Your body is your temple, don't take it for granted. Take good care of yourself. One of the important things to remember is to never take drugs if you do not feel up for it. Only do this when you are feeling OK. Don't let other people tell you what's good for you; take your own decisions!
* Because of the good vibes some drugs like E create within people, there unfortunately tend to be people who realize the potential for manipulation. If you don't know the guy from a bar of soap, don't just go off with him.
* One of the most important things, if you are going to take drugs, is to have trustworthy friends with you. Make sure they know what's going on. If you feel unsafe or uncomfy at any time you should feel confident that they're there for you. This doesn't mean that they have to remain straight the whole time - just be INFORMED. Knowledge is power.
* If you get tired and you feel drowsy, go to a chill area - girls, take a friend with you. If you're tired and by yourself & someone is giving you major hassles, find the closest place to sit down amongst a lot of people.
* Feel comfortable with your clothing, attitude and environment and never panic - keep a clear head. Remember that this is not some eternal euphoric paradise. Feel confident that you can handle whatever comes your way and remember what the consequences could be.
After the 'high' or 'trip' that most drugs take you on, there is a comedown. Try not to put it off.
Avoid using heroin, mandrax, speed or benzodiazepines like Valium or Rohypnol to take the edge off. These drugs are much more physically addictive than Ecstasy or Acid.
Your drug-taking could evolve from a party experience to a daily need. Come down naturally. Chill out, replenish your body with food, fluids and sleep. The high could be followed by feelings of depression or anxiety for days after use - prolonging the comedown could make it worse. Your experience with drugs could turn into a nightmare.
If you are spinning out, ask for help from a friend, a paramedic or someone working at the rave or club. If someone collapses - call for help immediately. Try not to panic.
If you're using too many drugs too often, you are likely to end up feeling spaced out, paranoid and depressed. It's Newton's Law of Drug Gravity. What goes "up" must come "down". Your body and mind needs rest, relaxation and nourishment to replace the things that drugs take out, so if you feel you're losing the plot and you've been overdoing it, give the drugs a rest for a few weeks and see how you feel.
Even if you consider yourself an occasional
recreational drug user without any problems, it’s worth understanding
a bit about dependency, especially the warning signals.
The thing about developing a dependency it that generally
you are not aware of it until it has developed into a problem.
The term “Dependency” in medical terms means “impaired
control of substance use and continuous use despite adverse
consequences”. That means that your drug use is getting
out of control, despite the damage it is doing to you.
Addiction is a more common term, but refers more to a “physical
bodily need that results in withdrawal symptoms if not
satisfied”, that is, it gets into your blood and
it’s very hard to kick the habit due to the hectic
cravings. Nicotine is a good example here. In this sense,
some drugs are more addictive than others, but ALL have
a dependency-producing potential.
The following are Symptoms of Dependency as published
by the American Psychiatric Association. Only three out
of these nine symptoms are necessary for the diagnosis
of dependency.
1. You take more drugs than you planned or over a longer
period than you planned. i.e. Just one drink turns into a
all night boozing spree.
2. You know that things are kinda out of control, and you
are unable to put a lid on it.
3. You spend a lot of time finding the money to buy your
goodies, taking them and/or recovering from them.
4. You suffer intoxication or withdrawal symptoms when
you should be doing you work, or studying or being a good
spouse/parent/child.
5. You give up important social, work or recreation activities.
6. With heavy and prolonged use, you develop physical problems
yet continue despite the fact that continued use is making
it worse.
7. Significant long term tolerance develops, and you have
to take more for the same effect.
8. With continued use, you find withdrawal symptoms develop
when you try to stop or reduce intake. Note this is not
applicable to all drugs: some (eg Heroin) are much worse
than others.
9. After developing unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, you
take the drug to relieve or avoid this withdrawal. This
might be taking the drug throughout the day eg Cocaine.
Remember that you only need to score 3/9 to be defined as a dependent ! If you have any doubt as to which way you are going, better speak out sooner than later. Just being open and honest with understanding close friends or family members can help you out initially.
The chances of an epileptic seizure are exaggerated at
a party with strobes, computer graphics and drugs. It could
happen to you, or any of your friends or even the person
dancing next to you. However, if handled correctly, the
danger soon passes.
Epilepsy occurs when nerve cells in the brain fire electrical
impulses at a rate of up to four times higher than normal.
This causes a sort of electrical storm in the brain, known
as a seizure. A pattern of repeated seizures is referred
to as epilepsy. Medication controls seizures for the majority
of patients, who are otherwise healthy and able to live
normal lives.
For some individuals with epilepsy, stimulus-sensitive
or reflex-attack seizures are most commonly triggered by
visual stimuli, such as strobe lights and even some computer
graphics.
Most seizures occur when there are repetitive, high-intensity,
multicoloured or white flashes; appearance of line patterns;
rolling or flickering patterns or swift displacements of
images across the screen.
Fatigue and sleep deprivation may also be contributing
factors. Epilepsy is in no way contagious. In most cases,
Epilepsy is not inherited. Epilepsy can be the result of
an infection or disease. Alcohol can increase the tendency
to have a seizure. Also, some drugs like ecstasy, cocaine
and amphetamines, can cause seizures. Some prescription
medications when taken in large doses can also bring on
seizures.
Epilepsy is a chronic condition of recurrent unprovoked
seizures. Isolated seizures and provoked seizures (e.g.,
drug or alcohol induced) are not Epilepsy even though the
events are real seizures. There are many types of non-epileptic
seizures. Non-epileptic seizures differ from epileptic
seizures in that there is usually no evidence of abnormal
electrical activity in the brain after the seizure, and
they do not occur repeatedly.
Some of the more common causes of non-epileptic seizures
are low blood sugar, fainting, heart disease, stroke, migraine
headaches, kinked blood vessels, narcolepsy, withdrawal,
sleep depravation and extreme stress or anxiety.
Recognising a seizure:
There are two major kinds of seizures known as a "partial" and "generalized".
Partial seizures can cause a range of unusual sensations
including sudden, jerky movements of one body part, distortions
in hearing or seeing, stomach discomfort, or a sudden sense
of fear. Consciousness is not impaired. Generalized absence
seizures are characterized by 5 to 15 second lapses in
consciousness. During this time the person appears to be
staring into space and the eyes may roll upwards.
The tonic-clonic seizure is a generalized convulsion involving
two phases. In the tonic phase, the individual loses consciousness
and falls, and the body becomes rigid. In the clonic period,
the limbs jerk and twitch. After the seizure, consciousness
is regained slowly.
While the tonic-clonic seizure is the most visible, obvious
type of Epilepsy, it is not the most common. Partial seizures
are more frequent.
Dealing with a seizure:
During a partial seizure do NOT restrain the person. Protect
them by moving sharp or hot objects away. If wandering
occurs, stay with the person and talk quietly.
During a tonic-clonic seizure do the following:
* Keep a cool head and calm others around you. You cannot
stop a seizure once it has started. Let the seizure run
its course. Do not try to revive the person.
* Ease the person to the floor and loosen clothing.
* Try to remove any hard, sharp, or hot objects that might
injure the person. It may be necessary to place a cushion
or soft item under their head.
* Turn the person on his or her side, so that the saliva
can flow from the mouth.
* Do NOT put anything in the person's mouth.
* After the seizure the person should be allowed to rest
or to sleep if necessary.
* After resting most people carry on as before. If the
person is not at home and still seems groggy, weak, or
confused, it may be better to accompany them home.
* If the person undergoes a series of convulsions, with
each successive one occurring before he or she has fully
recovered consciousness, or a single seizure lasting longer
than 10 minutes, you should immediately seek medical assistance.
Sometimes, certain drugs can induce a 'bad trip".
This can be either physical (eg: severe nausea or convulsions)
and /or psychological. It can happen with any drug, but
more commonly with LSD and Ecstasy.
NB: If at any stage you feel overwhelmed, or if you or
a friend is experiencing severe physical or emotional reactions
- do not hesitate to get help from a RaveSafe monitor or
the paramedics.
The best way to prevent a bad trip is to follow the guidelines
set out in the 'If' page on our website. There may however
be times when a bad trip still happens.
People having bad trips can feel a number of things: confused,
overwhelmed by crowds and attention, fear they are losing
their minds, have hallucinations and can become paranoid.
They can also become dangerously violent.
If you have to help someone, remember to stay calm, as
anxiety and fear will worsen the situation.
Most people will respond to the A R R R T guidelines.
Acceptance: Try to gain the person's trust and confidence
by keeping calm. Try not to make them do anything they
don't want to do.
Reduce stimuli It is best to take the person to a quiet
place, where they feel safe and comfortable, away from
loud noise, crowds and bright lights. Sunglasses may help.
Keep your movements slow and smooth, and don't crowd the
person - let them move freely.
Reassure the person that the drug is causing the effect,
that it will go away with time and if they try to accept
the feelings rather than fight them, things will look better,
sooner. A positive attitude can often turn a trip around.
Rest. Make sure they are comfortable and use simple techniques
for relaxation such as massage or even holding hands. If
the person becomes violent or aggressive - call for help.
Talkdown. Talk constantly in a soothing tone. It may help
to remind them who they are, and try discussing peaceful,
pleasant topics. If they are having difficulty grounding
themselves, get them to focus on your face. By getting
them to think simple and happy thoughts, and creating a
positive attitude, bad trips can often be turned around.
Note: If the user is experiencing severe medical, physical, or even emotional reactions which are not responding to the talk down technique, medical intervention is needed.
If you are an asthmatic, you should be aware of the additional
risks that you are exposed to when raving.
While most dance drugs don't seem to affect asthma directly,
there are dangers. An asthma attack can be triggered by
several factors:
Smoke: Hot, smoky nightclubs are not friendly environment
for your lungs. Stick to well ventilated areas if possible.
Also remember that it is not a good idea for asthmatics
to smoke anything, as this impairs lung function.
Exercise: Many forms of asthma are triggered by aerobic
exercise, such as dancing.
Panic attack: Some drug users (especially first time users)
experience panic attacks as a result of the onset of the
drug. Panic can sometimes trigger an asthma attack. If
this happens to you, calm down, rest and wait for the feelings
of fear to pass.
Adulterants: Many ecstasy pills contain other substances.
Some, like ephedrine, have been used in the treatment of
asthma. Atropine has been found in a few pills, and is
particularly dangerous for asthmatics.
Staying Safe:
* If you are on medication, make sure that you take it,
and always carry an inhaler with you in case of attack.
Pay attention to your body's warning signs. If in doubt,
find somewhere to rest and chill out.;
* If you are taking any substances, remember that moderation
is always safer;
* If you are with friends, ensure that they know of your
condition and how to respond if you do have an attack.
If you have chronic asthma, you might also consider getting
a Medic Alert bracelet;
* Many asthmatics have been raving safely for years: just
take the necessary care and precautions.
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