Family Members: Making their voices heard
There is inadequate support for families and carers of people with a
substance misuse problem. This is particularly ironic given the large
number of people affected and the fact that many want to become involved
in tackling substance misuse problems.
WIRED has carried out several projects with family members, including
a research project on the impact of substance misuse on the family, a
needs assessment for family support, and a number of personal stories.
Family personal stories
Kerry's
story
Kerry supported her son through a traumatic addiction and his dramatic
recovery! Here she shares her experiences, hoping it can give others'
hope and understanding.
Lucy's
story
This is a fascinating story about Lucy's experience of drug use
problems as she describes her son, Jamie's story.
Lisa
"That was when I realised it wasn't about me. It never was.
It wasn't that I wasn't good enough, nice enough or caring enough. He
was an addict. He left me for the drugs. For the addiction. He is in denial.
He blames me, and always blamed me as it is far easier than facing up
to the fact that he has a problem with drugs."
Monica
Monica's son (Callum) has been using heroin for several years.
She has taken the journey with him in many respects and has stood by him
throughout this time. This has been an extremely turbulent and emotional
time for Monica as well as the rest of the family. She has undoubtedly
experienced and learnt a lot, during this time and has chosen to share
her experiences.
Anna
Anna first met Ben when he was clean from drugs four years ago.
Initially unaware of his heroin addiction, she was "bombshelled"
when he told her about it. Making the difficult decision to help him through
his addiction, Anna has supported Ben through numerous attempts to get
clean. She finds it difficult to live with the unpredictability of Ben's
moods and believes that more support is needed for the families of drug
addicts.
Do you want your story to be heard? Please contact
us to send your story.
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