It’s that time of year again when Bristol welcomes its newest intake of students. Although this year’s Freshers Week is going to look a lot different to usual, students are going to be facing many of the same anxieties, pressures and new experiences of previous years. With everything going on at the moment, it’s more important than ever to look after yourself. We’ve put together this guide to help you look after your wellbeing during Fresher’s week and beyond.
Know your limits and stick to them
People arrive at university with all sorts of different experiences under their belts so don’t feel pressured to drink/take drugs/have sex just because other people in your flat are doing it. Eat well, stay hydrated and get plenty of sleep to keep yourself healthy and counteract any partying you may be doing.
Practice safe sex
Sleepovers (and one night stands) are banned in halls this year because of Covid which leaves only the people in your bubble/flat if you want to have sex. Sleeping with your flatmate can cause all sorts of issues so really think about whether is a good idea or not. If you decide to, make sure you have proper consent and use protection. Alternatively, avoid the drama and have a wank.
Look after your bubble
Some people take to university like a duck to water, others will find the transition really difficult. Check in with your flatmates and make sure they’re doing ok. If you’re feeling rubbish, speak to someone about it, you never know what good advice they may have.
Know where to get support
There is support available within the university and from external services for all sort of issues from mental health, drugs and alcohol through to housing and academic concerns. Familiarise yourself with what is out there so you know where to go if something happens.
Get involved
There is an almost endless list of clubs and societies to be a part of when you join a university. These can be really great places to try new things and make friends with people who you have common interests with. Try out anything you think sounds good but make sure you put a bit of time aside for some down time.
For information on where to access support, get in touch with your university’s wellbeing service or The Drop using the buttons below.
Breaking Free Group have launched Staying Free, a brand new app which gives users the tools, techniques and support to help manage their drug and alcohol use. Breaking Free has been supporting people through their online platform for some time and this new app builds on this by providing the same support in a functional and accessible way. Staying Free will help people on their journey with:
Tools to help manage high-risk situations by planning ahead and sending alerts to remind users how to stay safe
‘Urge surfing’ techniques and tools to help users ride out cravings or urges
Getting active by planning positive activities and sending alerts to nudge users into action
Mindfulness techniques to stay calm whenever users start to feel stressed or wound up
Keeping motivated to stay on the right track
If you are already part of a service at BDP we are more than happy to provide you with a code. If not, please get in touch with us or another ROADs organisation.
Download here –
To get in touch and find out more please get in touch via info@bdp.org.uk
Today we are publishing our COVID-19 impact report!
This report is a deep dive into the multitude of ways that the pandemic has altered how we work and illustrates how, through an agile mindset and passionate, dedicated staff, we have adapted our services and continue to provide vital support for people seeking help with their alcohol or drug use.
Without BDP I don’t know how I would have coped with the change of circumstances on my own
To download the full PDF please click here – Download Report
Evaluation and evolution is key to being able to provide relevant and accessible support for our service users. We are looking to collect some feedback from individuals who use or have used any of the services we offer here at BDP. Please fill out the anonymous form below if you have any comments on your own experiences with BDP or on any of the services that we offer. https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=rpPAMc5HbkGEiWib_0AevrU_AY37HHNLgZdZQbdfut9UMlI4Rzg1Q1cyM1lCTVpOUzFVRTJQMk5VSS4u&embed=true
As part of International Overdose Awareness Day, we are going to have a deep dive into all things Naloxone; the number one tool for preventing death from opiate overdoses.
So what is Naloxone?
Naloxone is an emergency medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. It is a vital tool in the fight against deaths from substance abuse. Opioids are so dangerous because they have a powerful effect on the respiratory system. When taken in high doses they can completely suppress the breathing leading to death from asphyxiation. This is known as respiratory depression.
How does it work?
Naloxone is an opioid receptor antagonist medication. What this means is that the medication rapidly binds to the opioid receptors in the brain meaning that opioids, such as heroin, cannot trigger the receptors. This can completely reverse the effects of an opioid overdose for a short period of time potentially saving a life or in severe cases giving a person enough time for emergency services to arrive and give them urgent emergency care.
To promote awareness of the power that Naloxone has to save lives in an overdose situation we have put together this series of interviews with people who have direct experience with Naloxone.
Rich’s Story
First up Rich details his own experience with Naloxone. He recounts a story of when a friend started overdosing at his flat and through quick thinking and the equipment provided by BDP he managed to successfully administer Naloxone and kept his friend alive long enough for the emergency services to arrive.
Rebecca’s Story
Rebecca works for St Mungos and received Naloxone training and equipment form us as part of her induction into her role. In this interview, she describes how she had to put her training into practice when she came across a member of the public overdosing in Bristol. She describes the events of the day and how invaluable the training she received was.
Lee’s Story
Lee is the final interview in the series and in his video he describes a time Naloxone was actually administered to him when he overdosed after a prolonged period of abstinence. Lee reflects on the day that it happened and also gives his thoughts regarding having and knowing how to use Naloxone.
What we do
At BDP we are champions of the power that Naloxone has in fighting death from overdose. Every individual that comes to use our needle exchange service is offered naloxone equipment and training. In the past two years alone we have distributed over 500 kits through our needle exchange alone.
Find out more about Naloxone and how to access it here.
Pure drugs can be dangerous but adulterated or ‘mis-sold’ drugs (where the drug you receive isn’t the drug you intended to buy) are even more so. At least if you can confirm what drug you have, you can make sure you follow harm reduction practices that will help keep you safe. Most people aren’t aware that if you live in the UK, you can get your drugs tested confidentially and for free.
Where can I get my drugs tested?
The organisation that does this is the Welsh Emerging Drugs & Identification of Novel Substances Project (WEDINOS). They began testing drug in 2009 after noticing an increase in hospital admissions where the person had taken drugs but neither the patient nor the clinical team could work out what they had taken. WEDINOS tracks newly emerging substances and drug trends to inform public health interventions. Sending off a sample is easy, just take a look at the instruction on the WEDINOS website.
What should I do with my results?
Remember the limitations of testing. WEDINOS tells you the major and minor components of the sample. It does not give you the purity and cannot tell you the dosage in a pill. Even if you result come back as expected, this does not mean the substance is ‘safe’.
Do some research. Your sample could come back as expected or as a substance you’ve never heard. Whatever the case, spend some time researching each substance before you decide whether or not to take it. Some key things to research are effects, dosage and interactions.
Look up harm reduction techniques. There are some harm reduction techniques to consider whenever you take drugs, others are substance specific. WEDINOS have some great general harm reduction tips on their website. For specific substance, check out our harm reduction pages.
Safely dispose of any substances you don’t want to take. One way of doing this is to empty the drugs into the toilet and flush them. The most important thing is to make sure they are disposed of in a way that doesn’t put others at risk of harm.
Next time you pick up, get it tested. Just because you bought the same drug from the same dealer, doesn’t mean it’s the same substance. Stay vigilant.
BDP – Supporting You During the Time of COVID-19
Last updated 19 August
To keep you, our staff, our volunteers and our Bristol communities safe and well some of our services are running in a different way.
Our Health & Harm Reductions Centre, Needle Exchange and nursing services are all open offering socially distanced contact: our opening hours at 11 Brunswick Square BS2 8PE are currently Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
Our Helpline offers free and confidential support on 0117 987 6000
Needle Exchange: if you can’t get to us we’ll come to you: ring our dedicated Needle Exchange line on 07800 721 644 to arrange a discreet delivery to you
OST Medication Collection
If you are self-isolating please talk to your Shared Care Worker at Bdp, or your GP, so that we can arrange to deliver your medication to you.
Moving Offline
Shared Care: we are continuing to support people through regular phone contact and are also offering socially distanced face-to-face contact at your GP Surgery, at Brunswick Court and Filwood Community Centre
Our 50+ Crowd is being supported through phone contact, socially distanced home visits and picnics: contact 50plus@bdp.org.uk
PRISM, supporting LGBT+ people is back and different as we move offline with smaller groups at its new Brunswick Court venue. For current PRISM people these launch Thursday 20 August; for people new to PRISM a week later Thursday 27 August. Both will then meet fortnightly
Shooting Stars: back Friday 28 August at 3pm
M32 Youth Groups: young people are being supported by phone and small groups are returning to Brunswick Court in September. More information 0117 987 6009
Brand New
Tuesday evening outreach to women
Diverse Communities: closed door confidential space for people from Black Asian & Minority Ethnic Communities. Launches Wednesday 2 September 6pm and then fortnightly.
Coming Soon
Alcohol support with the Homeless Health Service. This will be a weekly open door service, off site with a nurse. Relaunch date and venue coming soon
