Harm Reduction- All about harm reduction/Sample plans/Resources
Harmful behaviours are often coping mechanisms- things that helps to deal with difficult emotional or stressful situations.
Suddenly removing a coping mechanism,even a harmful one could deprive someone of the only thing they have to get through a rough period and some might think that it sets them up for failure,which makes them feel powerless.
Does it mean that I can keep on going?
No,we just merely acknowledge that harmful behaviours are coping mechanisms and it takes time to switch to a much healthier option to relieve stress.
And harm reduction helps in making the transition easier!
What is harm reduction?
It is a way to gain control over something you feel you don't have a grip on. Successfully controlling a bit of those "uncontrollable" feelings can help it feel more manageable. They no longer will be the big,scary things you can't do anything about ^_^
How does it work?
Harm Reduction is a way of managing behaviour that's potentially risky,damaging or unhealthy by putting place plans and techniques to reduce the harm of those behaviours.
Here's a little something to help you with your journey!
--For those who wish to change their drinking habits--
https://www.hamsnetwork.org
--Sample Plans--
https://www.hamsnetwork.org/sampleplans/
--If you're experiencing withdrawal symptoms--
https://www.hamsnetwork.org/withdrawal/
--For those who wish to change their substance use behaviour--
https://www.catie.ca/en/practical-guides/managing-your-health/4#drugs
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/addiction/overcoming-drug-addiction.htm
I hope this helps! And remember,we all are very proud of you for reaching out for help. that takes a lot of courage and it's so good to see you all taking an initiative to take care of yourself! 
Chioo- Great post, thanks for sharing. I am a huge supporter of harm reduction techniques and have used them both professionally and on a personal level. I think that more health care providers, counselors, and the helping community in general need more information on harm reduction. I have found that so many times, providers agree with harm reduction, but don't have the skills to implement it into practice.
Thanks again. Take care.
@kaibearily
I'm glad that you find the method helpful. And good to know that it worked well for you. That's awesome :)
One of the best harm reduction sites (in my opinion anyways) on the net is https://www.erowid.org/. They have an extremely comprehensive list of drugs and substances as well as proper dosages, interactions, safe practices, etc. Another unique thing they have is what's called the "experience vault" which is where people share their experiences after taking substances, where things went wrong, what they did to keep themselves safe, etc.
Another good resource for drug and alcohol use is tripsit.me. They have harm reduction information on their website but their primary resource is an IRC chat network for those who have questions about anything related to drug and alcohol usage and abuse as well as a sort of crisis intervention for people who have taken something and are having a bad reaction to it and are too shy or don't have anybody in their lives that they can reach out to for help.
@VinylFly
A BIG thankyou to you,for posting resources! :)
@chioo Your very welcome. Harm reduction is something I'm very passionate and knowledgeable about so if anyone has any questions or would like to talk about harm reduction methods and resources, please feel free to message me <3
@VinylFly
Awesome! Maybe you could post the same in your feed? :)
@chioo Awesome idea! Just made a post :)
Oh yeah, another great resource is https://dancesafe.org/. They specialize in the raving/music festival community but they are jam-packed with info that anyone could find helpful :)