For a long time, there was a misconception that alcohol and other drug counselling services were only available for the people who were using said substance/s. At YFCC we proudly offer support to anyone impacted by substance misuse, and this often includes impacted family members or loved ones. Over recent years this has been a steadily growing area of our service delivery as people become aware of, and concerned about, a loved one’s drug and/or alcohol use.
What this service looks like is unique to the individual. Sometimes we are supporting the person using, while also supporting their loved one (they each access different counsellors). We also support a lot of people whose loved one’s are not yet engaged in supports of any kind and seemingly quite content with their use. This can include parents of teenagers, parents with adult children, partners or spouses, siblings and quite often, young people impacted by a parent’s substance misuse.
Often people come in expecting us to tell them how they can make their loved one simply stop drinking or using drugs. This is not the focus of the work we do in this space. What we do is provide education on the nature of addiction to help people understand why their loved one is making certain choices. We also work on boundaries, and often support people through grief and loss.
If you, or someone you know is impacted by drug and/- or alcohol use of any kind (your own or a loved one), please give us a call on 6423 6635.
