Welcome Back - What to Say After You Respond to an Overdose With Naloxone
We recently had the pleasure of speaking with The DOPE Project (Drug Overdose Prevention and Education) team about what to do and say after you’ve used naloxone to reverse an overdose from opioids.
Experiencing a medical emergency like an overdose is traumatic and we can support people returning to consciousness with kindness and without judgment.
ID: Tiles with rainbow gradient and large type: WELCOME BACK What to say after you respond to an overdose with naloxone. Waking up from an overdose can be traumatizing. As someone starts to wake up, give them a little bit of space and gently welcome the person back into consciousness. “Hi, friend. I’m [name] and I just had to give you Narcan. I’m sorry you don’t feel good. Sit up when you’re ready. You’re safe. I’m glad you’re alive. I’ve got you.” Repeat until the person is fully awake. If they are disoriented, give them more space. If they want to leave, don’t try to make them stay. Try to stay with the person for 90 minutes and remember to take care of yourself as well. After a medical emergency like an overdose, it is not the time for: Arguing, Shaming, or Shouting. When we are gentle with others, we also learn to be more gentle with ourselves.
