Buvidal: How it changed Chris's life

I’m going to rock concerts and have gone camping … I don’t have to worry.

Chris, 40, Dingle

Chris's story

Where did it all start?

“First my mum and dad broke up, then my girlfriend and I split up, and then I lost my job. So the three things that held my life together, my safety net, collapsed in the space of six months, and I couldn't cope with it. So I turned to drugs to alleviate the pain I was suffering. I was using heroin and crack cocaine. My life was chaotic."

What support did you seek?

“I entered into treatments with WithYou in July 2019 and swapped over to Buvidal in February 2023. The difference between Buvidal and methadone is night and day. Methadone is still an opioid agonist, so it still has an effect on the brain and gives you a high as such. With Buvidal, you don't realise you’re on it. You literally feel so recovered that you forget you're on it."

What is life like now?

“The benefits are just unbelievable. I've just come back from a holiday to Mallorca, I'm going to rock concerts and have gone camping - I don't have to worry about having to take a bit of medicine every day and I don’t have the embarrassment of needing a script every day. There are no signs someone is on Buvidal - nobody would know any different.”

What’s your message to others who may be experiencing challenges?

“I'd say, if you're serious about packing in drugs, coming off the medication and packing in and changing your life, that Buvidal is the way. There is a way to recover, and this is it.”

Buvidal has changed Chris’ life - he now feels like a normal guy who can meet up with friends and family without the embarrassment of needing to pop to the pharmacy. Chris now owns his own home and is looking forward to starting work as a taxi driver. 

ADDER funding programme

The Government’s ADDER (Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement and Recovery) funding programme has enabled WithYou to reduce the harm that drug use has on the people and communities of Liverpool.

As the lead provider in delivering ADDER for Liverpool City Council, With You has worked with key health and care partners across Liverpool to ensure that local people are offered a health-based approach to tackling drug use, which in turn better diverts them away from the criminal justice system.

Thanks to ADDER funding, more people have now started on buprenorphine treatment, which as an alternative to methadone, allows users the convenience of not needing a dose daily administered from a pharmacy. Our clients are no longer tied to pharmacies, and it increasingly shows promise as the future of opiate treatment. As well as helping people stay on track with their recovery journey, it’s often used alongside other forms of support, such as counselling. It means they can access treatment that enhances their life, instead of limiting it. 

Chris is one of the many people who’s experienced the life-changing impact of Buvidal, a long-acting injectable buprenorphine preparation.