Just interested in those who have been to any uk treatment centres - i spent 3 months or so at Promis in kent backk in the 90's which was fun and made some =good friends. Cleaned up while i was in there , put on loads of weight (which i needed to do) and was at the gym 2 hoirs a day plus screwing a cougar with an eating dissorder.. some good stories that still say with me.
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Treatment centres I have knownn and loved
- Thread starter blondin
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mydrugbuddy
Bluelighter
i went to a support centre in Manchester for about 14 months i think, once i got over the intial thing of none of them having ever even heard of the substances i was taking, i found the staff and the other clients to be very supportive. I'm still on their books, as i still have an etiz addiction, and a bit of a problem controlling stim usage, but find it difficult to fit the time in to attend now that im working full time, and as i have to start work at 6 or 7 am im not quite adjusted to that yet, and am often falling asleep during the 6 o clock news in the evening.
The supportive non-judgemental environment is a hell of a contrast to work, where you clearly are continually being judged, im just having a bit of trouble re-adjusting to the 'real world' and its demands, but i think i will get there soon enough. Im not gonna worry about people judging me, they can think what the hell they like, i think im currently changing from one day to the next, maybe much more frequently than that, as ive been having some trouble controlling my mood swings at work, but i expect this will even out a bit over time, though i am trying to make as good an impression as possible.
The supportive non-judgemental environment is a hell of a contrast to work, where you clearly are continually being judged, im just having a bit of trouble re-adjusting to the 'real world' and its demands, but i think i will get there soon enough. Im not gonna worry about people judging me, they can think what the hell they like, i think im currently changing from one day to the next, maybe much more frequently than that, as ive been having some trouble controlling my mood swings at work, but i expect this will even out a bit over time, though i am trying to make as good an impression as possible.
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I remember the biggest thing for me was when i left after never being alone for 13 weeks or so was going to the shops alone - freaked me out, bad anxiety. But then I was back on the gear in a week and OD'd in a cafe in shepberds bush - too much too soon - luckiliy I was with someone who looked after me.
mydrugbuddy
Bluelighter
yeah, sounds like you needed more ongoing support. It is amazing how mcuh anxiety and paranoia can be produced when you quit opis (and that was 'lesser opis' in my case) whilst you try to readjust to facing the days and the outside world sober, and then the evenings, that's something else alltogether. Fortunately i had several workers that i could talk to about these issues, just talking things through with them helped.
The truth for me is that i didn't really want to give up - it was an ultimatum form my 1st wife, and if im honest I still dont want to quit as i do have a semblance of controll, been working uniterupted for 15 years got house family and now do 1-3 week 'binges' on gear then back on the phy tabs.
Erikmen
Bluelight Crew
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The thing with withdraw is that our body stops producing its normal amount of endorphin for a long time after the w/a has taken place. Basically you will only get comfort as weeks goes by. It is a slow process.
I know people who says that the first 10 days are really bad, but after that you need to focus and look for local group to help you with your own addiction.
Being in BL also helps a lot. Same applies for chocolate (I´m not joking), chocolate can be quite useful when you are ´craving´.
/Good luck
I know people who says that the first 10 days are really bad, but after that you need to focus and look for local group to help you with your own addiction.
Being in BL also helps a lot. Same applies for chocolate (I´m not joking), chocolate can be quite useful when you are ´craving´.
/Good luck
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THECATINTHEHAT
Bluelighter
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- Oct 17, 2005
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- 8,186
Copypasta from the Sober Living thread:
Providence Project
Bournemouth, UK
Cheap
12 Step based program, and whilst there's no nannying they won't run you in to the ground. If you spend any longer than four weeks and go in to Secondary or Advanced Primary or whatever you want to call it treatment then you will be forced to come out of your shell though. Daily group therapy (other than sunday) which you must attend or you're gone. In the first four weeks group is pretty lightweight, but after that is basically open season and people are encouraged to say exactly what they think and group can get pretty dark. It's a drug addiction treatment centre, there's lots of damaged people there, but they will force whatever is going on for you out of you. Shit gets dark but that is kind of the process that most people need to go through. Individual counselling sessions weekly (sometimes more often) but very much the focus on the group.
Living in what are essentially dry houses around the treatment centre, it's very much based on getting you to function within society. Abstinence is self-policing among patients and you have to go places in groups of three at all times (except the toilet or your bedroom or whatever) but they're also fucking sharp and catch basically everyone that trys to do drugs in there out which generally means you're gone but occasionally they'll let people go back in treatment. Group activities as well as therapy, you have to cook and look after yourself like in an everyday situation, this is no hospital ward or hotel.
Everyone involved with the project from the receptionist to the prescribing doctor linked with the centre is an ex addict/alcoholic with however much clean time. I did an 8 day detox from IV heroin on DHC starting at 480mg daily tapering down 60mg a day. I got given a librium taper for the week as well and 10mg temazepam nightly because I argued the doctor up from zopiclone. So it was a good controlled medicated taper for 8 days which was pretty painless. I was unlucky and caught a horrific 48 hour vomiting bug after a day of being clean that made me far far more ill than at any part of the detox.
I did 8 weeks there and realistically that wasn't enough if 12 step was the route to go down, you need to do at least the full 12 weeks really with after-care. It was a good experience though and I learnt a lot but I've done my time with 12 step now. I wouldn't criticise it but it's just not for me anymore. It's a full on but caring experience in general, you'll be put through the mill but in a nice way. I was clean for two months in treatment and five afterwards. When I went there you were allowed one phone each, quite a few people on referall orders from prison, other's funded by the government and others paying for themselves.
You had to go to a 12 step meeting EVERY night (again self-policing among patients) or in the day on Sunday but other than that you get a fair amount of free time to do as you wish with in open society outside of 'office hours' as it were. Good experience overall, I definitely recommendd it to someone who was wanting to do 12 step.
edit: I know at least one person I was in treatment is now dead, realistically I reckon it is more though. Was fucking sad, a 21 year old guy who grew up in the same area as me who was there for k addiction but died of a smack od after relapsing on k in aftercare and returning to where we grew up. Loads of people from the treatment centre at the funeral.
I also found out at a random AA meeting that I guy I used to always talk to at squat parties who I used to knock about with a bit (just always at the same illegal raves, gave me a lift a few times) was dead after I had been in treatment for about 10 days which was not what I needed to find out at that time. Smack od again. Weird thinking I'll never see him again no matter how many more illegal raves I might go to. Last time I saw him we were sitting snorting big lines of k at a squat party in London and trying to deal with his fully holed misses. Gone forever.
Providence Project
Bournemouth, UK
Cheap
12 Step based program, and whilst there's no nannying they won't run you in to the ground. If you spend any longer than four weeks and go in to Secondary or Advanced Primary or whatever you want to call it treatment then you will be forced to come out of your shell though. Daily group therapy (other than sunday) which you must attend or you're gone. In the first four weeks group is pretty lightweight, but after that is basically open season and people are encouraged to say exactly what they think and group can get pretty dark. It's a drug addiction treatment centre, there's lots of damaged people there, but they will force whatever is going on for you out of you. Shit gets dark but that is kind of the process that most people need to go through. Individual counselling sessions weekly (sometimes more often) but very much the focus on the group.
Living in what are essentially dry houses around the treatment centre, it's very much based on getting you to function within society. Abstinence is self-policing among patients and you have to go places in groups of three at all times (except the toilet or your bedroom or whatever) but they're also fucking sharp and catch basically everyone that trys to do drugs in there out which generally means you're gone but occasionally they'll let people go back in treatment. Group activities as well as therapy, you have to cook and look after yourself like in an everyday situation, this is no hospital ward or hotel.
Everyone involved with the project from the receptionist to the prescribing doctor linked with the centre is an ex addict/alcoholic with however much clean time. I did an 8 day detox from IV heroin on DHC starting at 480mg daily tapering down 60mg a day. I got given a librium taper for the week as well and 10mg temazepam nightly because I argued the doctor up from zopiclone. So it was a good controlled medicated taper for 8 days which was pretty painless. I was unlucky and caught a horrific 48 hour vomiting bug after a day of being clean that made me far far more ill than at any part of the detox.
I did 8 weeks there and realistically that wasn't enough if 12 step was the route to go down, you need to do at least the full 12 weeks really with after-care. It was a good experience though and I learnt a lot but I've done my time with 12 step now. I wouldn't criticise it but it's just not for me anymore. It's a full on but caring experience in general, you'll be put through the mill but in a nice way. I was clean for two months in treatment and five afterwards. When I went there you were allowed one phone each, quite a few people on referall orders from prison, other's funded by the government and others paying for themselves.
You had to go to a 12 step meeting EVERY night (again self-policing among patients) or in the day on Sunday but other than that you get a fair amount of free time to do as you wish with in open society outside of 'office hours' as it were. Good experience overall, I definitely recommendd it to someone who was wanting to do 12 step.
edit: I know at least one person I was in treatment is now dead, realistically I reckon it is more though. Was fucking sad, a 21 year old guy who grew up in the same area as me who was there for k addiction but died of a smack od after relapsing on k in aftercare and returning to where we grew up. Loads of people from the treatment centre at the funeral.
I also found out at a random AA meeting that I guy I used to always talk to at squat parties who I used to knock about with a bit (just always at the same illegal raves, gave me a lift a few times) was dead after I had been in treatment for about 10 days which was not what I needed to find out at that time. Smack od again. Weird thinking I'll never see him again no matter how many more illegal raves I might go to. Last time I saw him we were sitting snorting big lines of k at a squat party in London and trying to deal with his fully holed misses. Gone forever.
F.U.B.A.R.
Bluelight Crew
Just seen this - how do you still manage to get physeptone tablets scripted? I thought they'd been phased out years ago...
Like you, I really don't want to stop doing opiates - I'd just rather not have to go to all the hassle of scoring street gear which is why I'm 'happy' with methadone. But I'm feeling pressured to come off that as well now, but when I eventually do it will be relapse city all over again..
amnesiaseizure
Bluelighter
Spent 9 months at Phoenix Alpha in Droxford, Hampshire in 2005/2006. It was extremely tough and I'd say more than 50% of those through the door left within a couple of weeks. Lots choosing it over prison then regretting it. Ha. Once I got settled in I really liked it - amazing managers/therapists that knew how to push buttons and expose even the toughest of fronts. You had no chance of hiding in there. Awesome memories of some of the stuff that went on in there and met some great people. There's nothing quite like 30 addicts running a house together.
I started to see the place as a house of mirrors - everywhere you went, everyone you spoke to and all that you did just reflected the kind of person you were and gave you a difference perspective on your addictive nature.
Once I left I stayed off heroin until 2009 when living in Brighton. Still had a lot of control and finished a nursing diploma at the uni. Got myself off the stuff again in 2012 and now a dad so not going back till I'm old and have the time.
I started to see the place as a house of mirrors - everywhere you went, everyone you spoke to and all that you did just reflected the kind of person you were and gave you a difference perspective on your addictive nature.
Once I left I stayed off heroin until 2009 when living in Brighton. Still had a lot of control and finished a nursing diploma at the uni. Got myself off the stuff again in 2012 and now a dad so not going back till I'm old and have the time.
Private script mate.....'done does nothing for me (but then thats the point) except stop me getting sick. I just cant live without that heroin high or at least the promise of it.
THECATINTHEHAT
Bluelighter
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- Oct 17, 2005
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- 8,186
Private doctors are allowed to prescribe a load of meds that NHS doctors aren't (for various different reasons).
THECATINTHEHAT
Bluelighter
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It's exactly the same, physeptone is just the name for the injectable ampuoles/tablets AFAIK. Helps people who can't beat the needle addiction.
mydrugbuddy
Bluelighter
Do you know if this includes things like benzos as well as opiate replacement treatements? And diffferent types of antidepressants ? UK non private GPs that i have spoken to wont prescribe Wellbutrin/Buproprion for depression where i believe its quite a common and successful treatment practice available in the states.
Dunno why im even asking really, even if the answer is yes to the benzos, i cant really see myself forking out tons of money for a legitmitate benzo script. Though it may be an absolute godsend should i need to travel overseas in the not too distant future, in a time where i may still not have weaned myself off RC benzos, and would be putting myself in medical and psychological danger to attempt travel without those damn things that i have become physically and psycholigically dependant on.
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mydrugbuddy
Bluelighter
Interesting. So if you have the cash a whole new world of possibilties is available that the vast majority of plebs like myself that cannot afford to go private could only dream of.
spudgun
Bluelighter
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- Dec 31, 2003
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- 1,676
Speaking as a fellow pleb, that's the impression I get. They've got to be able to justify it, but it's not so hard. There was a guy up the road operating for years doling out diamorphine amps, jellies etc. like they were sweeties. He got struck off though.
THECATINTHEHAT
Bluelighter
- Joined
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Yes it does include a wider range of benzos and opiate replacement therapies. If you've got the cash you can get pretty much whatever you want really. I was considering switching to a morphine script when I was on methadone and it didn't take but a few calls to find someone to script me.