Drug and alcohol support could turn your life around

Phil Hetherington, 42. ‘I got a taste for alcohol as a teenager. It took me away from real life and it became a coping strategy’ (Supplied)

If you have a problem with drink or drugs, there are a wide range of services that can help.

“It's difficult to pinpoint the time when it turned into a dependency or addiction,” says Darren Lacey, 45, who lives in Dover, Kent.

“With alcohol consumption, a tolerance builds up. By my early 20s, I was drinking every day. It got to the point when I turned 30 in 2008 that I was waking up and drinking in the morning to get going then drinking all through work.”

Darren didn’t seek help until he was 40 – but now his life has been transformed after he got support for his alcohol problem.

“I felt like a little child. Why couldn’t I do this for myself? I could see the pain and worry and stress in mum’s eyes but you can’t force someone to seek help until they’re ready – that can be hard to accept.”

Darren Lacey didn’t seek help until he was 40 (Darren Lacey)

Darren’s turnaround shows just how transformative help with an addiction can be. Treatment is available, treatment works and you or your loved one can access it easily.

Drug and alcohol problems can be a hard subject to discuss, especially if you think your friend or relative has a problem.

It is important to try to stay open-minded and remember that, with the right help and support, most people overcome problematic use before any serious harm is caused.

How to find help

• You can call FRANK anytime on 0300 123 6600 or visit talktofrank.com/help for confidential advice and information, including how to access treatment services.
• You can also find details of treatment services on your local authority’s website. FRANK has a directory of adult and young people’s alcohol and drug treatment services
• Aside from calling FRANK, a GP is a good place to start if you or someone you care about wants to get help. They can discuss your problems with you and get you into treatment.
• Your treatment will depend on your personal circumstances and what drug you are seeking help for.
• You may be offered treatment at the GP practice or be referred to your local drug and alcohol service.
• Any health professional, including your GP or practice nurse, can support people who need help to access the free expert services that are near you.
• If you’re not comfortable talking to a GP, you can approach your local drug and alcohol treatment service yourself without a referral or a friend or family member can, contact the local service on your behalf.

“I got a taste for alcohol as a teenager. It took me away from real life and it became a coping strategy,” says Phil Hetherington, 42.

“From Thursday to Saturday, I went to pubs and clubs in Hartlepool where you could pay £10 and drink as much as you wanted, then on Sunday it was a pound a drink all day. I had to find my rock bottom before I could contemplate going into recovery services.”

After moving to Darlington, Phil was given a card for the Forward Trust, a charity which runs 80 services in England and Scotland as well as an online chat support service.

He enrolled on their 12 Steps to Recovery programme surrounded by a group of people going through the same thing.

“When you’re in that dark place, you believe you’re the only person in that situation. But when you go to your first group, you realise you’re not alone and you can chat it out. Give it a go and start engaging because there is hope for you,” he says.

“Addiction is like a full-time job – you’re not only thinking about drinking, you’re also trying to cover your tracks. I wouldn’t pay bills so I could buy more alcohol, but it all comes out in the wash eventually.”

Phil has been more than 365 days without drinking alcohol, and he now runs his own support group offering activities such as pool, dodgeball and football to support the mental health of other people in recovery.

What drink and drug treatment involves

What drug treatment involves:

• Your treatment will depend on your personal circumstances and what drug you are seeking help for. Your keyworker will work with you to plan the right treatment for you.
• Your treatment plan may include a number of different treatments and strategies.
• You may have your treatment while living at home, as a hospital inpatient, or referred to a residential rehabilitation service.

What alcohol treatment involves:

• Most people receive support to stop drinking and recovery support in the community.
• If you need medicine to help you stop drinking, it can often be taken at home or when attending a local service daily.
• But some people will need a short stay in a medically supported unit so they can receive safe treatment of their withdrawal symptoms or other problems.
• This may be in an NHS inpatient unit or a medically supported residential service, depending on your situation and the assessed medical need.

If your friend or family member is happy, you can contact FRANK, or the local drug and alcohol service on their behalf. You, or the person you are worried for can call FRANK anytime on 0300 123 6600 or visit talktofrank.com/help for confidential advice and information.

In addition to treatment services, there are mutual aid groups that offer support from a community of people in recovery.

These include Alcoholics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and SMART Recovery UK – and for families and friends Al Anon, Families Anonymous.

These groups can play an important role in providing additional support for many people. They are volunteer run and each group is different so if you go to one that isn’t for you, try another.