Simple, accurate health tests for the home and the workplace.
Alternatives to Detoxing Having gone through the pros and cons, and thought about why you take opiates, you may have decided that you aren’t ready to detox yet. You may want to consider making other changes, some of which could help set the scene for a future detox. You might want to: talk to a […]
Withdrawals – Your Mind and Feelings Opiates don’t only kill physical pain; they also kill psychological pain and level out all feelings – good and bad. So one of the things that happens as you stop taking opiates is that you step into a world where your feelings aren’t controlled by drugs any more. At […]
Withdrawals – your body After a period of daily opiate use your body becomes used to the drugs and needs higher doses to get the same effect. This is called developing tolerance. Sometimes this takes only a few days to happen; usually it takes a few weeks. Once you have developed a tolerance to opiates […]
Who can help? Help and support before, during and after a detox can make all the difference. Drug services Drug services should have experienced workers or volunteers who can get to know you well, and help you sort out the problems that often crop up during and after a detox. They may have a detox […]
Where to detox Where you detox may be decided by how fast you want to come off. If you feel able to come off quickly then most of the options on the following pages may be open to you. At Home If you have to look after children, go to work, want to come off […]
Understanding why you take drugs It may feel like the only reason you take opiates is to stop yourself withdrawing, but it isn’t usually that simple. Understanding your drug use may help you control it. It may be that the reasons you started using opiates are different from the reasons why you are taking them […]
Stopping injecting Stopping injecting can take as much effort and willpower as detoxing. You can do both together and deal with everything at once. Although this is hard, you know where you stand and with no ‘half measures’ it can feel like the only way to do it. For some, step by step is better: […]
Staying off Staying off can be harder than getting off, and is seldom easy. Your frame of mind is important: being positive about being clean and knowing that there will be hard times and times when you feel like using again (but that these will pass) will all help. To start with you’ll probably find […]
Sleep Not being able to sleep during and after a detox can be one of the worst parts of it all. People always get enough sleep to survive, but it doesn’t always feel like it; and sleep doesn’t always come when you want it. Getting yourself into a sleep routine is probably the most important […]
Services for drug-using parents If you have children who are under 16, you may have worried about making contact with drugs services or your doctor about your drug use because you have heard that children of drug users can get taken into care. However, drug use alone is never a good enough reason for your […]
Pro’s and Con’s of detoxing It may feel like the only reason you take opiates is to stop yourself withdrawing, but it isn’t usually that simple. Understanding your drug use may help you control it. It may be that the reasons you started using opiates are different from the reasons why you are taking them […]
Prescribing services Unfortunately there is no right to a prescribed detox from opiates, but detoxing from opiates is a ‘health need’ and the NHS health authorities have to ensure that services are available to meet health needs. You should be properly assessed and, if necessary, treated within a reasonable length of time. Services that can […]
