ABSTRACT
The physical and behavioural changes caused by stopping drug use are accompanied by a shift in the inner world, and such a change, however much it may be for the eventual good, can be confusing. Dealing with change can provoke anxiety in itself. Cravings for drugs and the temptation to start again are inevitable at some point. Detoxification in a hospital or treatment setting can ease the anxieties by providing continuous physical and emotional care and monitoring. Two vital objectives are served, the first being to fill the gap in terms of the actual time and the second, keeping one's mind off the drug. In practical terms, the task involves finding ways of dealing both with cravings for the drug and with problems caused by the addiction, and with filling the gap left by the drug. From a psychological perspective, the challenge lies in the process of becoming more self-aware and in accepting the support that is offered.
