So where do you start when you’re looking for help?

There is a whole buffet of help that’s available to choose from. As with any buffet, you will choose what appeals to you. It’s a bit of a trial and error process – but the important thing is to make a start, because you are the only person who can work out who can best help you.

What worked for me was to choose a combination of professional and non-professional sources of help.

Non-professional organisations – including the long-established Al-Anon  family groups – provide peer support from people who are going through what you are going through. Families and friends of those addicted to drugs are just as welcome at these meetings as those whose loved ones are addicted to alcohol. Many of the people at these meetings will be further along the road than you and they can be a wonderful source of hope and strength.

You can also find information in this section on:

Professional organisations which help families cope with drug addiction

Re-habs available for your loved one.

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Another avenue for finding help and support is to attend Events that are designed for families facing Addiction. You can find these in the Events section of this site.

And my pride and joy – there will be a Periscope Event from time to time with Sarah Graham, who is an addictions specialist. Sarah will run these sessions specifically for parents and relatives of those with addictions. I will advertise the date and time of the next one in the Events section here. You can ask Sarah any questions you may have on the subject of addiction and how to cope with your (adult or teenage) child. If you have questions on anything you have read in these pages, she can clarify things for you. (Don’t know about Periscope? It’s an App – see https://www.periscope.tv/ ).