excited! I no

longer had to piss out of my ass every 2

to 3 hours and wipe a chaffed and

bleeding asshole. Who the hell wouldn’t

be excited about that!?

My sex drive started to come back and

boy was that overwhelming. Feeling

hormones was a distant memory of

years past. Now, a strong wind gust

would give me a hard on. Forget about

touching it. Quickest draw in the west

went to me. All-in-all I started to slowly

regain all my senses and the feelings

associated with them. This was

overwhelming. Wait, everything was

overwhelming because I had to learn

about myself for this first time in my life!

It was as if I had just been born at 31

years old.

Breaking it Down

It took seven days for my physical

symptoms to be alleviated. The next

three days (day eight through day ten)

the withdrawal symptoms were few and

far between. The worst of it really

lightened up around day three and by

day five I knew I was headed in the best

direction possible. It wasn’t easy, and

neither was what followed, but it was by

far the best decision I have ever made

in my life. I’m alive today because of it

and I’m grateful for the support from

loved ones and the people in recovery

who helped me take the step.

Constantly wanting to leave treatment

was one of my biggest battles

throughout the entire process. Not

leaving was the best thing for me. If I

would have left, I believe the addiction

would have won. By staying in

treatment it gave me the opportunity to

get well and treat my addiction

accordingly.

Along with co-creating I Am Not Anonymous, Tom Goris is also a Buffalo State College alumni, certified Arise Interventionist, Outreach Coordinator for Ambrosia Treatment Centers, and a national advocate for recovery.

Resistance is always the fiercest

at the borderline of

a breakthrough.

ripping off the band aid.

I asked Dan Workman, founder of Keep

Hoping People, to share his detox

shopping list with us. He didn’t do that,

because Dan likes to do things his own

way, but what he has provided is

brilliant. If you’re about to detox, you

need this information:

Dan Workman

So, you stubborn little shit, you've

decided to quit cold turkey. First of all,

let me remind you that you are about to

engage in the battle of a lifetime. It's

http://www.keephopingpeople.com/http://www.keephopingpeople.com/

going to hurt. It's going to suck. But, I

promise you it is worth it.

Something I tell every person I’m

guiding through cold turkey detox is

this: If it hurts, you know it’s working.

Although it is fascinating to study the

effects of opiates on the receptors,

dopamine levels, and neural pathways

in the brain, we want to keep this

process as simple as possible.

Remember those old Listerine

commercials where the people would

be standing wide-eyed and swishing in

the mirror? They’d say, “You know it's

working because it burns.”

Opiate withdrawal is a little like that.

Personally, I was scared of Suboxone

and Methadone, the medically assisted

route through detox. This fear makes

perfect sense since I had frequently

shot speedballs directly into my neck.

I have zero objections to medication-

assisted therapy —let me be clear

about that. Cold turkey is just what

worked for me. I like to rip the Band-Aid

off... quick and painful.

Your brain and body are about to

reboot. Do not forget that you are a

warrior and this is a battle!

You might not feel like eating, drinking

or speaking for the next few days. That’s

normal, but there are some things you’ll

want to have available to make the

process a little more tolerable.

Things to Consider

I detoxed in a crappy motel with $18

worth of Imodium and Gatorade.

Any Google search will tell you to have

things like Imodium, Gatorade, Valerian

Root, Melatonin, Magnesium, and

Potassium handy. Some people try to

add Zantac to trick the receptors. Some

feel like they need to have Neurontin

(Gabapentin) on hand, but please don't

abuse that shit. It's a dreadfully boring

high anyway. I promise.

Slash, the guitarist from Guns and Roses

drank so much during his withdrawals

that he named it "Dr. Stoli."

Some people smoke weed like crazy.

Others swear by Kratom.

I am not encouraging drug use in any

form. The fewer substances you put in

your body, the faster you will have the

chains of addiction lifted.

However, from a harm reduction

standpoint, I have to recommend that

you ignore people who tell you there is

only one right way to get clean. If you

have already found yourself in the hell

of opiate addiction, particularly the hell

of IV heroin addiction, you know I speak

the truth.

Any day without a needle in your arm

is a win.

I know it seems like you’re about to try

to swim across an endless ocean, but I

promise it just looks that way. Really it’s

just an endless series of puddles. Cross

them one at a time.

You need to WANT it. You need to

HATE the drug more than you crave it.

So, while Robin encouraged me to write

a list of things to keep on hand, I'm

going to take this soapbox and run with

it.

Deleting contacts, changing your

number, avoiding people you used with

—these things are all key. Writing your

drug a nasty "break-up" letter about

everything it has taken from you is a

good thing to go back and read. You

cannot have a back-up plan in your

recovery. By this, I mean that when I

relapsed after almost a year clean, I did

it because I kept an "emergency"

needle hidden in a toolbox for that

entire year. It was white-knuckle

sobriety at best.

The hits don't stop after your body is

clean. But you hold on to your clean

time and you fight to protect it with

mama-bear ferocity. During the first 72

hours you are probably going to shit

your pants. You are going to sweat,

ache, puke, experience sneezing fits

and watery eyes. You will want a hot

bath but your skin will hurt to touch the

air. You will want to go for a walk but be

too weak to do anything but lay down.

The scariest part about cold turkey

withdrawal is not knowing when it is

going to stop getting worse. This is why

most people cave. The 48-hour mark is

BRUTAL. But, guess what... it does get

better after that.

There is hope!

You might not sleep for 100 hours or

more. You might have to call someone

to bring you toilet paper. You might

watch the sun set and rise five days in a

row. But, something wonderful is

coming. You might take your 19th bath

of the day or go for a 10-minute walk

and then realize that you could actually

eat something.

Your energy will come back. You might

even have it in you to go to the gym and

just sit in the sauna. You might do a few

push-ups.

This is where you queue up your own

80's musical montage…because life is

about to take off, my friend. You will

feel stronger every single day. You will

feel a light return to your eyes. You will

see people looking at you differently.

Suddenly, your desire to keep that

feeling outweighs your cravings. Your

brain continues to heal every single day

off of opiates.

For me, the true miracle happened

about a month into my recovery. It

hadn't been easy. There had been many

incidents including the one that earned

my nickname "Baby Gap" from Robin. I

had to roll with a lot of punches.

But it was all worth it on Father's Day

when my younger daughter threw her

arms around my waist and said, "Dad,

I'm so glad we get to see you more."

When my older daughter kissed me

goodbye, she grabbed my cheeks,

looked me square in the eyes and said,

"Wow, dad... I can see you in there

again."

You might be your own worst enemy

but you are also my hero. Anyone who

can wrench their life back from the

claws of opiate addiction is a fucking

rock star.

Keep it simple.

Remember there is a light at the end of

the tunnel.

The pain is worth it and YOU are worth

it.

Eye of the tiger, kiddo. You got this.

Along with being the founder and creator of KeepHopingPeople.com, Dan Workman is also director of the Utah branch of Rebel Recovery.

cold turkey.

Chad Sabora, co-founder of the

Missouri Network for Opiate Reform and

Recovery and founder of Rebel

Recovery, talks about quitting heroin

cold turkey and what that looks like.

Chad Sabora

Want to kick? Read this:

The best way and the right way to quit

heroin is always cold turkey. However,

quitting heroin cold turkey is not easy

and may be dangerous for some,

depending on your current health.

However, it is still worth trying,

especially if you don't have an

extremely heavy habit.

http://www.monetwork.org/about-mo-networkhttp://www.monetwork.org/about-mo-network

When quitting heroin cold turkey, you

just finish your last bag, then stop

completely and to a certain degree

isolate yourself from the world. The

hardest part is going through the

withdrawal symptoms for the first 3-6

days.

See this as a battle and most likely the

biggest battle you'll ever go through in

your life. It's you going to war against

yourself. Once you’ve decided to quit,

tell someone, such as a close family

member or drug-free friend, so they

can stay with you or at least check up

on you for the first week, or even

longer. You'll have a better chance of

conquering this dope habit with

someone by your side.

You can quit heroin cold turkey at home

or far away from home, such as in a

hotel room or in the home of a family

member or friend. It would be best if

you get as far away from home as

possible. Stay away from your dope

friends and far away from the dope

spot. If you have no other option then

do it at home, but prepare yourself for

the greatest battle of your life.

Try to stack up on everything you'll

need to survive for the next 8 days i.e.

food, water, juice, meds, movies, music

etc.

Make sure you don’t have any cash on

you and if at all possible, leave your

ATM card with someone you can trust,

like your parents or a friend. This is only

to avoid temptation.

Delete the dope-man’s phone number

from your cell phone and shut your cell

phone off.

Heroin withdrawal symptoms are some

of the most painful symptoms an addict

can experience compared to

withdrawal from any other drug. Heroin

addiction is both physical and

psychological, so expect to go a little

crazy.

Withdrawal symptoms may begin six to

eight hours after your last dose was

taken. Major withdrawal symptoms

peak between 48 and 72 hours after

your last dose and will decrease after

about 5-7 days. However, some people

may show persistent heavy withdrawal

symptoms for 7-10 days and go through

withdrawal-related symptoms for

months, so be prepared. Again, this will

be the biggest battle of your life. If you

can make it through this, then you can

accomplish anything in life! And I do

mean anything.

Dope sick in detail:

The first three days are hell. From the

beginning you'll start to panic and your

mind will race, thinking about how to

get your next fix. Expect these thoughts

to come. They are incredibly strong.

This is where you tell yourself to "Shut

up! I can do this!" Keep repeating to

yourself OUT LOUD, "I can do this!"

Then move on and fight!

You're already crazy for doing dope in

the first place so don't be afraid to talk

to yourself, encourage yourself, and

fight against yourself.

During these next few days you should

go outside and run, not jog but run.

You'll notice that while you’re running

you'll hardly feel any symptoms. The

chills will go away while your running.

But you can't run forever, so you'll want

to take short brakes. If you go out

running at 2 am, make sure you take

your I.D. with you because if someone

sees you running in the middle of the

night they're bound to call the cops on

you.

Wear warm clothing when you're out

and about and even in your home. You'll

be sweating a lot but don't worry about

it. It's good to sweat all those toxins out

of your body. Try to get a small portable

heater and stay close to it to warm you

up.

By day five you'll start to notice the

withdrawal symptoms subsiding. By day

seven you’ll start feeling strong and

restless, but you’ll still feel withdrawal

symptoms. Again, it depends on how

much heroin you are consuming daily.

People who shoot up a few bags per

day have a much harder time than

people who snort heroin or smoke it.

Cold chills, shivering, shaking and

tremors.

You're going to feel horrific cold chills.

Most people agree that this is the worst

part. It's like the worst fever in the world

multiplied 100 times. You'll even get

goose bumps. The chills will be very

strong at the beginning but after a few

days they'll start to decrease and even

go away but only for a short time and

then they'll come back again. It will be

off and on during the day. By day four

you'll still get the chills but they will be

less painful and you'll have more time

of relief in between the chills. It could

be one episode every 10 minutes or

every 30 minutes, but they will get

shorter and will go away as time goes

on.

To fight the chills:

Spend the first 3-4 days in a tub filled

with water as hot as you can stand it, for

as long as you possibly can. You can

actually get through the worst part of

the withdrawals by staying in your tub

filled with hot water all day and all night

long. Of course, you'll need to get out

every once in a while but then get back

in and stay there. Keep your fingers and

maybe toes raised above the water to

avoid wrinkled prune skin. You can even

bring your TV into your bathroom.

Recap:

• Go outside and do some running.

• Wear warm clothing to sweat out

all of the toxins.

• Sit next to a portable heater.

• Eat packages of hot chicken

soup.

• Drink Tylenol tea for fevers/flu or

any flu/fever tea.

• Take hot showers through out

the day.

• A hot bath is very effective for

heroin withdrawal symptoms.

Bone pain and muscle cramps:

You'll experience severe pain in your

bones, especially in your legs. This is

the second worst part of withdrawals.

Try not to punch your legs with your fist

(seriously, you’ll want to). Instead,

massage them heavily. You can apply

some BENGAY and take muscle

relaxers, ibuprofen and/or Motrin at the

highest milligram. These bone pains

and muscle cramps will go away in

seven days or less.

Recap:

• Massage you legs heavily.

• Apply BENGAY or some other

muscle soreness cream with

heat.

• Take muscle relaxers.

• Take Ibuprofen or Motrin at the

highest mg.

Runny nose, watering eyes and

excessive yawning:

There's not much you can do here other

than take some Nyquil and keep some

tissues with you to blow your nose and

wipe away the tears from your eyes.

To fight runny nose and watering eyes:

-Take extra strength Nyquil.

-Blow your nose with tissue frequently.

-Drink the Tylenol tea for fevers.

Loss of appetite:

You won't feel like eating anything and

that's ok for he first couple of days but

try to at least eat some of those chicken

soup

packages they sell in the super markets.

They're cheap, easy and quick to make

and they taste pretty good as well. If

you can, drink lots of Gatorade and

water. You'll need to put something in

your system in order to sustain yourself.

To fight loss of appetite:

• Eat, or at least try to eat.

• Eat packages of hot chicken

soup.

• Eat bananas for potassium.

• Eat bran crackers.

• Eat hot solid foods. (you need

solids in your system to help

clear up diarrhea)

Insomnia and sleeplessness:

Most likely you won't get any sleep for

the first four days. You'll be lucky to get

one hour per night. For this problem

you can take extra strength Nyquil and

melatonin which works as a natural

sleeping aid. Along with melatonin, you

can also take Valeria herbal capsules

during the day and night to help calm

your nerves.

Watching funny movies or sitcoms can

help you get through the night. Time

goes by faster when you're watching

T.V, Or just lie on your bed thinking of

what your life is going to be like after

being free from heroin addiction.

Recap:

• Take Melatonin.

• Take Valeria capsules.

• Drink extra strength Nyquil night

time medicine.

• Keep telling yourself that this will

all be over soon.

Nausea and vomiting:

You may not experience nausea and

vomiting as this occasionally happens

with heavy heroin users and addicts. If

you start to feel nauseous then take 2

Alka Seltzers to help you out. Or go to

your local pharmacy and buy some

over the counter anti-vomiting/anti

nausea medicine. But again, it's all part

of the withdrawal process. You can also

try to eat crackers or bread to absorb

the acids and bile in your stomach.

Diarrhea and stomach cramps:

This may or may not happen to you.

Drink plenty of liquids and try to at least

eat crackers, bread with peanut butter

or fruit for solid foods.

• Drink Pepto-Bismol.

• Take anti- diarrhea pills. (go to

your local pharmacy and buy

some over the counter anti-

diarrhea pills

• Take Motrin at the highest mg

Depression:

Of course you're going to battle feelings

of depression. You’re going through all

these horrible symptoms knowing that

with just one shot of dope it will all go

away. But don't fall for it. One more shot

of heroin will only continue to ruin your

life. Try to watch some funny movies or

get outside in the sun. Whatever you

do, don't let yourself stay depressed.

You have the power to change your

mindset, so get happy and get excited.

Be encouraged in knowing that finally

you're going to kick this nasty heroin

habit, and when it's all over with you will

be a new person just released from the

heroin prison system.

To fight depression:

• Take St Johns Wart

• DHEA is also administered in

detox centers to decrease

depression

• Watch funny TV

• Think positive.

• Always think on the end results;

think about what your life will be

like when you're finally off of

heroin

• Keep telling yourself, "I can do

this!" Say it out loud

• Music is a major key and can be

one of the greatest tools at your

disposal to help you get through

the withdrawal period. Try to

listen to clean, decent, positive

music all day long. (no rap, no hip

hop, no house, no techno, no

metal, no trap)

Bad music will bring negative influence

while good music put forth by the right

people will bring positive influence, lift

you up and help you greatly in so many

ways while going through withdrawals

and even more so afterwards.

Before you quit, you should try to obtain

the the following products if you have

the money to do so.

Chad’s Shopping List

• Buy many packages of chicken

noodle soup.

• Buy a new or used small portable

heater to sit and sleep next to.

• Buy some Ibuprofen at the

strongest mg along with any kind

of muscle relaxers.

• Buy some Herbal Valerian

capsules to relax you.

• Buy melatonin to help you get at

least a few hours of sleep.

Vitamins to help with heroin withdrawal

symptoms:

• L-Tyrosine (500 mg caps) can be

purchased at any health food

store.

• Vitamin B6 capsules.

• Cayenne pepper capsules -AKA

Heat Capsules.

• Wide-spectrum mineral

supplement containing Zinc,

Phosphorus, Copper, Magnesium

and Potassium.

Keep a calendar on the wall and mark

off the days as they go by. Day 1, Day 2,

Day 3, Day 4, etc.

So how do you quit heroin cold turkey?

You just do it! You make the decision to

quit, plan your days carefully and then

do it. This will most likely be the biggest

battle you'll ever face in your life. But

the life long rewards are far greater

than the temporary suffering you will

face while going through the

withdrawal symptoms.

You can do it! Now go do it.

Along with being the co-founder of The Missouri Network for Opiate Reform and Rebel Recovery, Chad Sabora earned his law degree at the John Marshall Law School and currently works as a harm reduction educator at Preferred Family Healthcare and Gateway Foundation. Chad also works as the regional outreach coordinator at Waters Edge Recovery.

detox timeline.

Everyone is different and a withdrawal

timeline has a lot of factors, including

frequency and amount of use prior to

quitting.

This timeline was created as an average

detox timeline. You can use it loosely to

get an understanding of how far you

might be along in the process.

Onset of Withdrawal

Withdrawal symptoms usually start

within 6-12 hours for short acting

opiates and within 30 hours for longer

acting opiates.

Day 1-2

Agitation

Muscle aches (mild to severe pain)

Tearing up

Restlessness & Anxiety

Runny nose

Excessive yawning

Sweating

Racing heart

Feeling of crawling out of your skin

Hypertension

Fever

Drug cravings

Diarrhea

Vomiting and nausea

Loss of appetite

Day 3-5

By this point the worst should be over,

though keeping food down and staying

hydrated can still be a challenge.

Dehydration risk is very real, so staying

hydrated is key.

Goosebumps

Shivers

Abdominal cramping

Possible vomiting

Nausea

Anxiety

Day 6 and beyond

Nausea

Anxiety

During the withdrawal period, especially

after the first couple of days, it is helpful

to stay hydrated, soak in hot baths or a

gym sauna. Some people alternate

between hot and cold showers and

baths. Exercise is excellent.

Don’t be hard on yourself or have

unrealistic expectations during the first

few weeks of withdrawal and detox.

Your brain is regaining balance and

learning how to produce it’s own feel-

good hormones once again.

shopping list.

Although we can’t recommend

purchasing any drugs, even over the

counter ones, these are the common

items that helped us. Always consult

your physician. The following list is for

informational purposes only.

Shopping List

• Imodium A-D: Helps with

diarrhea. Liquid for the beginning.

Tablets are good for later.

Imodium A-D contains Loperamide. This

agent tells the digestive system there

are still sufficient levels of opiates in the

body. The vast majority of individuals

addicted to opiates and opioids also

suffer from constipation. Detoxing will

clear this up, but will provide the

opposite effect. Imodium will help you

feel a little bit more normal and possibly

save you from some excessive clean-

up, which is especially unwelcome

while you’re so weak. It’s not a perfect

cure though, so stay in close proximity

to a restroom.

• Fruit Juice: Nothing carbonated.

Apple juice is a good choice.

• Bottled Water: Hydration is key.

• Gatorade or Pedialyte:

Replenishes electrolytes lost

during vomiting.

• Melatonin: Natural sleep aide.

• Aleve: Or the generic. It’s the

naproxen sodium ingredient that

helps with muscle aches.

• Soup: Any kind you like. I prefer

chicken noodle. Don’t buy

something creamy. It might be

coming back up.

• Amino Acid: Preliminary

evidence in numerous research

studies conducted by Dr.

Kenneth Blum have shown that

liquid amino acids used during

detox and early recovery have

greatly reduced cravings,

restored clarity and have helped

84% of the participants in the

study to remain clean.

Aminos are the building blocks for the

chemicals your brain uses to feed your

“neurotransmitter factory.” I personally

used an amino blend called

Synaptamine that you can order online

ahead of time.

I took one capful in the morning and

one in the evening. It reduces cravings

of all types, from opiates to food and

binge eating because it fuels the

production of your natural “sense of

well being” chemicals. I took these

aminos during my first year of recovery

and can attest to the fact that they are

an excellent tool in your toolbox. I never

relapsed.

• Extra Clothes: You’re going to be

sweating a lot and soaking

through your clothes. You’ll also

have the chills. Several pair of

https://lavitards.com/products/269/synaptamine/

sweatpants, shirts, hoodies and

blankets are necessary.

Curb the urge to binge on breads and

sugar once your appetite returns. Sugar

puts your brain right back in relapse

mode. Also, stay away from energy

drinks. Clean, healthy eating and meals

that consist of protein, vegetables and

fresh fruits will help you feel like

yourself as quickly as possible.

Drink plenty of water. Adding lemon

slices, lime slices and fresh ginger can

help with detox as well as nausea.

Melatonin is a natural sleep aid and can

be purchased over the counter in the

vitamin section of any grocery or health

food store.

Detoxing your body will do zero good if

you aren’t detoxing your brain at the

same time. Your thinking is still

extremely unhealthy and dangerous.

Your mind will tell you to run, go back

to using, and even have you romancing

the idea that your detox will make your

next high so much better. You definitely

don’t want to go around fighting these

thoughts 24 hours a day. They will wear

you down.

You need to change the way you think

by changing what you meditate on!

Yes, it will be baby steps at first

because you’ve spent a lot of time

thinking about doing drugs, getting

money for drugs, buying drugs,

experiencing your high, etc. You were

obsessive in your thoughts. Now you’re

going to have to be obsessive about

something else or you’ll just start

playing those old movies in your mind.

I respect all routes to sobriety and all

ways to change your thinking, but what

worked for me was putting the Word of

God in me with the same amount of

dedication and binge behavior that I put

drugs and alcohol in my body. I found

encouraging podcasts (I tell you about

them in the resource section) and I

surrounded myself with people who

were positive, encouraging and excited

about their new life!

Detox followed with counseling, family

and individual therapy, and recovery

support groups can help you maintain

sobriety as well.

Bottom line, you’re going to have to

change everything, or at least be open

to changing everything, from your

music and movie choices to where and

with who you spend your time.

When I first got clean, I would say “I’m

living from yes to yes.” I would listen for

what God was saying to me about the

current situation I was in. Every decision.

Every moment, I would listen for the

yes.

Of course, I failed a lot. I overate. I

turned to cigarettes. I had emotional

outbursts, but it was okay. I realized I

was going through a lot and I decided

to continue to be kind to myself. I hope

you’re kind to yourself too.

It’s a new life and I believe in you!

One step at a time.

resource list.

Isolation is not your friend in early

recovery. You need to get out there,

meet people who will share your

excitement for recovery, who will

mentor you, and who will be that

sounding board when you’re not feeling

100%.

Here are some resources to help you.

Take what seems good and leave the

rest!

Also, if you would like anything added

to the list, email me at:

[email protected].

mailto:[email protected]

Congratulations on your decision!

Time to get some tools and walk it out.

Encouraging Podcasts:

• Elevation Church

• Home Podcast

• SHAIR Podcast

Recovery Meetings:

Just Google the name of your city or

county with the words “recovery

meeting” or “Christian recovery

meeting” depending on what you’re

looking for. There are so many different

flavors.

I suggest trying out everything and

seeing where you feel comfortable.

http://elevationchurch.org/sermon-downloads/https://soundcloud.com/thisishomepodhttp://theshairpodcast.com/

Helpful Videos:

The Anonymous People – This movie

cycles on Netflix often and I highly

recommend it.

Russell Brand From Addiction to

Recovery – I watched this the night

before I left for treatment.

Everything You Think You Know About

Addiction is Wrong– An amazing and

powerful TED talk. I asked a friend of

mine to watch this. Her childhood

memories were filled with an addicted

father locked in the bathroom, finding

needles, and all the things that go with

trying to parent while you’re an addict.

After watching this video, she opened

the lines of communication between

http://manyfaces1voice.org/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2qjvjbjepQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2qjvjbjepQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY9DcIMGxMshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY9DcIMGxMs

her father and her. Their relationship is

much better today.

Books:

The Bondage Breaker– Neil Anderson

The Bondage Breaker Workbook

6 Mantras for Early Recovery– Laura

McKowen

The Healing Presence by Leann Payne

I also invite you to visit

ThatSoberLife.com and follow us on

Facebook. I care about you and your

recovery journey!

You are not defined by what you’ve

done or what you’ve been through.

Shame is paralyzing, just like fear. It is

http://amzn.to/2dKeBMGhttp://amzn.to/2dkzobxhttp://www.lauramckowen.com/purchase/6-mantras-for-early-recoveryhttp://amzn.to/2dkzuQ8https://thatsoberlife.com/blog/

my hope that you will embrace who

you’ve decided to be today, whether

anyone else believes it yet or not. I

believe you, and I hope you believe you

too, because you are marked for

greatness. You know this in your heart.

Love,

Robin xo

People never change because they are under threat or duress.

Never. They change because they see

something that makes their life seem valuable enough to start moving

toward a life worth living.

—Robert Downey Jr.

FINAL DISCLAIER:

The views of each of the contributors of this book are

their own. We have printed them as they were given

to us, but this does not mean that we endorse or

agree with each viewpoint or suggestion.

Again, detox is dangerous. Don’t detox alone and

always consult with a medical professional first.

We are not medical professionals.

We are former drug addicts.

These are our personal stories.

Opiate Detox TSL - Gracious Care Recovery, Inc. … · resistance, like the voice of a deceitful...

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