Advice and information

Here we cover a range of topics relating to alcohol 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 alcohol 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 situation – 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. We're here to help you.

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 such as homelessness.

Everyone’s situation is different, and the help you receive will cover all the issues 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 use alcohol 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 – how to address them and understand why you use.

For example, you might drink or take drugs to escape some aspect of your life – such as relationship or work problems. Perhaps you started using drugs to manage physical pain and it got our of hand? We're here to help you get back on track. There is plenty of support nearby for you.