How long does it take?

How long is a piece of string? It all depends what drugs you use, how much you've been using, how long you've been using for and what your own particular metabolism is like. Somebody who has been using benzodiazepines might take months to feel normal. Heroin usually takes anywhere between three days and two weeks. Methadone seems to take much longer than heroin. It can last anywhere from two weeks to a month before you start to feel normal again.

However long it takes, don't let it get to you. Three days without sleep will begin to feel like a week. A week without sleep will feel like a month. A month without sleep and you start to feel as though you're going mad. You aren't. Your mind and body will snatch some sleep as you need it. It might only be the odd five minutes here and there, but it's better than none. Remember, the longer you've been clean, the more you've actually got invested in your detox, so when the going gets tough just congratulate yourself for the success that you've achieved so far, and try to make it through to the next morning. And then start again, doing it one day at a time.


When will it all be over?

A detox is never over. After a few weeks, your mind and body will be free of the drugs that you've been taking, but your problems are only just beginning. Ask any veteran junkie, they'll all tell you the same thing-getting off drugs is easier, staying off is far harder. Detoxification lasts a couple of weeks, staying drug free takes a lifetime of effort.

There are a number of points that you should bear in mind:

1. Stay busy.

Boredom is one of the main reasons why people go back to gear. If you can't get a job, take up some voluntary work, or a hobby. Go back to school and train for a new career. Do anything that will stop yourself sliding back into your old patterns of behavior.

2. Avoid other drugs.

Some people think that because they were addicted to say, heroin, they won't have a problem with other drugs. A number of things happens frequently with ex-users if they use other drugs. Some of them simply transfer their dependency to a different drug, such as alcohol or cocaine that can be just as damaging. Those who use the non-addictive drugs such as amphetamine, LSD or Ecstasy often find that it acts as a spur that allows their resolve to slip. If you must use other drugs, cannabis is probably the safest, but that can also lead you to slip into using other drugs. The safest strategy is to avoid all drugs completely.

3. Find some support.

Seek out friends that you can talk to when things are getting heavy. Some people find that organizations like Narcotics Anonymous are useful in helping them stay away from drug use, because people in the organization understand what you are going through. Others feel that the quasi-religious content of the twelve step programmes like A.A. and N.A. is too much to take, or they dislike the way that programmed members continually define themselves as addicts rather than moving forward and getting on with the rest of their lives. Good friends, who may or may not be ex-users, can fulfill the same functions. Giving support when you feel low or when you've slipped up and used again. If you don't have any non-drug using friends, go
back to point 1, and find something to do with your time. Chances are, you'll make new friends through your new activities.

4. Avoid drug-using situations.

Many people find that certain cues make them think about using drugs. It may be a certain person - a friend or a relative. It may be a certain place - a particular pub or an estate, somewhere that you used to score, or it may be something less concrete like the sight of a Jif lemon or a bottle of vinegar. When you can recognize them, avoid them like the plague until you are certain that you have enough strength to deal with them.

5. Use the money you would have spent on drugs to do something you really want to do.

If you do stop using, make sure that you get some benefit from having done so. Put the money towards buying something you really wanted, or doing something that you really want to do. Try to avoid having large amounts of surplus cash just lying around putting temptation in your way. Instead, plan a holiday in that country that you've always wanted to go to. (Avoid places like Thailand or Holland.) Take driving lessons, or save for a car. You have already had your first taste of success when you stopped using drugs. Now, anything is possible.

Summary for action

1.1. Re-read this booklet.

• Make a list of the reasons for and against your continued drug use.

• Decide whether you genuinely want to stop using drugs or not.

• If you don't want to stop, put this booklet away until you do.

• Make a list of all the drugs that you currently use. Is a D-I-Y detox viable?

• If so, plan a time to stop using. Remember to leave at least two weeks clear with no responsibilities.

• Tell your family and friends about your plans.

• Accumulate money to pamper yourself with rewards after each stage.

• Arrange to have a comfortable place to do it.

• Make a detoxification time-table/calendar/diary

• Plan activities to fill up your time after you have completed your detoxification programme

• Begin the detoxification programme

• Don't use any more drugs.

• (I couldn't end on here, could I?) Wish yourself good luck - you'll need it!

(c) Peter McDermott, Lifeline, 1993