You are not alone.

Q. Is ‘Suboxone’ any safer than ‘Methadone’ and will it actually help users become functional members of society again?

Unfortunately there is no simple answer to this question for what treatment is effective for one individual may not be for another.

The drug ‘Methadone’ recognized as a pain reliever reduces withdrawal symptoms in people addicted to ‘narcotic’ drugs i.e. heroin and is commonly used in drug addiction detoxification or maintenance. Suboxone however, is a ‘narcotic’ type medication similar to drugs such as heroin except produces less of a ‘high’ generally making it easier for the user to withdraw from as opposed to the ‘narcotic’ drugs themselves.

Like everything there is positives and negatives to both Methadone and Suboxone but despite these differences Methadone and Suboxone both can be abused, cause side effects and result in overdose. The choice of either taking Methadone or Suboxone depends entirely on the patient’s needs as well as the doctor’s approval.

Like all alcohol and or drug addictions recovery and the ability to function in everyday life takes time but is possible!

* Please note this information is not provided by a medical professional and should not substitute doctor’s advice. Some helpful websites you may like to take a look at are

Information on Methadone - www.druginfo.adf.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49

Information on Suboxone - www.health.vic.gov.au/dpu/downloads/news_aug05.pdf

Q: What is pethidine?

Pethidine is a powerful fast –acting drug that is generally used for severe pain, for example childbirth or before /after an operation. Pethidine is available in either tablet form or injection and is more likely to be abused than other prescription drugs because of its fast acting properties and local anesthetic type activity.

Pethidine works by changing the pain messages that are sent to the brain and often causes users to have nausea, constipation, vomiting, drowsiness and euphoric highs. The euphoric highs are very short lived and is generally the feeling the problem-user seeks, not the pain-relief. The problem with this is that the high is so short lived that users will need to take greater doses to get the same effect and thus become physically/psychologically dependent on this drug.

*Please not this information is not provided by a medical professional and should not substitute doctor’s advice. Some helpful websites you may like to take a look at are:

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcsite.nsf/pages/bhc_medicinesguide?opendocument

Medicines Line (Australia) Tel. 1300 MEDICINE (1300 633 424) - for information on prescription, over-the-counter and complementary medicines.

Q: how can I help my sister who drinks too much but thinks she has it under control?

To help your brother or sister you need to be in a solid position yourself, otherwise you could get drawn into the drama and problems. If your brother or sister is using drugs you have a much higher risk of ending up with your own drug or alcohol problems. Siblings’ relationships are often messy and unfriendly. To help your brother or sister you need to have a pretty good relationship. It is most often parents who help alcohol or drug users. Sometimes users don’t want help, and will get through on their own.

To see if you’re ready to help your brother or sister – Check out the ‘checklist’ factsheet http://www.siblingsupport.com.au/images/pdf/fact_sheets/checklists.pdf

Q:Is there anyone I can get to go to my bro's house and check on him when I don't feel safe to do so?

Yes. If you’re concerned about your brother, there are a few services you can call upon to check up on him for you. One option is to call the police and request for them to do a welfare check. When the wellbeing of an individual is in question, police will enter the home and check on that person. In requesting a welfare check you can either phone up your brother’s local police station or, if unknown or EVER in doubt call 000 from a landline or 112 from a mobile phone.

Another option is to call up the Crisis Assessment Treatment Team (CAT TEAM). The CAT team assist people who are in crisis with mental problems - including people who are close to suicide. These services operate 24 hours a day and provide urgent community-based assessment and short-term treatment interventions to people in psychiatric crisis. CAT services have a key role in deciding the most appropriate treatment option and in screening all potential inpatient admissions. CAT services provide intensive community treatment and support, often in the person’s own home, during the acute phase of illness as an alternative to hospitalisation. CAT services also provide a service to designated hospital emergency departments through an onsite presence.

For tracking down your local cat team, and more information, click here:  http://youthnet.mcm.org.au/cat.html