Help for Families of Addicts in Wiltshire

How Addiction Affects Families

Addiction devastates lives and families. If someone you care about is abusing drugs or alcohol, your life is affected at every level. Negative feelings and emotions often make normal daily life seem difficult. Other people don’t always understand, which can be isolating. People often tell us that they feel stressed, guilty, ashamed and hopeless. These are some of the things people who come to us have experienced:

Feeling distressed because a loved-one is leading a chaotic life
Experiencing threatening behaviour from someone they love
Feeling out of control because of someone else’s behaviour

Families Out Loud offers the opportunity to talk which can be a lifeline for people going through trauma and distress. Our support can help you manage your situation and make positive changes in your life.

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Our Services

Families Out Loud works with families who are affected by another person’s addiction. We understand what you are going through and how you feel because our own lives have been deeply affected in the same way. We offer one-to-one services to suit individual needs, counselling/therapeutic support for families, peer support group sessions and specialist teen support. These services are provided by our trained professionals.

Counselling/therapeutic support for family groups

Family sessions can promote openness, discussion and prevent misunderstandings within families. Emotional manipulation is common behaviour for drug and alcohol users and, while family members are responsible for their own actions, our professionals encourage open and constructive dialogue with a view to reaching a consensus on how the family collectively responds to a loved-one.

One-to-one Support

You will have an initial one-to-one meeting with a professional counsellor. During this meeting we will discuss your situation and concerns. We will explain our services and make suggestions about what might be an appropriate path for you which would be having one-to-one counselling, joining a support group or both. To support the charity in its work we ask for a donation from clients wishing to access one-to-one counselling.

Specialist Teen Support

Teen Support is a specialist service offered by our expert young person’s counsellor. Teenagers can struggle with their emotions when someone in the family is using drugs and alcohol. It is common for them to withdraw, to struggle at school, and to exhibit changes in behaviour and extremes of mood that are difficult to manage. Support from a specialist counsellor, who encourages expression of emotions which are then heard and accepted, can help the young person realise they aren’t responsible for the actions and outcomes of their loved-one’s behaviour.

Peer Support Groups

Joining a support group can be life changing. Talking to others who understand can be powerful and healing. We offer a safe environment where you can talk, listen, give or get advice. Some of the topics we cover are:

Setting boundaries
Being able to say “no”
Giving back responsibility
Detaching from chaotic behaviours
Supporting without enabling
Dealing with feelings of loss and hopelessness
Keeping safe
Looking after your own wellbeing

Get in touch to find out more about our in – person peer support groups held in:

Chippenham
Trowbridge
Salisbury

To help with our running costs, we ask for a small donation of up to £5 per session. This is voluntary and those who are unable to contribute are still very welcome to attend.

List of Useful Contacts

Organisation	Phone number	Website
Adfam Helping families of addicts	020 3817 9410	www.adfam.org.uk
Cruse Bereavement Supporting people when someone dies	0808 808 1677	www.cruse.org.uk
Doorway Wiltshire Helping the homeless	01249 445385	www.doorwayproject.org.uk
DrugFAM Helping families of addicts & bereavement counselling	0300 888 3853	www.drugfam.co.uk
Families Out Loud Supporting families of addicts in Wiltshire	07444 098427	www.familiesoutloud.org
FRANK Giving honest information about drugs	0300 123 6600	www.talktofrank.com
Mind Supporting people with mental health	0300 123 3393	www.mind.org.uk
Motiv8 Supporting and giving opportunities to vulnerable young people		www.motiv8.org.uk
National Domestic Abuse Helpline Helping people experiencing domestic abuse	0808 2000 247	www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk
Off the Record Bath & North East Somerset Offering counselling for young people	01225 312481	www.offtherecord-banes.co.uk
Relate – mid Wiltshire Offering relationship counselling, children & young people’s counselling & sex therapy	0300 0031781
Samaritans Helpline for anyone in distress	116 123	www.samaritans.org
Splitz Support Services Supporting people experiencing domestic violence	01225 775276	www.splitz.org
Turning Point Supporting addicts and their families		www.turning-point.co.uk
Wiltshire IAPT Service Offering brief psychological therapies & other services	01380 731335	www.iapt-wilts.awp.nhs.uk
Wiltshire Mind Supporting people with mental health	01225 706532	www.wiltshiremind.co.uk