Urgent Help

Is this an emergency?

Are you or others in danger? Do you need an ambulance or the police?

24 hour phone line for crisis support and suicide prevention.

24 hour phone line. A free counselling service for young people across Australia aged between 5-25 years.

24 hour phone line for support, information and advice.

Self help options

Self help options

It shouldn’t just be you that changes!

Share

Print + Download

Preparing things around you in your environment can go a long way to helping you make changes.

Controlling, reducing or stopping your drug or alcohol use is not as simple as “how strong you are” or “how much do you want it” (Remember this if you are giving yourself a hard time).
Sometimes it’s all the stuff that goes on around you that can have a big impact on how easy or hard it is to change.

You can’t change everything around you but here are some examples of things you can try:

Get rid of the things that most remind you of using. Bongs, partying photos, empty bottles of booze
Tell people (that will be supportive) about your plans. Tell them how they can help you. Family and friends and can be really important.
Think about your phone – who do you want calls from, who do you want to avoid for a while (dealers etc).
Can you change the scene for a bit, stay with a relative where you know it’s harder to use?

It takes courage to change. Remember you are not alone & other young people have been in your shoes.

Get help now

YoDAA is a free and confidential online and phone service that offers supports to young people, families and professionals. You can contact 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday.

Further Reading

Don’t do it alone! YoDAA

Tips for saying no to friends YoDAA

Tips for managing withdrawal yourself YoDAA

Related Articles

Duty of Care

If we become concerned about your safety (or anyone else’s) during a chat or phone session or because of the contents of an email, we will always do our best to make sure you and/or others are safe.

If we become concerned about your safety (or anyone else’s) during a chat or phone session or because of the contents of an email, we will always do our best to…

Not sure what I want to do

Top tips for staying safe

Staying safe is the most important thing. That starts with knowing what you are taking! Ask and research everything you can about a drug. Do your research. Where possible, know what you are taking, What are its effects, how long will they last, does it have side effects?

Staying safe is the most important thing. That starts with knowing what you are taking! Ask and research everything you can about a drug. Do your research. Where possible, know what…

Not sure what I want to do

Reasons drugs can become a problem

There are many reasons drug or alcohol use can become a problem for someone but it’s always something more than just ‘bad luck’.

There are many reasons drug or alcohol use can become a problem for someone but it’s always something more than just ‘bad luck’.

Drug fact

Cocaine

Cocaine is a stimulant drug made from the leaves of the coca plant. It comes in a white powder. It speeds up the messages from your brain to your body and increases your heart and breathing rate. It’s mostly snorted but it can be injected.

Cocaine is a stimulant drug made from the leaves of the coca plant. It comes in a white powder. It speeds up the messages from your brain to your body…

Drug fact

Ecstasy

Ecstasy, or methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), is a stimulant drug. It’s often used at dance parties. Ecstasy comes as tablets or pills in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours. Pills are often imprinted with logos. It can also come as powder or even liquid.

Ecstasy, or methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), is a stimulant drug. It’s often used at dance parties. Ecstasy comes as tablets or pills in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours. Pills are…

Drug fact

Ice (Methamphetamines)

Ice is a stimulant which means it makes you feel really energetic and up. It comes as shards of crystal, often with different colours through it, and can be smoked, swallowed, snorted, injected or inserted anally (known as ‘shafting’ or ‘shelving’).

Ice is a stimulant which means it makes you feel really energetic and up. It comes as shards of crystal, often with different colours through it, and can be smoked,…