These are my experiences and suggestions and I hope that in writing this I can help someone.

Detecting that someone is taking drugs is sometimes hard but when you know that someone is then you have to act to help them. In saying that though you can not force

My incentive was my children. When your eight year old daughter walks up to you and asks you and I quote " mummy when are you going to stop smoking that stuff " it gives you the incentive you need. Well it did for me anyway. This was my wake up call, everybody has something that they want more than the drug they just don't realise it until it is shown to them. If you can find that thing and show the addict that they can have it if they succeed in giving up the drug then you are part of the way to having the person you love back. Their first step will be admitting that they have a problem and then asking for help.

I knew I had a problem for a long time but didn't have the incentive until my daughter made me realise what I was doing to her and her sister. I then asked for help. My friend went with me to the doctor and I told him everything about how I couldn't sleep unless I had marijuanna to make me tired and I didn't want to have really bad mood swings around my children. The doctor told me I was courageous for taking this step and he prescribed me tablets to help take the edge off for the first two weeks which were meant to be the worst. I didn't even use all the tablets I managed to get through only taking them for a week which was my first proud moment. I had lasted a week without it for me this was a really huge thing and I and my friends were very proud of me.

I was very very lucky with the friends I have most drug addicts have friends who will only try to encourage them to start again my friends were the opposite from the moment I told them that I was giving up they did everything they could to help me. When I would go to their houses they would make sure that everything was packed away so I was not tempted and they encouraged me all the time to stay on track and talk to them if I needed any help. I know that this sounds like they are being hypocrites but they did do thier best to help me and thats what friends do. I was extremely lucky though most times drug addicts have to detach themselves completely from that scene to be able to get clean.

I was also extremely lucky in the support person I had. My support person was already a friend of mine and he had gone through everything I was going through so he knew what I would think and feel most of the time, he could even tell me sometimes how I would feel in six months time. I believe my support person was very vital to me giving up and staying clean. I could call on him anytime I needed him and he was always there. He is now dead he died in a car accident and he is still helping me because I know he would come back and haunt me if I ever even thought about doing drugs again.

Everyday I have to live with my addiction. I havn't touched it since the 28th of febuary 2002 ( i think. I don't keep track anymore ) but I will always have to be vigilant and tell myself no (not so often anymore) I am alot happier with my life now and I have learnt alot about myself.

I hope this helps people to understand what it is like for a drug addict getting clean. The willingness,the incentiveand the support are three things that I found vital but remember that every person is different and will have different needs so make sure you listen carefully to what they have to say.