If someone close to you is taking drugs, drinking alcohol or maybe chewing khat in a negative way it can be difficult to cope with.
Burngreave Drug Project is offering free, confidential and non-judgemental support to families and friends of drug, alcohol and khat users.
A woman from the Somali community who lives in Burngreave tells her story, and how the project can help:
“When the police called me to tell me my son had been arrested for possession of cannabis, I was shocked, ashamed and frightened all at the same time. I was so confused, I didn’t know much about drugs and kept asking myself; why was he doing this to us?
“I had noticed that he didn’t want to spend time with the family and seemed to stop caring about us and himself but I thought he was just growing up. He was always agitated by small things, he lost his job at the supermarket and money had begun to disappear. One day he got angry and violent, hitting me and leaving me with a large bruise on my head and arm. I felt frightened and alone. It never crossed my mind that my son was taking drugs even when some of my neighbours told me things that upset me about my son.
“When I found out he was taking drugs, I blamed myself for being a bad parent. I struggled to cope, lost sleep and felt tired and upset all the time. I was afraid to leave the house because my community is small and everyone knows everyone else’s business and I felt they were judging and looking at me.
“Six months ago I rang the Burngreave Drug Project to get help for my son as I did not know what to do anymore, he was back in the house and had stolen some of my jewellery. When I spoke to the family worker there, she offered me time to talk for myself. She told me that there are lots of families going through the same thing as me and that if I wanted support we could meet regularly to talk. I never knew that there was support for families or even really recognised that I needed help too as I always saw my son as having the problem, not me. She assured me that everything we talked about would be confidential and that no one would judge me so I decided to give it a try.
“I was embarrassed at first and it took time but getting support has helped my confidence grow and I have learnt how to cope better. I have also realised that what has happened is not my fault. It has been so great to actually have the time for me to voice how I feel when I have kept all my emotions inside for so long. I have also learnt how to relax and give myself space with the help of the Burngreave Drug Project complementary therapists. As a family member affected by substance misuse I can go for regular ear acupuncture sessions and have had reflexology, shiatsu and Indian head massage!
“My son is seeing a drug worker and together our family is getting closer again. It’s a long journey but I know we can make it with the support that we have been shown by the Burngreave Drug Project. I just hope other people realise they can get help too, I don’t know how we would have coped otherwise.”
If you are using drugs, alcohol or khat or are affected by someone else who is and would like help, contact Burngreave Drugs Project on 226 2970.
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