Advice and information

Here we cover a range of topics relating to drink and drug problems, including emotional causes and more practical guidance on ways you can recover. We hope you find this useful when you’re looking for help from support services in Kent.

Don’t be ashamed

You might feel shame or guilt about your drinking or drug use, but remember, addiction can happen to anyone. There could be all sorts of reasons. So it’s okay to admit you have a problem, and ask for help.

Then you can start to understand your habit or addiction – why and how it happened. You’ll realise none of it makes you a bad person. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, or embarrassed about.

Dealing with more than one problem

Some people with a drug or alcohol problem also have to cope with another problem – often a mental-health issue, such as anxiety or depression. You might hear support teams refer to this as a ‘co-occurring condition’. Or the other problem could be something more practical, like homelessness.

Everyone’s situation is different, and the help you receive will cover all the problems you’re dealing with.

Find out what support with day to day living is available including mental health support.

How to start taking control

One of the main ways to control an addiction is to be aware of the things that make you want to drink or use drugs. It could be certain people or places, or times of the day or week. They’re called triggers.

This may sound obvious, but many people don’t really know what their triggers are. When you ask for support, you’ll get help to understand what yours are – and to avoid letting them influence you.

Understanding why you drink or use drugs

The first step towards controlling an addiction is understanding why you use. Then you can think of ways to spend less time on your habit and more time on other things.

There are local services that can help you work out the reasons for your addiction, and then support you in dealing with the root of the problem.

For example, you might drink or take drugs to escape some aspect of your life – such as relationship or work problems. If this sounds like you, maybe counselling would help you find a different way of dealing with these issues. Or you could have started using drink or drugs simply through boredom, and need to find a new purpose in life. Again, there is plenty of support nearby.