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 Getting PreparedPeople decide to stop using drugs for many different reasons:-  You may want to give up completelyOr simply to have a break from using Or you may be a seasonal drug user Whatever your reasons you need to plan your detox carefully. Decide on a time when you're going to do it. It could be soon or in a couple of months. Whenever it is, put aside a couple of weeks when you don't have to do anything stressful and you don't have any responsibilities. If you have children, send them to their grandparents or to a friend for a holiday. they won't enjoy spending this time with you and you'll be glad you don't have to worry about them. If you're in a relationship with a user then its probably best to either detox together or have a little time apart while one of you detoxes. Tell everyone you know about your decision to stop using. People who love and care for you will support you through this period. Other users may resent you ability to break the habit and try to tempt you into using. If you suspect that this is the case, explain what you're doing and tell them you'd rather they didn't come around again until you've finished your detox.  Try to put some money aside. You need to be able to pamper yourself with rewards while you're detoxing. Going clean, even for a while can be difficult, so you shouldn't feel guilty about indulging yourself in other ways.Find a comfortable place in which to do your detox. One of the main reasons for doing a detox as an in-patient is that some people don't have a comfortable place to detox. For most people detoxification is easier if you can make a drink in your own kitchen, watch you own TV, read your own books and listen to your own stereo. If the place you're living isn't very nice, see if you can go home to your parents, or if you can stay with non-using friends for a couple of weeks. Coping Having planned when you're going to detox it's best to try to reduce your habit to a manageable level, if you can beforehand. Barbiturates and benzodiazepines can be dangerous to detox from. If you have been using these types of drugs a medical detox is much safer than detoxing at home. See your doctor or nearest drug service, you can get their addresses and phone numbers for your nearest needle exchange CLICK HERE for a list of local needle exchanges.  Remove all your fits from the place you're going to do your detox. Spoons, filters, needles and syringes will only remind you of using if you see them lying around. Get a friend to drop them off to a needle exchange point.The first few days are the worst. With opiate withdrawal, although the symptoms are different for everybody, everyone seems to focus on one particular aspect as the thing they experience as the worst. For one person it may be pains in the muscles or joints, for others it may be the inability to get comfortable. Others have difficulty coping with the lack of sleep. Common problems are: SweatingRestlessness Nausea Diarrhoea Stomach cramps Muscle pains Sleep Disturbance Hot and cold flushes It is unpleasant and the fear of withdrawals makes them even worse than they actually are. But there is a big difference between an enforced withdrawal because you're out of gear or money or sent to prison .....and a planned withdrawal. Use a calendar and tick-off the days or keep a diary and write down hoe you feel. identify landmarks so you can look back over it and see how much you've gone through.Every time you complete a day congratulate yourself by giving yourself a reward, something small like chocolate or something special. For each week that passes buy yourself something special to wear or go out for a meal. How Long Does it Take? It all depends on how much you've been using, how long you've been using for and what your metabolism's like. Common detox times are listed below:-
*NOTE: Detoxing from Tranqs and Barbs can be dangerous - DO NOT ATTEMPT WITHOUT MEDICAL ASSISTANCE  Creature ComfortsThere are several things you can do to make yourself more comfortable during your detox. Generally:-  Drink plenty of water and fluids, but avoid alcohol and coffee, this will re-hydrate your body and help wash the toxins out of your system. Eat regularly, even if you don't feel like it initially, avoid junk food and fried stuff. Stick to meat and lots of veggies.Staying Clean If you've decided to stay clean for a while, or permanently there are several things you can do to make things easier on yourself:- Stay Busy Boredom is one of the main reasons people go back to the gear. Once you've stopped using you'll find you have heaps of time on your hands. If you can't get a job, take up some voluntary work or a sport or hobby. Go back to school and train for a new career. Avoid Other Drugs It's safest to avoid addictive drugs completely, if you want to use something and herbs and minerals don't do it for you, something like marijuana is probably the safest. Find some Support Seek out friends that you can talk to when things are getting heavy. Some people find that organisations like Narcotics Anonymous (NA) are useful. But they're not for everyone, Good friends who may or may not be ex-users can fulfill the same functions. Avoid Drug Using Situations Many people find that certain cues make them think about using drugs - maybe objects like bent spoons, a person, friend or relative or a place where you used to score. When you recognise them, avoid they like the plague until you have enough strength to deal with them. Use up that Money Put the money you would have spent scoring towards buying something you really like, or doing something you'd like to do. Avoid having surplus cash around. It's just a temptation. If you feel you need to then give all your money to someone trustworthy until you feel you can cope with it.  If at First you don't SuceedThe main problem with detoxing is not the physical symptoms but the headspace effects - The confusion, fear and emotions. That's why its best before you start to get yourself in the right frame of mind. Don't make a big deal out of it and be patient. Most people who detox for the first time don't stay clean forever, some choose to give the drugs another go, some simply relapse. There's no crime in starting to use again and guilt is a wasted emotion. Give it another go and keep this thought with you; "The world is full of ex-users and they all got clean the same way - the hard way" |