After taking the quiz you may now have realised that your drug use is having more of an effect on you than you first imagined.
TIP 1 - DECIDE WHAT ARE THE GOOD REASONS FOR CHANGING YOUR DRUG HABITS?
Deciding on good reasons for changing your drug habits will help you to succeed. What we mean by a “good” reason is one that makes sense to you. Right now think of some good reasons for changing your habits.
There are dozens of good reasons to change the way you use cocaine; they will be different for each person. For example,
- you’ll save a lot of money and take control of your finances
- you’ll feel better, certainly less anxious and edgy
- you will be less likely to have arguments with friends and family
- you’ll be less likely to put yourself at risk, either by violence, risky sex, or anything else
TIP 2 - SET YOUR GOALS
Having a plan for changing your drug use means you need to set goals to work towards. You should pick a week when you are going to start your plan and set your goals each week.
The next thing to do is to keep track of your drug use – this will help you work out whether you are keeping on track. Try and be honest with yourself – that quick line at a mates house does count, as does the cheeky half you took around 1am.
The main thing to remember if you don’t meet your goals is to keep on trying and to work out ways to help you in the future.
TIP 3 - RECOGNISE DIFFICULT TIMES
No matter how much you want to change your drug habits there will be times when you’ll find it difficult.
Stop and think for moment about the last few times you were using cocaine too much or too often. Where were you and what were you feeling?
We have given you some ideas of what you’re difficult times might be, you can use this list to help you think about other situations that may be difficult. In the next section we will get you to think of ways of coping with these difficult times.
- when I am out at the pub or bar
- when with friends who all use cocaine – feeling like it’s the normal thing to do
- when I want to relax
TIP 4 - DEAL WITH DIFFICULT TIMES
You now have a list of the hardest times for you – so you’ve already worked out when you are most likely to use cocaine. Now you have to work out how to deal with those difficult situations – without using cocaine ….
WAYS OF COPING WITH DIFFICULT TIMES...
- get used to refusing every offer of cocaine
- avoid your friends who use cocaine all the time
- when you’re bored or stressed find another way of coping
- avoid buying cocaine in larger quantities with friends – you will only be forced into using cocaine at their pace
TIP 5 - FIND SOMEONE TO SUPPORT YOU
This plan is all about changing your habits. Some people find it easier to change a habit if they have someone to help them. This person could be your partner/friend, or someone at work who also wants to change their habits.
Your support person should be someone you can talk to easily, be honest with, and can ask for advice when you need it.
TIP 6 - GET MORE INFORMATION AND ADVICE
If you are very worried about the effects of cocaine on your life or on your health, you can talk to someone who can give you more help and advice. There are also services in your area where you can visit maybe just once to talk through some of your worries.
The Local services pages on this site will give you all the information you need.