Heroin is one of the most addictive drugs around. It is also one of the most dangerous to become addicted to, with a very high incidence of drug related deaths resulting from continued use.  Because it is a very dangerous drug, it is that those who are addicted to it, overcome their addiction. Whether you die from a drug overdose or simply ruin your body from this substance abuse, it is very damaging to the user and ruins relationships with friends and family as well.

The first step in overcoming this addiction, is to undergo a heroin detox program. Anyone who has been a heroin user must first go through detoxification before they attempt to begin to enter a rehabilitation program. Unless one is free from the effects of heroin, they will not be able to properly participate in any rehab programs.

Heroin detoxification helps the patient to eliminate all traces of heroin from their body. It is often a very difficult detox for the person to go through, and thus it is imperative that the detox program is supervised and that there is medical aid available during its duration.  People become physically addicted to heroin, not just psychologically addicted, thus the body will show physical symptoms during the detox process. Common side-effects from heroin detoxification include nausea and vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea, chills, sweating, overall bodily weakness, as well as anxiety and irritability. Symptoms typically begin within twelve hours of the last dosage of heroin and continue for anywhere from two to four days.

Although a lot of advancements have been made in heroin detoxification methods these days, they are still uncomfortable for anyone to go through and consequently a lot of people refuse to go through with it, even if they do begin treatment, with there being up to a 30% dropout rate from these programs.  A new treatment, with anesthesia assisted opioid withdrawal techniques has been introduced as a fast and relatively painless way to detox, however this has not proven to be totally safe, and in general it is not recommended above other, standard detox procedures. Undergoing heroin detoxification under medical supervision, in a reputable detox center still appears to be the best course of action for most heroin addicts, and can provide them with help needed to relieve their withdrawal symptoms and to keep them safe while they are undergoing detoxification.