Coping with Drug Problems in the Family

Drug addiction is no longer – if indeed it ever has been – a problem confined to tower blocks and prisons. With an estimated 250,000 problematic drug users in the UK in every section of society, the UK has the highest levels of addiction and multi-drug consumption and the second-highest rate of drug-related deaths in Europe, according to a report on behalf of the UK Drug Policy Commission. Whether it’s a son, husband, daughter or mother, having a problematic drug user in the family is disastrous. Family members have to deal with questions they never dreamed they’d have to answer. Should you continue to allow a drug user to live with you? What should you do if he or she steals from you? What’s the best way to encourage him or her to seek treatment? Can you help him or her ‘detox’ by yourself? What are the health risks to the addict and his family? Why has he or she become addicted in the first place? And, most importantly, what help is available to help your family get through this? This book provides a simple, non-ideological guide for people whose families are affected by drug use. Topics include: defining addiction; types of drugs and what they do; how drug use impacts on the family; your feelings – how to cope; helping the addict; accessing further help – what’s available both for families and for addicts.