Substance misuse

If you are experiencing dependency issues

GP and Specialist services

When looking for help with drug and alcohol use, the best place to start is with your GP. They can help you understand what the affects of the different drugs you have taken are.

You can also visit your local NHS drug and alcohol service (https://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/Drug-treatment-services/LocationSearch/340 ) or contact a specialist drug or alcohol organisation (https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/recreational-drugs-alcohol-and-addiction/drug-and-alcohol-addiction-useful-contacts/ )

These services can discuss your drug use and how your life is being affected by it. They can also talk to you about your treatment options and give you a referral to a specialist.

If you visit your local drug and alcohol service they should assign you a key worker, this will most likely be a doctor, nurse or drug worker. They can make a care plan with you and will keep seeing you at regular meetings to offer support.

Whatever option you choose, they will discuss your options with you and will listen to your opinions.

Self-help groups

Some people find support groups like UKNA (Narcotics anonymous https://ukna.org/ ) helpful. Your keyworker can help you find support groups around you.

You can usually join this groups yourself, but if you’re finding it difficult to get in touch with them then your GP or drugs and alcohol service might be able to help you. Someone from a drugs and alcohol service may be able to attend your first meeting with you if you are nervous about going by yourself.

Therapies

Talking therapies - such as CBT (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cognitive-behavioural-therapy-cbt/ ) help you to see how your thoughts and feelings affect your behaviour.

Behavioural couple’s therapy – if you are in a relationship, you and your partner may be offered couple’s therapy. This is good to help you and your partner work through any issues that you may be having as a result of drug use. It can help your partner find ways to support you and if you are offered it, it should last for at least 12 weeks.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) – if you experience depression or anxiety, you are likely to be offered CBT. It aims to help change your behaviour by looking into how your thoughts, beliefs and attitudes affect your feelings and actions.

Treatments

There are a number of different treatments and strategies, for example:

Medicines - Dependencies with heroin or other opioids may be treated with substitute drugs, such as methadone (https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/methadone/ ) or buprenorphine (https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/buprenorphine-for-pain/ ). This means that you can carry on with your treatment without needing to worry about withdrawal or buying street drugs.

Detoxification (detox) - This is for people who are taking opioid drugs like heroin and want to stop using them completely. This will help you with getting through the withdrawal symptoms.

Abuse and neglect

Excessive use of drugs and alcohol can lead to the breakdown of the relationship between a parent and their children. As the parent’s substance misuse problem takes up a lot of their time and money, it can lead to them neglecting their responsibilities toward their children. The financial cost of drugs and alcohol will mean that they cannot provide for their children and the time cost means that they will be absent from much of their children’s development. This prevents a bond from being formed, or ruining a bond you may already have.

When a parent is addicted to drugs or alcohol they may take out frustrations on their child and in some cases, this abuse can become sexual abuse. It is really crucial that you do not let this happen. If you think you have a problem, get help. You should not do anything that could harm your child.

Types of neglect and abuse brought on by drug use can include:

  • Physical abuse
  • Development of behavioural or emotional problems
  • Your child becoming responsible for the care of themselves and their siblings
  • Poor school attendance
  • Experience of poverty
  • Exposure to drug and criminal activity

It is possible that because your children may resort to stealing food if they are not fed properly at home.

It is likely that you will be separated from your children if signs of abuse or neglect are shown by your children.

Influence of drugs on your children

If your children are given exposure to drugs and alcohol, they may begin to develop different feelings towards them. Some children will dislike them because of the affect they have on people and dislike the experiences that they had because of them, but some children may see them differently.

Parents are the primary influence on their child’s behaviours and attitudes and they may start to think that using drugs and alcohol is ‘cool’ and begin using them themselves.

To make sure this doesn’t happen, make sure you don’t use substances around them, and if they see you, talk to them and try and make them understand that they are bad, and that you are trying to stop.

Stopping using substances is the best thing for you and your child’s present and future relationship.

What do I do if my child is using substances?

Lots of young people try different types of substances without developing any issues with them, but if you think that your child is taking drugs and you’re worried about them here’s a few things you can do.

Stay calm – getting angry with them won’t help as your child could become defensive and refuse to talk to you. Its best to take some time to plan how you’re going to approach them.

Inform yourself – it is a good idea to keep an eye on them for a while to find out whether or not they’re actually taking drugs, accusing them without proof could go wrong. Some signs of drug use are also just normal day-to-day emotions of being a teenager, for example moodiness, stress or changing interests. If you find out that they are taking drugs, try and find out exactly what they are taking.

Find out why – its best to understand what reason they have for using drugs, find out what they are taking and how often. If they are taking it with their friends it could be dangerous and it might be best to try and stop them from seeing those people.

Talk to them – try and find a time where you are both relaxed and calm and won’t be interrupted. Listen to them and don’t interrupt them, let them tell you why they are doing what they are, try and let them realise that what they are doing is wrong and bad for them. Try not to get angry with them as this could end the conversation early and drive them to carry on using. Don’t limit it to just a one off conversation, if you need more time to talk to them take it, it might be that you need to go away and carry on talking the next day.

Don’t ignore it – things won’t get any better if you ignore it. If they are using drugs or alcohol to cope with a problem they are facing then they face the risk of developing a dependency. Your child may not want to talk or may get angry with you, but you shouldn’t give up. It might take some time to get through to them but it’s really worth the hard work. Tell them you love them and that you are concerned about them, tell them what worries you.

Drug treatment

If you are taking treatment for dependency issues, your treatment will depend on your personal circumstances and the substances that you are having issues with. Your keyworker will work with you and help you to plan what treatments you will receive.

You could have a number of different treatments and strategies in your treatment plan.

Talking therapies

Talking therapies, such as CBT (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cognitive-behavioural-therapy-cbt/ ) help you to see how your thoughts and feelings affect your behaviour.

Medicines

Dependencies with heroin or other opioids may be treated with substitute drugs, such as methadone (https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/methadone/ ) or buprenorphine (https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/buprenorphine-for-pain/ ).

This means that you can carry on with your treatment without needing to worry about withdrawal or buying street drugs.

Detoxification (detox)

This is for people who are taking opioid drugs like heroin and want to stop using them completely. This will help you with getting through the withdrawal symptoms.

Self-help

Some people find support groups like UKNA (Narcotics anonymous https://ukna.org/ ) helpful. Your keyworker can help you find support groups around you.

Charities

As well as the NHS, there are several charities and private drug and alcohol organisations that can help you.

Charities and organisations that can help you include:

Get in touch

Substance misuse

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