How to stop or reduce your drug use

If you are worried about your drug use, you can:

• learn signs that drug use has a negative effect on your life
• check if you are ready to stop or reduce your use
• check what kind of support you need
• make a plan to deal with things that make you want to use (triggers)
• set realistic goals and commit to them
• know what to do in case you use again (have a slip)

Signs that drug use has a negative effect

There are many ways drug use could have a negative effect on your life.

Common signs include if you:

• notice a negative impact on your health, relationships or work
• stop doing things you used to enjoy
• have cravings or feel you need to use drugs to have fun or do everyday things
• take risks or do things you would not usually do because of drug use
• often use more than 1 drug or mix drugs with alcohol
• find it hard to stop taking drugs or have withdrawal symptoms

Other people may say that they are worried about you or your behaviour.

Check if you're ready to change your use

It is possible to change. But sometimes it can take a while to be ready.

If you are not sure that you are ready, think about:

• what you do not like about using drugs
• what you like about using drugs
• what would improve if you stopped or reduced your use
• what would happen if you did nothing
• things that may make it hard for you to change
• things that are important in your life
• your reasons to change your drug use - everyone has different reasons
• if you want to reduce your use or stop completely

Check what support you need

The right support can make it easier to change. You may need to try different support options to find what works for you.

Most people who stop using drugs do not need to stay in a treatment centre. Treatment depends on your needs, the type of drug you use and how drug use affects your everyday life.

Getting help for drug use

Understand your level of dependence

It is not safe to suddenly stop taking certain drugs if you have become dependent on them.

Talk to a GP or a drug service before you stop if you:

• feel you need to use drugs to do everyday things
• get cravings to use - using is all you can think about
• get withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking the drug
• often mix drugs and alcohol
• use opioids such as codeine, heroin or tramadol
• use z drugs such as zolpiclone or zolpidem
• use benzodiazepines, gabapentin, pregabalin or G (GHB or GBL)

The service can help you plan a safe way to gradually reduce your use. They may recommend medicines to help with withdrawal symptoms.

Make a plan to deal with triggers

Get to know the things that make you want to use drugs. These are called triggers.

Keep a drug diary for a few weeks. This can help you see patterns of when you use. For each trigger, think of around 3 ways you could avoid using.

If you contact a drug service, they can help you to make a plan.

Common triggers and ways to avoid them

A trigger can be a person, a place, a thing, a feeling or a withdrawal symptom.

Some situations can be risky in the first few weeks after you stop. But with time you’ll become more confident.

Commit to your goals

Set clear goals to change your drug use and commit to them.

Include:

• when you will start
• the number of days per week or month that you do not want to use
• how often you can use
• how much you can use per week or month
• how much you can use at a time
• situations where you will not use
• how you will use
• things you will do to reduce your risk of harm
• what to say if someone offers you drugs

Review your goals every couple of weeks. Think about how things are working and make changes if you need to.

Know what to do in case of a slip

A slip is not a reason to give up on your goals.

Learn from any slips. Think about what caused the slip and what you can change.

You could also:

• be kind and patient with yourself - treat yourself like you would treat a friend in the same situation
• remind yourself of your reasons to change your drug use
• review your goals and ways to avoid your triggers
• avoid high risk situations for a while
• get more support

Create a safety plan for slips

Your tolerance to certain drugs can reduce if you do not use them for a while. For example, opioids.

If you start taking drugs again, you may be at a higher risk of an overdose.

To reduce your risk:

• use a smaller dose than you did before
• avoid using alone
• consider other ways of using instead of injecting
• carry medicine to temporarily reverse an opioid overdose (naloxone) - if you used to use opioids

Getting naloxone