Support with alcohol or drug use
Unfortunately many people in our city are struggling with harmful and hazardous use of drugs or alcohol, and in many cases both.
Alcohol and drug misuse damages too many lives; addiction hurts individuals both physically and mentally. It can also hurt those living with the person struggling with addiction and substance misuse, particularly children.
There is a strong association between drug and alcohol misuse and domestic violence. Children exposed to substance misuse and/or domestic violence, often called Adverse Childhood Experiences, can experience significant trauma. Although there are lots of things that can be done to undo this harm, it is better for parents to access treatment and support to avoid the exposure in the first place.
One of the ways to help reflect on whether your relationship with alcohol is becoming harmful is the CAGE questionnaire. These short questions are a simple way to reflect on whether you might be slipping into hazardous drinking:
- Have you ever felt you needed to Cut down on your drinking?
- Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
- Have you ever felt Guilty about drinking?
- Have you ever felt you needed a drink first thing in the morning (Eye-opener) to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?
The council commissions services from Change, Grow, Live to support people who are struggling with harmful and hazardous use of drugs or alcohol or both.
If you are struggling with drug or alcohol misuse there is lots of help available. You can:
- self-refer into treatment
- drop into one of the four CGL hubs in the city to have a conversation about the many ways that they can help you to recover
- talk to your GP or one of the community pharmacists.
There are also a lot of free online resources that can help:
