Plain answers to hard questions.
Guides written for people in Malaysia who are trying to understand what is happening, what the options are and what to do next.
- 30 October 20268 min read
Ketamine in Malaysia: effects, bladder damage, addiction and how to stop
What ketamine does, why regular use damages the bladder, signs of ketamine addiction, withdrawal, the law in Malaysia, and where adults can get help to stop.
Read - 30 October 20269 min read
Government or private drug rehab in Malaysia: how to pick
Government and private drug rehab centres in Malaysia compared: who sends you, cost, length, privacy, medical care, what to ask a private centre and red flags.
Read - 29 October 20267 min read
How drugs affect the brain, and how much recovers
What drugs do to the brain: the reward system, cravings, self-control, mental health effects of syabu, cannabis, alcohol and opioids, and how the brain recovers after stopping.
Read - 29 October 20267 min read
Erimin 5 in Malaysia: what it is, the risks, and how to stop safely
Erimin 5 (nimetazepam, also called eramin 5 or happy 5) explained: what the pills are, effects, addiction and withdrawal, the law in Malaysia, and how to stop safely.
Read - 28 October 20269 min read
How to help someone with depression
How to help someone with depression in Malaysia: what to say, what not to say, what to do when they don't want help, warning signs, and how to look after yourself.
Read - 27 October 20268 min read
Signs of depression in adults: what to look out for
The signs of depression in adults, including the hidden signs, how it can look different in men and women, when low mood becomes depression and where to get help in Malaysia.
Read - 26 October 20268 min read
My husband is addicted to drugs: what can a wife do?
If your husband is using drugs in Malaysia: how to stay safe, protect money and children, help him towards treatment, and where to get support for yourself.
Read - 24 October 20268 min read
How to stop ketum: withdrawal, what helps and where to get help
How to stop drinking ketum in Malaysia: what withdrawal feels like, why stopping alone is hard, what treatment helps, and free and private routes to help.
Read - 17 October 20268 min read
How long do drugs stay in your system?
How long syabu, ganja, heroin, sleeping pills and alcohol show up in urine, blood, saliva and hair tests, what changes it, and where to get help.
Read - 16 October 20268 min read
Voluntary drug rehab in Malaysia: how to get help without a court order
How voluntary drug rehab works in Malaysia: going to AADK yourself, community or residential care, cost, criminal record, methadone clinics and private centres.
Read - 14 October 202611 min read
Suboxone in Malaysia: uses, film vs tablet, side effects, risks
Suboxone is buprenorphine with naloxone, prescribed for opioid dependence. How to get it in Malaysia, film vs tablet, side effects, ketum and coming off it.
Read - 9 October 20268 min read
Pusat Serenti (PUSPEN): what it is and how to apply
Pusat Serenti is now called PUSPEN. Who goes there, how long it lasts, what happens inside, how a family can apply, and what a private option looks like.
Read - 7 October 20267 min read
How to quit vaping, and the risk of drug vapes in Malaysia
How to quit vaping, what nicotine withdrawal feels like, quit help from KKM, and how to tell when a vape may contain drugs and needs urgent help.
Read - 7 October 20268 min read
Signs of drug use: what families in Malaysia can look for
The physical, behavioural, money and mood signs of drug use in adults, the clues for syabu, heroin, ganja, ketum and pills, and what to do next.
Read - 7 October 20269 min read
Relapse in addiction: what it means and what to do next
What relapse means, how common it is, the early warning signs, the overdose risk after a break, and what the person and the family can do in the first days.
Read - 7 October 20269 min read
Methadone in Malaysia: how therapy works and how to taper
What methadone is, how methadone therapy works at Malaysian clinics, take-home doses, side effects, methadone vs Suboxone, and how to come off it safely.
Read - 7 October 20269 min read
How to stop gambling: practical steps for you and family
How to quit gambling, including online: block it on every device, hand over control of money, get free debt help from AKPK, and know when to seek treatment.
Read - 7 October 20269 min read
How to stop drinking alcohol safely, at home or with help
How to stop drinking alcohol safely: when cutting down at home is fine, when stopping suddenly is risky, and what helps with sleep, cravings and staying sober.
Read - 7 October 20269 min read
How to help someone with a drug addiction: a family guide
Practical help for families in Malaysia: what to say, setting boundaries, money, cravings, relapse, emergencies, getting them to treatment, and your own health.
Read - 7 October 20268 min read
Drug withdrawal symptoms: what to expect and when to worry
Drug withdrawal symptoms for heroin, syabu, weed, sleeping pills and ketum: how long they last, which withdrawals are dangerous and when to call 999.
Read - 7 October 20269 min read
Drug-induced psychosis: signs, causes and how to help
Drug-induced psychosis brings paranoia, hallucinations and false beliefs, most often after syabu or cannabis. The signs, what to do, and how long it lasts.
Read - 7 October 202610 min read
Drug addiction statistics in Malaysia: AADK figures for 2025
AADK recorded 191,832 people for drug use in Malaysia in 2025. The figures by drug, age, state and sex, what they mean for families, and where help starts.
Read - 7 October 20268 min read
Cannabis addiction in Malaysia: signs, withdrawal and help
Cannabis (ganja) can be addictive. How dependence develops, the signs, what withdrawal feels like, mental health risks, Malaysian law and treatment that works.
Read - 3 October 202610 min read
Positive drug test in Malaysia: what happens next
A positive urine test in Malaysia can lead to a treatment order, supervision or a charge. The steps, the penalties, and what Act 283 changed in 2025.
Read - 3 October 202610 min read
Is online gambling legal in Malaysia? The law and penalties
Online gambling is illegal in Malaysia. The penalties for players, operators and promoters under the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, as at October 2026.
Read - 3 October 20269 min read
Is ketum legal in Malaysia? The law in 2026, explained
No. Selling, supplying or possessing ketum products without authority risks RM100,000 or 5 years. Drinking, planting and AADK explained, as at October 2026.
Read - 3 October 20269 min read
Drug laws in Malaysia: Dangerous Drugs Act penalties explained
Penalties under Malaysia's Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for taking, possessing and trafficking drugs, the 2023 death penalty change and the 2025 treatment law.
Read - 3 October 20269 min read
Drink driving law in Malaysia: limits and penalties explained
Malaysia's drink driving law: the alcohol limits for breath, blood and urine, the penalties under the Road Transport Act, driving bans and the 2026 position.
Read - 2 October 20266 min read
Ketum (kratom) addiction in Malaysia: how it starts, and how treatment works
A USM study found over half of ketum users were severely dependent. Here are the signs, where ketum stands in Malaysian law now, and how treatment works.
Read - 24 September 20265 min read
Sleeping pills and cough syrup misuse in Malaysia: how dependence starts, and where help begins
Sleeping pills, Erimin 5 and codeine cough syrup are common routes into dependence in Malaysia. What families notice, and how treatment works.
Read - 24 September 20265 min read
Depression and addiction: why the two need to be treated together
How often depression and addiction occur together, which tends to come first, and what treatment looks like when both are present.
Read - 24 September 20265 min read
Alcohol withdrawal in Malaysia: why stopping suddenly can be dangerous
What happens when a heavy drinker stops suddenly, the usual timeline, and why it can become a medical emergency.
Read - 20 September 20265 min read
Syabu and methamphetamine: what families in Malaysia need to know, and where help starts
Syabu is now the drug behind most recorded addiction cases in Malaysia. Here is how dependence takes hold, what the first weeks off it are like, and what treatment that works looks like.
Read - 20 September 20265 min read
Gambling addiction in Malaysia: the signs, the debt, and how treatment works
Gambling is the addiction that leaves no smell, no bottles and no needle marks. Here is how to recognise it, what to do about the money, and what evidence-based treatment involves.
Read - 16 September 20263 min read
Why ninety days? What the research says about how long recovery takes
Three months is not an arbitrary number. Here is the evidence behind a 90-day programme, and what happens inside it.
Read - 16 September 20264 min read
What is social prescribing, and why we built a recovery programme around it
Social prescribing is well established in primary care. Salus is one of the first programmes to build it systematically into residential recovery. Here is what that means in practice.
Read - 16 September 20264 min read
Signs of alcohol dependence: what families usually notice first
Alcohol dependence rarely announces itself. These are the early signs families describe to us, and the point at which it is worth getting a proper assessment.
Read - 16 September 20263 min read
How to talk to someone you love about getting help
The conversation most families dread, and how to have it in a way that keeps the door open. Practical guidance from the Salus admissions team.
Read - 16 September 20264 min read
How to choose a rehabilitation centre in Malaysia: ten questions to ask before you decide
Private rehab in Malaysia is unregulated in ways that surprise families. These ten questions separate a clinical programme from a nice building.
Read - 16 September 20263 min read
How much does rehab cost in Malaysia? A straight answer, including ours
Private residential treatment in Malaysia ranges widely. Here is what drives the price, what should be included, and why Salus starts from RM7,000 a month.
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