Addiction - Really just how bad is heroin withdrawl compared to...

[cybergenesis]

Swim is about to dabble in opiates tomorrow. So his mind has been exploring all things opiate. Swim is only going to use opiates about once a fortnight (quite seriously), but Swim wants to understand more about the addiction.

People say heroin withdrawal is "really bad" or "hell" but that's not much use to Swim. Swim needs a comparison.

Is heroin withdrawal worst than say cigarette withdrawal? If so, is it worst with physical pain? Or is it worst with psychological craving? or both?

People say heroin withdrawal is like the flu, but while the flu sucks- it isn't *that* bad. Is it worst than the flu?

Would people prefer the pain of say a broken arm, or to go though heroin withdrawal?

And one last thing, can anybody name something that is WORST than heroin withdrawal.. Swim doen't know for example, severe food poisoning or gastro?

Swim just wan't to figure it out, so that Swim can figure out how much he wants to avoid risking ever going through it.

Reputation Comments on this post:

	good topic
	great question

[thebige]

Swim dosen't think he could put it in words as well as some others.......so i'm sure you will get a better response then mine.....but when you hear people say that they wouldn't wish it on their worst enemy
can give you some idea......
It sounds as if you will find out soon enough.....
You would be better off never having to go through it....
You might never be the same person.....
And unlike others...............................It would be the first thing swim would wish upon his enemy........HA

[madfan]

opiate withdrawal is very much worse than flu,there really is no comparison & addicts use that analogy only to give non addicts some idea of the symptoms,which are just about impossible to convey.All swim can think of to try to give an impression of how really awful it is,is to say its as if every cell in your body is screaming out for release.And you know that a shot of heroin will make it all better.Depending on which opiate one is addicted to withdrawals can drag on for almost a month & there is no respite because there is no sleep.

[chillinwill]

It certainly is as bad as people make it out to bad and its like the flu times 1000. Diarrhea, vomiting, every bone and joint aches, hot and cold flashes, runny nose, dilated pupils, half yawns, can't sleep, can't eat, lethargy, goosebumps, and lots of agitation and anxiety are just some things one will experience when going through withdrawal. To make matters worse, that's just the physical symptoms. The mental ones are the intense cravings and depression for opiates and knowing that if one were to take an opiate, that all their symptoms will disappear immediately until the withdrawal process starts all over again. That's how come opiate addiction is so hard to overcome

Reputation Comments on this post:

good description

[TheContrivance]

Try to imagine every nerve in your body telling you that you're dying. You're hot and cold at the same time, you're sweating and shaking beyond control. You cannot stop moving and twitching. The only thing you can think about is heroin right then and now. Any relief (besides more opiates) is very temporary. You will be confused and delirious and the biggest asshole on earth. This was SWIMs experience after 15 months of oxy and IV heroin abuse.

Oh yeah and you can't sleep worth shit. In SWIMs case he didn't sleep right for almost 2 months from the day he stopped using.

[msmogadon]

withdrawl will depend on how long SWIM has been using and how much. Eg if was taking 100mls of meth for 2 years and topping up with a few hits here and there. Then their w/d is going to be worse than some one thats only taken it once or twice. But tell SWIM beware as that one or 2 feelings can lead to SWIM WANTING MORE MORE MORE OF THE SAME FEELING AND bam swims a fully blown addict

Reputation Comments on this post:

Thanks for the answer very good information

[maletwickenham]

Swim really wants to try Heroin and this Thread has been very useful. Swim still feels he would like to try it but would Swiy say it is worth it?
Is the high really the best orgasm ever x 1000?

[Jasim]

Intense pain. Swim went through a bad withdrawal once years ago and ever since swim ALWAYS makes sure to have some left over to ween off over the course of a week (two weeks if swim had been on for a long time at high doses). That's for any opiate.

The thing swim remembers most is that the slightest breeze moving across swims skin caused shooting/searing pain. Also, swim's insides felt like they were on fire and being twisted around, like swims organs were being tied in knots. One second swim was burning up, the next he would be freezing cold. Cold sweats, constantly. Honestly, swim doesn't remember the vomiting and diarrhea so much, swim was in waaay too much discomfort. But the constant ache made swim very antsy. Swim could NOT sit still, but moving didn't really help, nor did staying still. And the discomfort turned swim into a very unpleasant person to be around. It hurt to do anything and everything. It just hurt. Most of the time, one can do 'something' to make some pain more tolerable, but its not that way with opiate withdrawal. Nothing helps.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Thanks good post

[cybergenesis]

Thanks for the awesome (yet horrifying) feedback everyone!