Understanding and Managing Meth Use with the S-Check App: Binh's Story
A couple of months ago, the stimulant treatment program at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney commenced a research trial on the effectiveness of the S-Check App for managing methamphetamine use. Within the S-Check app people can track how they are going, what they are using and receive advice and support.
Pivot Point wanted to find out a little bit more about what the app is like, so we had a chat with Binh who downloaded the S-Check App when it first came out.
Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
Sure, I am cis gendered gay guy and I have been living in South Western Sydney for over a decade now and I consider Sydney home. I use meth and I am in a community of gay guys who party and play or PnP, this basically means we use drugs like meth in combination with sex. Apart from that I am really into contemporary art, gay culture and social justice!
What made you download the S-Check app?
I first saw the S–Check app on Facebook, I follow ACON on social media and their posts come up in my newsfeed often, they posted about it and I downloaded it. I guess I downloaded it because to me it looked like it was an app that was quite specific to meth use and party and play so I thought that it might have some useful info. From what I can tell the app has been designed to help people to know more about their own use, and I thought that would be helpful for me too.
In your experience what are some of the things that you think the S-Check app has been useful for?
I have had the app for about two months now and I usually check it when I am bored, or if I am on public transport or in a waiting room. I think the app can provide some valuable information and assistance to someone that already has some knowledge around how to manage use and I am one of those people. The app can also be used as a safe place for someone to track their use, their mood, and other things that are going on, as well as write reflective journal notes about their use, which I think is useful. The journal component has a password function on it which is nice.
Was there anything in the S-Check app that was particularly useful for you?
Yeah, there’s a ‘check in’ part which is a kind of self-reflection exercise and it has six different categories, each category presenting a different angle from which I can assess my drug use. Thinking about my use in relation to these categories has helped me reflect on and prioritise what is relevant to me. As I mentioned I also love the journal function to track my use and I also use it like a bit of diary. The fact that I can audio record and take photos is super helpful to me on days when I don’t feel like typing.
If you are interested and would like some more information about the S-Check App, visit the S-Check App Website or search ‘S-Check App’ on the App Store or Google Play.