Do you care for someone with a substance misuse?
The Substance Misuse Team at Suffolk Family Carers is here to support and guide you in your caring role, if the person you care for is using drugs or alcohol.
The team is commissioned by Turning Point Suffolk to support family members who support someone using drugs or alcohol. There is often an immense impact on family members when someone in that family is using drugs or alcohol. Family members can experience:
- Increased stress, anxiety, feelings of guilt and likelihood of mental health problems for the family
- Increased chance of physical illness
- Isolation and stigma
- Relationship breakdown
- Becoming manipulated and controlled
- Becoming victims of crime/financial difficulties
- Involvement of police, social care and other authorities
- Not knowing what to do and when
- Difficulty understanding addiction/dependence and understanding treatment services
- Sometimes family members can inadvertently ‘enable’ substance use
Above all, family members are having to respond to unusual circumstances under extreme stress, ‘thinking on their feet’ with no ‘rule-book’ and often conflicting guidance. It can feel like an impossible task.
How can we help?
Best practice indicates substance misuse family services should offer three strands of support; one to one practitioner support, information and guidance and peer support. The team has developed the substance misuse carer services to meet these service offers, to deliver a holistic, person centred service.
One to one support sessions ensure family members are supported and have access to credible information, support and guidance. We use the 5 step model to support family members, which is based around:
- Getting to know the family and the issues
- Providing relevant information, advice and guidance
- Exploring current coping
- Exploring and enhancing support
- Exploring ongoing needs and referrals
When working with family members, we cover various topics as relevant to the family, for example, healthy boundaries, communication and approaches to supporting the substance misuser. Fundamental to this is identifying ways to increase family members’ wellbeing: it’s often a balancing act of providing support while at the same time not losing sight of what they need, to be happy and healthy.
‘Most useful for me was speaking to someone who validated my feelings/concerns and was able to help me organise my thoughts and coping strategies’
The substance misuse team also offers a range of workshops open to family members. We regularly hold 1.5 hour online workshops on various topics such as supporting someone who is using alcohol, cannabis or cocaine.
The workshops aim to:
- Inform family members about the specific drug (or alcohol) the person they care for is using
- Explore approaches to support the recovery of the person they care for
- Provide an opportunity to meet other families in a similar situation
’I have really enjoyed these sessions. The information & advice has really helped me look after me, put boundaries in place & be strong enough to stick to these’
Further opportunities for peer support are available via the Talk & Support service. This peer support service is delivered by trained volunteers who draw upon their own experience of being a family carer, to help others in similar situations.
How to contact
Please email subsmisuse@suffolkfamilycarers.org or call 01473 835477 for more information about our services. You can also contact use using our LiveChat facility via our website www.suffolkfamilycarers.org
