The South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust in partnership with ASCERT, Addiction NI and FASA have launched an alcohol campaign in the Trust area promoting the Family Intervention Service through a video that encourages those who are affected by someone else’s alcohol misuse to get support. This initiative also involves a bus advertising campaign to raise awareness of the service.
The Family Intervention Service which is part of the Alcohol and You partnership offers adult family members direct one to one support for anyone who is living with or affected by someone else’s alcohol misuse. The person drinking does not need to be seeking help for their family or close friends to avail of this service.
Alcohol and drug misuse does cause significant problems for people on Northern Ireland. Yet, there is another side to this story, one that is far too often hidden from view, the cost on the family.
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The Alcohol and You website provides access to a wide range of support services.[/caption]
Chronic stress, unpredictability, sometimes violence becomes the norm. Family members develop survival skills that can have a lasting impact. It can have a devastating impact on all the family. Coping with any extreme stress, let alone the chronic stress that comes with excessive alcohol or other drug misuse is a challenge.
Research into coping in families describes the styles family members use:
Tolerance: You just put up with it.
Engaged: You are trying to stop them drinking or take charge of the family.
Withdrawal: Pulling inward or getting on with your life.
Each of these ways of coping has both positive benefits for the family member but can also add to their levels of stress and strain.
Family members are often caught between caring about the person with the alcohol problem and struggling to cope. Constant and corrosive worry is one thing so many family members have in common when living with excessive alcohol use and addiction.
Ed Sipler, Health Development Specialist, South Eastern HSC Trust said: “Family members are often caught between a rock and a hard place. They desperately want help for the person misusing alcohol yet they forget about themselves. They don’t see the stress and strain that this is causing them. The important thing to say to family is that help is available.”
The video can be viewed by visiting the Alcohol and You website:
and the awareness campaign on buses will run from now until the New Year.
To access the service and for further information, please phone: (0800) 2545 123 or visit:
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