STOP Drugs

Here are some helpful tips for those who are trying to get clean and stop using drugs.

I. STEPS:

1. Decide that you do really want to stop using drugs. Unless you have the desire to change you will never be able to.

2. Be completely honest with yourself and others. Your chances of recovery are not good if you cannot face yourself and deal with confrontations from others.
3. Join a website like Recovery Social network. www.recoverysocialnet.com This website has a lot of supportive people that are also in recovery and really want to help you stay clean. There is also a lot of great recovery information. You can start your own profile add pictures connect with other people in recovery, and even start your own blog! Recovery social network is an invaluable tool for staying clean.
4. Be patient with yourself. It usually takes at least three months before significant improvement occurs, so don't give up if you don't get instant results.
5. Remove influences that enable your drug use from your life.
6. Avoid relying on someone to stop doing drugs with you, as he or she may not have the willingness to change. You must be willing to stop spending time with people who use drugs, and to avoid temptation. Learn to walk away from those that insist on using or talking about using in front of you. It may require you to be alone for a while or find a whole new set of friends to hang out with. It will shock you to find out how much healthier your friendships will be once you are not using drugs to smooth out the rough spots.

7. Stock up on nutritious, easy-to-eat foods such as soup to keep your strength up while clucking (going through withdrawal). Be especially sure to focus on your protein intake. This will help keep your blood sugar level stable, which in turn helps keep your mood on an even keel.

8. Find a group in your local area such as Narcotics Anonymous or SMART Recovery. It will help you deal with the issues that come up when stopping drugs. Narcotics Anonymous is not actually specific to narcotics - users of all kinds of drugs, including marijuana, attend Narcotics Anonymous. Recovering users of all kinds are also welcome at open meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. SMART Recovery helps addicts learn to abstain from drugs, alcohol, and addictive behaviors using self-management techniques, and may be a good alternative for people who do not feel comfortable with 12-step groups.

9. Get in touch with a reliable friend who does not take drugs, if you have one. Ask him or her to stay with you to help out while you go through the worst of your withdrawal.

10. If you feel you cannot deal with withdrawal by yourself, then see a doctor or go to a hospital emergency room.
11. Write down a list of things you enjoyed doing before you started using drugs or things you've been interested in doing that you haven't done yet. Drugs have been a big part of your life and it will be easier for you if you plan ahead to fill the void that their absence will create.
12. Identify your triggers, which are people, places, things, events, activities, emotions, times, dates etc., that make you think of using; therefore placing you at a higher risk of using. After you identify your triggers, avoid them.
13. Identify your relapse warning signs, which are changes in your behaviors and/or attitude that signal a chance that you are close to using.
14. Educate yourself on the dangers to your mind and body.
15. Find a support system. Attend AA/NA, Self-support systems have been proven to be helpful for those that are in recovery. Other forms of support are family and friends that currently are not using.
16. Make a list of health goals and read it every day.

17. Develop a crisis plan.

18. Develop and use positive self talk.

19. Find healthy activities to replace drug usage.

20. Focus on your health and taking care of your family.

21. Realize that you are not the only person struggling with this.

II. Tips

Although you may not feel like doing it, exercise will ease the pain of withdrawal.
Boredom is the first step to relapse, so always stay occupied somehow.
Stay positive as much as you can and spend time with other people. Prevent yourself from feeling lonely.
If you suffer from hot and cold sweats, wear layers of clothing that can be removed and put back on easily.
It is always easier to come off your drugs at a time when you don't have anything important to deal with. Of course, waiting for that time can kill you. So don't wait.
Reading is a big help, it helps you to focus on something else.
Be honest as much as you can it will help you.
Take a few minutes to do some stretching, yoga or meditation to get out of the mental tape loop that may be pulling you down. Change the channel. Meditate for at least 20 minutes daily, focusing on nothing more than the sound of your breathing. This practice will help you in life even after you've succeeded at beating your addiction.
Avoid people with drug history. Change your friends. They may be in recovery with you, but if they suddenly decide to not be in recovery, they may try to get you to use drugs with them or expose you to the very thing you are trying to get away from.
In many (but not all) cases, drugs are ILLEGAL and there are more adverse effects caused by their use/abuse than those that cause bodily problems.

III. WARNINGS

If you see your doctor about drug abuse, the details can appear on some medical records. Disclosures, while illegal, may in rare instances happen, and might cause problems with future jobs and insurance. Of course, continued use of illicit drugs is going to hurt your chances even more. If you are the victim of an illegal disclosure, see a lawyer.
Withdrawal can be dangerous, and even deadly. Please, consult a medical professional before detoxing.
In the United States, you can get help through your city, county, or state Department of Social Services with coming off drugs. This can take some time, however, depending on where you live.
In the UK, it can take between 4 weeks and 9 months for Social Services Department to be able to give you any help.

IV. THINGS YOU'LL NEED

Somewhere safe to go through your withdrawal.
Supplies of food/water.
Warm clothes.
A hobby/job that will not ever come to the topic of drugs.

Drugs are chemicals that change the way a person's body works. You've probably heard that drugs are bad for you, but what does that mean and why are they bad?

Medicines Are Legal Drugs

If you've ever been sick and had to take medicine, you already know about one kind of drugs. Medicines are legal drugs, meaning doctors are allowed to prescribe them for patients, stores can sell them, and people are allowed to buy them. But it's not legal, or safe, for people to use these medicines any way they want or to buy them from people who are selling them illegally.

Cigarettes and Alcohol

Cigarettes and alcohol are two other kinds of legal drugs. (In the United States, adults 18 and older can buy cigarettes and those 21 and older can buy alcohol.) But smoking and excessive drinking are not healthy for adults and are off limits for kids.

Illegal Drugs

When people talk about a "drug problem," they usually mean abusing legal drugs or using illegal drugs, such as marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine, LSD, crystal meth, and heroin. (Marijuana is generally an illegal drug, but some states allow doctors to recommend it to adults for certain illnesses.)

Why Are Illegal Drugs Dangerous?

Illegal drugs aren't good for anyone, but they are particularly bad for a kid or teen whose body is still growing. Illegal drugs can damage the brain, heart, and other important organs. Cocaine, for instance, can cause a heart attack — even in a kid or teen.

While using drugs, people are also less able to do well in school, sports, and other activities. It's often harder to think clearly and make good decisions. People can do dumb or dangerous things that could hurt them — or other people — when they use drugs.

Why Do People Use Illegal Drugs?

Sometimes kids and teens try drugs to fit in with a group of friends. Or they might be curious or just bored. Someone may use illegal drugs for many reasons, but often because they help the person escape from reality for a while. A drug might — temporarily — make someone who is sad or upset feel better or forget about problems. But this escape lasts only until the drug wears off.

Drugs don't solve problems, of course. And using drugs often causes other problems on top of the problems the person had in the first place. Somebody who uses drugs can become dependent on them, or addicted. This means that the person's body becomes so accustomed to having this drug that he or she can't function well without it.

Once someone is addicted, it's very hard to stop taking drugs. Stopping can cause withdrawal symptoms, such as vomiting(throwing up), sweating, and tremors (shaking). These sick feelings continue until the person's body gets adjusted to being drug free again.

Can I Tell If Someone Is Using Drugs?

If someone is using drugs, you might notice changes in how the person looks or acts. Here are some of those signs, but it's important to remember that depression or another problem could be causing these changes. Somebody using drugs might:

lose interest in school
change friends (to hang out with kids who use drugs)
become moody, negative, cranky, or worried all the time
ask to be left alone a lot
have trouble concentrating
sleep a lot (maybe even in class)
get in fights
have red or puffy eyes
lose or gain weight
cough a lot
have a runny nose all of the time

What Can I Do to Help?

If you think someone is using drugs, the best thing to do is to tell an adult that you trust. This could be a parent, other relative, teacher, coach, or school counselor. The person might need professional help to stop using drugs. A grownup can help the person find the treatment needed to stop using drugs. Another way kids can help kids is by choosing not to try or use drugs. It's a good way for friends to stick together.

Words to Know

Understanding drugs and why they are dangerous is another good step for a kid to take. Here are some words that may be new to you:

Addiction — Someone has an addiction when he or she becomes dependent on or craves a drug all of the time.

Depressant — A depressant is a drug that slows a person down. Doctors prescribe depressants to help people be less angry, anxious, or tense. Depressants relax muscles and make people feel sleepy, less stressed out, or like their head is stuffed. Some people may use these drugs illegally to slow themselves down and help bring on sleep — especially after using various kinds of stimulants. (See below.)

Hallucinogen — A hallucinogen is a drug, such as LSD, that changes a person's mood and makes him or her see or hear things that aren't really there or think strange thoughts.

High — A high is the feeling that drug users want to get when they take drugs. There are many types of highs, including a very happy or spacey feeling or a feeling that someone has special powers, such as the ability to fly or to see into the future.

Inhalant — An inhalant, such as glue or gasoline, is sniffed or "huffed" to give the user an immediate rush. Inhalants produce a quick feeling of being drunk — followed by sleepiness, staggering, dizziness, and confusion.

Narcotic — A narcotic dulls the body's senses (leaving a person less aware and alert and feeling carefree) and relieves pain. Narcotics can cause someone to sleep, fall into a stupor, have convulsions, and even slip into a coma. Certain narcotics — such as codeine — are legal if given by doctors to treat pain. Heroin is an illegal narcotic because it is has dangerous side effects and is very addictive.

Stimulant — A stimulant speeds up the body and brain. Stimulants, such as methamphetamines and cocaine, have the opposite effect of depressants. Usually, stimulants make someone feel high and energized. When the effects of a stimulant wear off, the person will feel tired or sick.