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Do it Yourself Detoxification
Thanks to Peter McDermott for the following text form
of a wonderful booklet he developed available from Lifeline in England:
McDermott's Guide to Do-It-Yourself Detox
(c) Peter McDermott, 1993, (c) Lifeline Project, 1993
Page 1 of 4
This guide was first published by
Lifeline Project, Manchester, UK. This electronic version may be freely
distributed electronically or as hard copy.
Why should I do-it-myself?
People often go along to a drugs agency in the hope of finding an easy
solution to their drug problem. This is a mistake. There are no easy
solutions.
The majority of people stop using drugs without any help. Addiction to
smoking is just as difficult to give up as addiction to heroin, but the
majority of people stop smoking with out any outside help. Drugs
agencies are thought to be in contact with between 10% and 25% of all
heroin users. The rest stop using drugs without any help whatsoever.
When the U.S. army was fighting in Vietnam, hundreds of thousands of
soldiers became addicted to heroin. When they returned to the U.S.A.,
the vast majority gave up heroin without any help whatsoever.
While a small number of people find that it is harder to stop using
unless they are physically removed to a place where they cannot get
drugs, i.e., a hospital or a rehab unit. This may be an option for you
to consider, but if you do, remember, you still have to face the
situation back in the real world when you do get out. Ultimately, nobody
else can do your detox for you.
Some people find that support from a drugs worker can be helpful during
a detox. Other people's experience is that they are a bunch of
know-nothing do-gooders who are about as much use as a blocked needle or
a packet of wet skins. There are also other drawbacks associated with
attending a drugs agency. They expect you to attend for regular
appointments. You can expect to run into other drug users, possibly even
dealers, and most drugs agencies keep records of your name, address,
date of birth, etc. In some cases, these are passed on to the Home
Office and kept on a register. If you decide to use a drugs agency,
remember to ask about their record keeping and confidentiality policies.
Ultimately, whether you decide that you want support
from a drugs worker or not, the only person who can stop using drugs is
YOU. However, the greatest obstacle to your success is fear. This
booklet aims to try and remove some of the mysteries that surround drug
detoxification, by explaining what will happen, we hope to make you your
own expert. You take the credit for success, and the responsibility for
your own continued use.
Before you make the decision to detoxify, there are
several questions that you should try to answer for yourself.
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