"I ended up homeless and on the streets, living and sleeping in a cardboard box, begging and struggling to find ways to get my next meal."

Ben

• Learn healthy ways to cope with problems

  Even once you’ve recovered from drug addiction, you’ll still have to face the issues that led to your drug problems in the first pl...
  Even once you’ve recovered from drug addiction, you’ll still have to face the issues that led to your drug problems in the first place. Did you start using drugs to numb painful emotions, calm yourself down after an argument, unwind after a bad day, or forget about your problems? After you become sober, the negative feelings that you used to dampen with drugs will resurface. For treatment to be successful, and to remain sober in the long term, you’ll need to resolve these underlying issues as well.
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• Don’t let relapse keep you down

  Relapse is a common part of the recovery process from drug addiction. While relapse is understandably frustrating and discouraging, it ...
  Relapse is a common part of the recovery process from drug addiction. While relapse is understandably frustrating and discouraging, it can also be an opportunity to learn from your mistakes and correct your treatment course.
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• Seek support from your family

  Your family needs to be involved in your journey to fight your addiction. Only you can accomplish this important task, but you need to ...
  Your family needs to be involved in your journey to fight your addiction. Only you can accomplish this important task, but you need to ask for the support and help of your family. You may think you are the first family member with an addiction, especially substance abuse, but if you carefully examine your family history you may find a similar addiction in past generations.
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• No more secrets

  It’s time to clean out the closet and take inventory. No hiding because of shame. No hiding because of fear. You are not alone in you...
  It’s time to clean out the closet and take inventory. No hiding because of shame. No hiding because of fear. You are not alone in your addiction. Thousands of others have fought the same battle. Now is the time to list your good qualities, the things you like about yourself, and want to keep. It is also the time to list your bad qualities, your habits and addictions you wish to overcome. Writing is a powerful tool for the brain. Writing the inventory list will help your brain to help you overcome your addiction. You will be more attune to your strengths and weaknesses and better able to use your strengths to overcome your weakness.
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• Regain Power

  Many addictions are undermined because we believe we are powerless to change the situation. This is not true! You do have the power to ...
  Many addictions are undermined because we believe we are powerless to change the situation. This is not true! You do have the power to make change. It may be slow and painful. It may result in times where you fall backwards but you have the power to pick yourself up, wipe yourself off, and go forward again. Use your power to take one minute at a time, one hour at a time, and one day at a time. As you move forward use your power to look one week into the future, one month into the future.
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Be truthful and sincere with your addiction

Heroin addiction can play tricks to addicts mind. With its dependency ratio being so high, you have to be honest about the depth of you...

Heroin addiction can play tricks to addicts mind. With its dependency ratio being so high, you have to be honest about the depth of your addiction. You will have to change your priorities to recover from heroin addiction.

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Soothe your inner mind

You have to realise that your mind has been used to taking in heroin at regular intervals, so you will have to work against your minds ...

You have to realise that your mind has been used to taking in heroin at regular intervals, so you will have to work against your minds thought process. The conscious thinking mind has to take over the primitive subconscious mind. The conscious thinking mind has to work towards soothing out the inner mind while always realizing stating heroin is a destructive substance.

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Take each day as it comes for quitting addiction

If you tell yourself that you would be quitting for good that could turn out to be a huge psychological block which would be hard to fi...

If you tell yourself that you would be quitting for good that could turn out to be a huge psychological block which would be hard to fight. Instead adopt a mind frame where you take each day as it comes. You can heal and free yourself from heroin each single day.

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Quit your way

Don’t rely on what other people have to say about your addiction. Everything is individual. You could quit cold turkey or even get so...

Don’t rely on what other people have to say about your addiction. Everything is individual. You could quit cold turkey or even get some medical assistance. It all depends on the yearnings you face for the drug.

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Erase all of your dealers' phone numbers

You probably have their numbers memorized, but after a few months, you will forget them....

You probably have their numbers memorized, but after a few months, you will forget them.

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Take a trip somewhere

Anywhere. A change of setting will help you forget about your old routine (spending your whole day trying to find some money for heroin...

Anywhere. A change of setting will help you forget about your old routine (spending your whole day trying to find some money for heroin, trying to get in touch with your dealer so you can buy the heroin, then using the heroin, passing out, and waking up the next day to do it all over again).

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Clean yourself through exercise

Exercise helps the body excrete all the junk inside and can regulate the metabolism....

Exercise helps the body excrete all the junk inside and can regulate the metabolism.

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Remember why you are quitting

Make a list of things you've lost to heroin and things you want back. Refer to this list whenever you have the urge to use....

Make a list of things you've lost to heroin and things you want back. Refer to this list whenever you have the urge to use.

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Make further plans after quitting

Set new goals,dreams or projects for your life without heroin and plan on making them happen no matter how hard they may seem first. If...

Set new goals,dreams or projects for your life without heroin and plan on making them happen no matter how hard they may seem first. If you stay clean, anything's possible.

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Find your support network

It is essential to find a support network, whether it be friends and family or other recovering addicts....

It is essential to find a support network, whether it be friends and family or other recovering addicts.

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Avoid the places of your old life

Avoid all the people and places you went to during your heroin days....

Avoid all the people and places you went to during your heroin days.

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Keep track of your mental health

Very often, recovering addicts experience severe depression. It's a good idea to visit a therapist, or other mental health professional...

Very often, recovering addicts experience severe depression. It's a good idea to visit a therapist, or other mental health professional, if you're suffering from the disease.

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Products that will help

During your detox period, you may need: gatorade, multivitamins, Pepto Bismol, Valerian Root (powerful herb that works with anxiety, ca...

During your detox period, you may need: gatorade, multivitamins, Pepto Bismol, Valerian Root (powerful herb that works with anxiety, can be taken during the first 3-5 days of your detox, sold at any pharmacy or drug store).

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Learn All You Can

Research heroin addiction so you can understand how and why it affects your friend or relative. Know the signs and look for paraphernal...

Research heroin addiction so you can understand how and why it affects your friend or relative. Know the signs and look for paraphernalia around the house, burnt spoons, needles etc.

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Pay attention to the addict’s cycle

When an addict does not get his daily dose, he gets dope sick – this is when they’ll start stealing and mugging to get their hands ...

When an addict does not get his daily dose, he gets dope sick – this is when they’ll start stealing and mugging to get their hands on more.

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Addiction is a disease

Understand the pain and suffering your addict is going through – it is a disease and should be treated as such....

Understand the pain and suffering your addict is going through – it is a disease and should be treated as such.

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Other people never know

In general, the public is not particularly sympathetic to the plight of heroin addicts. Whether or not their opinion is valid is irrele...

In general, the public is not particularly sympathetic to the plight of heroin addicts. Whether or not their opinion is valid is irrelevant; what is important is making sure your addict gets through their issues with your support.

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Don’t blame yourself!

As a loved one of an addict, the addiction is not your fault. Your job is to guide your addict to sobriety, not to blame yourself or an...

As a loved one of an addict, the addiction is not your fault. Your job is to guide your addict to sobriety, not to blame yourself or anyone.

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Enabling

Look it up! Don’t be the one that’s enabling your addict. You’d be holding them back from the recovery process....

Look it up! Don’t be the one that’s enabling your addict. You’d be holding them back from the recovery process.

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Don’t lose hope!

“As long as he or she is breathing, there is hope” – take that to heart. It’s never too late to help your loved one....

“As long as he or she is breathing, there is hope” – take that to heart. It’s never too late to help your loved one.

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It's just easier

Realize that enjoying life and pursuing new interests is more satisfying and EASIER (long term anyway) than abusing drugs like heroin....

Realize that enjoying life and pursuing new interests is more satisfying and EASIER (long term anyway) than abusing drugs like heroin.

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Look at the list of people who have been destroyed, even killed, by drugs

Just because many Rock Stars, actors or friends use them doesn't make them cool; you must make your own decisions. For every star who l...

Just because many Rock Stars, actors or friends use them doesn't make them cool; you must make your own decisions. For every star who looks cool taking drugs, there is one who is in rehab, or has died.

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Keep a calendar hanging on the wall

On your calendar write, 'Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, all the way to Day 40, yet placing more emphasis on making it...

On your calendar write, 'Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, all the way to Day 40, yet placing more emphasis on making it through the first 7 days. You will be crossing off the days with a 'check mark' as the days go by, all the way to Day 40.

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Closely examine what has made you feel valuable in the past

You are a valuable person, and it will be easier for you to find it out if you think about what you were doing when you were clean....

You are a valuable person, and it will be easier for you to find it out if you think about what you were doing when you were clean.

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Try the suboxone/subutex approach

Suboxone/Subutex is less hassle than getting on methadone. Taking Suboxone/Subutex will greatly help with cravings, and is much easier ...

Suboxone/Subutex is less hassle than getting on methadone. Taking Suboxone/Subutex will greatly help with cravings, and is much easier to taper off of than methadone. The amount of time you will take Suboxone/Subutex is much shorter than methadone as well-- Suboxone/Subutex maintenance generally lasts for 3 to 6 months, depending on the person and doctor.

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Don't give up becasue you had a bad day

Recognize that staying sober is hard. There are good days and bad days....

Recognize that staying sober is hard. There are good days and bad days.

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Don't beat yourself up

Be proud of what you're doing. Quitting heroin is something to be proud of....

Be proud of what you're doing. Quitting heroin is something to be proud of.

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Try your best not to give in to cravings

When cravings unexpectedly occur or catch you by surprise, you can find immediate help through 12 step programs such as Narcotics Anony...

When cravings unexpectedly occur or catch you by surprise, you can find immediate help through 12 step programs such as Narcotics Anonymous or NA (na.org).

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