For Friends & Family

Helping your loved ones

We operate a ‘circles of support’ approach to an individual’s recovery journey to help them make the most of the support offered by friends and family. Where appropriate, this can include a range of psychological therapies involving friends and loved ones in their treatment package.

What to expect

Our support network helps people who are close to someone suffering from mental health or addiction problems better understand what their loved ones are going through. Supporting someone with substance misuse or mental health issues can feel difficult but we can help with advice, networking and assistance with care.

Signs of addiction

In some people, regularly using addictive substances or engaging in potentially addictive activities, can cause damaging physical and psychological effects as a result of chemical changes in the brain.

As their behaviour becomes more frequent it eventually turns into an addiction as the brain and body become tolerant and their need for the substance or behaviour increases.

When someone with an addiction tries to stop they will experience physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms including:

• Feelings of discomfort, distress and an intense craving for the substance or activity (more advanced withdrawal symptoms include seizures and hallucinations);
• Mood changes and social withdrawal;
• Secrecy and denial; and
• Money issues such as growing debt.