- Waking up with the dog…again?
- Always last in the taxi and having to pay out?
- Arriving home after a session … the locks are changed?
- Finding yourself in the back of a police car …again?
- Promising to stop ..meaning it but not believing it possible?
- Not being invited to any parties after the last time?
- Having sex …you think?
Everyone's experience of taking drugs is unique. You can decide for yourself what is a problem or not, but others around you may see things differently.
Know yourself. Know your limits. Protect yourself.
How would you know if drug taking was becoming a problem? Do these fit?
- Taking drugs more often than before.
- Taking more and stronger types of drugs.
- Injecting drugs.
- Taking more drugs than you meant to.
- Passing out whilst using drugs.
- Not being able to remember what happened after taking drugs.
- Feeling embarrassed or regretful the next day.
- Finding it hard to have a break from taking drugs.
- Other people you trust telling you that you have a problem.
- Only feeling O.K. when taking drugs.
- Taking more and more drugs just to get the same effect.
- Family members finding out and hitting the roof.
- Feeling concerned or anxious about your drug taking
- Drug taking even when the money's run out
- 'Comedowns' turn into withdrawals.
If you’re concerned about your own drug taking and thinking of making a change…
Be clear about what your concerns are and if it’s time for a change.
- List ideas for why & what might change.
It may help to talk things over with someone you trust.
You don’t have to change everything at once – be realistic, look at one thing at a time.
You may decide this isn’t the time for a change – check it out again later.
If you decide to go for a change …
- Set up a support network …friends, family or agencies that can help.
- Decide what it is you want to change, be specific – reducing, keeping safer, stopping, switching?
- List the benefits & think about how to deal with any drawbacks.
- Discuss ideas for making the change with your support network – how can they help you?
- Plan what, when and how you will practice.
Remember:
- At first, don’t expect it to feel totally good to make changes - this is not unusual and is a sign that something is changing!
- Expect the unexpected ...you can’t plan for everything!
- Get some sleep, eat well and discover different ways to feel good.
- If you try the change and it doesn’t work…don’t give up, learn from the situation and start again tomorrow.
Some ideas to support change…
- Plan ideas, with a friend if it helps, for getting out of a situation that is becoming unsafe or uncomfortable.
- Plan not to take a drug at certain times or locations.
- Practice different ways for …
- Protecting yourself in drug or alcohol taking situations.
- Staying in control.
- Saying ‘no’ to something unsafe, not planned or you don’t want to do.
- When you’ve decided what you want to say…practice HOW to do it…
- Try not to explain too much, others will argue.
- Don’t hesitate, look directly at the person & be clear.
- Repeat yourself as many times as needed.
- When you’ve decided what you want to say…practice HOW to do it…
- Avoid always being in situations that set off the urge to take a drug – plan alternatives.
- If you take more then one drug and want to reduce … decide which is best to tackle first.
- Widen your range of friends to include those who take less drugs, less often or not all.
- When in a group …pass on rounds, take a break for a minute away from the group (remind yourself why you’ve decided on a change), pretend you’ve already had some.
Links
There are several services in Cornwall that provide help to people concerned about drug issues... Links from EEFO.net:
There are many other sources of information about drugs on the internet…
Links on the web (please read our terms):
