No judgement, just honest information
You're not alone in this. Recovery is real, and it starts with knowing what you're dealing with.
This is a plain-language reference for the most common substances — what they do, what they cost the body, what withdrawal looks like, and what actually helps. Read what's useful to you. Skip what isn't.
No judgement
Whatever you're using, however often — we're glad you're here.
Real support
UK helplines, free treatment routes, and peer fellowships on every page.
Talk to us directly
If it's too personal for a forum, message a moderator or admin one-to-one.
What are you dealing with?
Pick a substance to see effects, body impact, withdrawal, and what helps.
Cocaine (powder)
aka Coke, Charlie, Snow, Blow, Ching, White
A powerful stimulant snorted, rubbed on gums or injected — fast high, fast crash.
Crack cocaine
aka Rocks, Stones, Wash, Base
Smokable form of cocaine. The high is shorter, more intense — and the dependence develops faster.
Heroin
aka Smack, H, Brown, Skag, Gear
Powerful opioid — warm rush, deep numbness. Lethal when mixed with other depressants or fentanyl-contaminated.
Methamphetamine
aka Crystal Meth, Tina, Ice, Glass
A powerful, long-lasting stimulant — high lasts 8–12 hours, with severe physical and mental cost.
Prescription opioids
aka Codeine, Tramadol, Oxycodone (OxyContin), Morphine, Fentanyl
Legitimate painkillers that quietly become dependence — often without anyone realising until withdrawal hits.
Benzodiazepines
aka Diazepam (Valium), Alprazolam (Xanax), Etizolam, Clonazepam, Lorazepam
Anti-anxiety / sleep meds. Highly addictive after just 2–4 weeks. Cold-turkey withdrawal can be fatal.
Alcohol
aka Drink, Booze
The UK's most harmful drug. Legal, normalised — and a leading cause of preventable death.
Cannabis (high-potency)
aka Weed, Bud, Skunk, Hash, Edibles, Dabs
Most UK weed today is 'skunk' (15–30% THC) — far stronger than the cannabis of 20 years ago, and the mental-health risks have followed.
You don't have to do this alone.
Addiction is treatable — and most people don't recover by willpower. They recover with a phone call, a meeting, a kind stranger, a doctor who didn't judge them. If today is the day you make that first phone call, we want to help.
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Information shaped by NICE guidelines, Frank, Release UK and NHS advice. Not a substitute for personalised medical care. If you or someone you love is in immediate danger, call 999 (UK) or visit our helplines page.