Support for friends and family

Support and advice if you're helping someone who has challenges with drugs or alcohol

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Helping someone with drug and alcohol problems

When people use drugs or alcohol excessively, it can be challenging for everyone involved. As a family member or friend, you may not know where to turn. At times you may feel overwhelmed and experience a range of emotions:

We're not coping at home, Their behaviour is really worrying me. I feel out of my depth. Dealing with them is exhausting; it takes so much of my energy. I don’t want to push them away, but I’m at the end of my tether! What should I do to help?

Please be reassured, there’s support available to help you navigate this challenging situation.

Support for your loved one, and for you

We offer free, non-judgemental support and advice for people facing challenges with drugs and alcohol, through a network of 80+ services across England and Scotland.

As a family member or friend, you have your own support needs associated with your loved one’s drug or alcohol use. There's help and support available to you.

Sometimes, this support is delivered directly by our local teams. In other cases, we work closely with local partners specifically commissioned to provide support to family members and friends.

In some of our services, we provide specialist support to the family members and friends of those who use substances.

Specialist Carer Support recognises the important role you play in supporting your loved one and the support needs you have in your own right.

You’ll have access to a support worker who will help you identify your own needs and put together a package of support.

This may include specialist programmes such as CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) which is specifically tailored to the needs of family and friends of people using substances.

In many areas, we run specific support groups for people who are affected by a loved one’s alcohol or drug use.

These are often delivered by people with experience of caring for someone with a substance use issue and are attended by people experiencing similar issues.

These groups will help you to understand the impact a loved one’s substance use can have on family and relationships and how to take care of your own wellbeing.

Use our service finder to find out what support is available for you in your local area. If we don’t provide the support you need, we'll point you to your local provider.

Find support for you and your loved one

Looking for support with drugs and alcohol?

Contact one of our 80 local services across England and Scotland for free, confidential support and advice.

Not ready for an in-person service? Chat to one of our trained recovery workers online to get free, confidential advice and information.

Talk to a trained recovery worker

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Distance

1-2 miles - Considered within walking distance threshold, however, cycling, public transport, or a personal vehicle is advised if no safe walking routes.
10-15 miles - Generally between a minimum of 30 mins to 1 hour travel time expected via public transport or personal vehicle. This may depend on form of transport, time of day and/or road layouts.
20-25 miles - Generally between a minimum of 50 minutes to 1.5 hours travel time expected via public transport or personal vehicle. This may depend on form of transport, time of travel and/or road layouts