Self-detoxification attempts among methadone maintenance patients - What methods and what success?

TY - JOUR

T1 - Self-detoxification attempts among methadone maintenance patients - What methods and what success?

AU - Noble, A

AU - Best, D

AU - Man, L H

AU - Gossop, M

AU - Strang, J

PY - 2002

Y1 - 2002

N2 - In a study of patients attending a methadone maintenance clinic in South London, 66 of 114 (58%) had previously attempted to detoxify themselves from opiates without medical assistance. The total number of self-detoxification attempts was 237, an average of 3.6 attempts per individual. Forty subjects (61%) reported attempting self-detoxification with the help of drugs or alcohol. The drugs most commonly used were diazepam, alcohol, and cannabis. The most commonly reported reasons for attempting self-detoxification were "fed-up with the lifestyle'; (61%) and "for their family" (12%). The reasons given for why patients had decided to detoxify themselves rather than access treatment services included 23% who reported that "they could cope on their own and that they didn't need any help." The short-term success rate (abstinent for at least 24 hours) was moderate, at 41% (97/237). Patients who had been unsuccessful were asked why their last self-detoxification attempt had not resulted in abstinence, with 27% reporting that they were "tempted to use again" and 23% reported that they "didn't know why they started using again." The prevalence of both attempts and success suggests that, for some opiate users, self-detoxification may be a pathway to abstinence. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

AB - In a study of patients attending a methadone maintenance clinic in South London, 66 of 114 (58%) had previously attempted to detoxify themselves from opiates without medical assistance. The total number of self-detoxification attempts was 237, an average of 3.6 attempts per individual. Forty subjects (61%) reported attempting self-detoxification with the help of drugs or alcohol. The drugs most commonly used were diazepam, alcohol, and cannabis. The most commonly reported reasons for attempting self-detoxification were "fed-up with the lifestyle'; (61%) and "for their family" (12%). The reasons given for why patients had decided to detoxify themselves rather than access treatment services included 23% who reported that "they could cope on their own and that they didn't need any help." The short-term success rate (abstinent for at least 24 hours) was moderate, at 41% (97/237). Patients who had been unsuccessful were asked why their last self-detoxification attempt had not resulted in abstinence, with 27% reporting that they were "tempted to use again" and 23% reported that they "didn't know why they started using again." The prevalence of both attempts and success suggests that, for some opiate users, self-detoxification may be a pathway to abstinence. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036314296&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/S0306-4603(01)00194-0

DO - 10.1016/S0306-4603(01)00194-0

M3 - Article

VL - 27

SP - 575

EP - 584

JO - Addictive Behaviors

JF - Addictive Behaviors

IS - 4

ER -