Need info, Heroin addicts

[WriterMan2007]

Hello all. Unbeknownce to me, my brother has been a heroin addict for the past three years. I didn't find out until recently and now it's too late--he's gone.

As a tribute to him, I'm trying to write a book for friends and family of addicts, so I'm reaching out to this community to find out some information.

I've done a lot of primary research in terms of going to clinics and talking to patients, but I find that often people are more open and honest when it's anonymous. As such, I'd like to ask for you help.

If you would, please answer any/all of the following questions:

i) What did it feel like the first time you used heroin (please be as visceral as possible)?

ii) What did it feel like after you became addicted / how did the original feeling change?

iii) How long did it take to go from (i) to (ii)?

iv) What does detox feel like? Did you go cold turkey? If so, how long did it take for you to feel "normal" (or at least functional)?

Thanks in advance for sharing your stories.

- Adam

[mickenator]

Alright Adam,
Swim has been an opiate addict for about 16 years on and off and now doesn't see themselves coming off the stuff until swim is carted off in a box. Swim got into taking heroin after they stopped getting the high from Temgesic and started looking around, swims friends at the time were just starting to take heroin and raved on about it so swim thought they would give it a try, so swim and a friend got a £10 bag and shared it, from what swim remembers it was like being wrapped up in a cotton wool blanket and at the time swim felt good. It was about 3 or 4 months after that swim started to realise they where addicted because swim suffered there first propper withdrawl and it felt like the worst cold youv'e ever had. Then it became necessary for swim to score every day just to feel normal, swim still got a bit of a buzz from it but nothing like when swim first started taking it. A few years ago swim did manage to come off both methadone and heroin not by choice but because swim got sent to prison for supplying it. It took about 6 to 7 weeks of annoyance and lack of sleep to get over there withdrawl and for the first time in swims adult life swim was no longer an addict. When swim got out of jail they managed to stay clean for about 6 months and then started to gradually take more and more heroin, now swim is back to being a full time addict and hates it but like many addicts swim decides to stop and never does. Hope this will help. Mick

[NeverSober]

Originally Posted by WriterMan2007

i) What did it feel like the first time you used heroin (please be as visceral as possible)?

ii) What did it feel like after you became addicted / how did the original feeling change?

iii) How long did it take to go from (i) to (ii)?

iv) What does detox feel like? Did you go cold turkey? If so, how long did it take for you to feel "normal" (or at least functional)?

1) amazing, it was great.........hard to describe the feeling....

2) same feeling just took more to get it

3) I was using daily from the start, and had been using othre opiates before I was introduced to heroin, so I was already addicted to opiates before heroin use.

4) Detox is hell, aches & pains.......depression, lonely, boredom........thoughts of suicide a few times.....took me about 3 weeks to be completly back to normal



Sorry for your loss.....Ive lost several friends to drugs and its horrible.....

[cz-one]

Been on H. for 12 years,first time i took it i should have taken the hint cause i puked up repeatedly for a good hour,but once the nausea had passed and i got into the warm,pleasurable feeling of absolute contentment and zero worries i knew i'd do it again and again. As for becoming addicted,you know your taking it daily, but you dont notice or care...until the day comes when you've no money or cant score and you experience withdrawals for the 1st time,in my case a few months. How does withdrawing feel like? physically,yes its a lot like proper influenza that floors you,but for me the worst part is the psychological part,that you know all it takes to stop feeling so crappy is £10 and a phone call,and thats why so many people relapse,cause its far easier to give in than ride that 'rattle' out for the many months it takes to become truly back to normal. Also,sorry for your loss,it truly is the devils drug,it gives a little,but by god it takes far more,not just the addict,but all those who can only stand by and watch as it happens,cause at the end of the day,until you truly want to stop you just waste years going back and forth between using and not using,but mostly using. Hope some of this helped.

[Orchid_Suspiria]

SWIM has been an opiate addict for about a decade now so he will answer your questions.

1.All the pain in SWIMS life was gone both physical and emotional.It was like a warm and beautiful blanket.It was like being held and then floating away inside to heavenly visions and dreams.SWIM remembers just laying there and only getting up to do another line of h.

2.As others have said the same feeling but it took more to get it and the euphoria wasn't as powerful.

3.Had been using opiates from awhile and was already edging towards addiction so it took no time at all.

4.Heroin detox is awful!Aches in all the muscles especially in the upper body,sweating that wont go away,hotflashes that turn to cold flashes,the abillity to sleep is lost and when one does sleep it is filled with nightmares and the pain you feel while awake follows SWIM into their sleep.All SWIMS losses and emotional pain and all the hurt others had visited upon him in his life especially child abuse came back to him and feelings of worthlessness and the desire to die.Life becomes hopeless and SWIM just spent most his time curled in a ball on bed crying or in the tub trying to get rid of the foul smelling sweat and because warm water feels very good.Eventually strong and powerful migraines that make one very confused and unable to walk and actually cause vomiting.Methadone withdrawals are the same times a few hundred.