Need Help?

Do you need help? If you, or someone you know has concerns about your own, or another person’s alcohol or drug use, it is important to know that help is available.

Alcohol

Do you or someone you know have a problem with alcohol use?

Alcohol misuse is when you drink in a way that it becomes harmful to you or others, or when you become dependent on alcohol. Whilst for some, an individual’s use of alcohol may be low risk, for others their alcohol use may be hazardous or harmful and can lead to alcohol dependence.
It is important to know that treatment options are available if alcohol misuse is a problem.

You might need help if:

You have frequent feelings that you need to have a drink of alcohol
Other people are worried about how much you are drinking
You get into trouble due to your drinking
You drink a lot and find it difficult to control in some way
You experience withdrawal symptoms (such as shaking or sickness) if you don’t have a drink

Realising you have a problem with alcohol is the first step to getting the help and support you need.

How much is a sensible amount of alcohol to drink on a daily basis?

It might be helpful to follow ABC – watch the Amount you drink, avoid Binges and ensure you Cut Out drink 2 days a week.

Amount

Both men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week.

A unit of alcohol is 8g or 10ml of pure alcohol, which is about:

Half a pint of lower to normal-strength lager/beer/cider (ABV 3.6%)
A single small shot measure (25ml) of spirits (25ml, ABV 40%)
A small glass (125ml, ABV 12%) of wine contains about 1.5 units of alcohol.

Binges

Binge drinking leads to a range of risks including having more accidents, increased aggressive behaviour, having unsafe sex, missing time off work or affecting physical health such as palpitations. In more severe cases people can put their lives at risk due to effects on the heart, loss of consciousness or choking on your vomit.

To avoid binge drinking we should not drink excessive amounts in one session; the simplest guideline would be for men and women not to drink more than six units of alcohol in a single session.

Other ways to help reduce risks from binge drinking are to make sure that when drinking alcohol you also eat food, drink water or non-alcoholic drinks. Take your time when drinking rather than drinking quickly.

Cut Out

Ensure that you have at least two alcohol free days a week

To Sum Up

Don’t drink every day
Don’t get drunk
On days you do drink limit yourself to the equivalent of a pint and a half of normal strength lager

AUDIT Tool

Using a small number of questions, the AUDIT tool will help you identify if the amount you drink could be putting your health at risk. This tool has been developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is used internationally by medical professionals.

Drugs (Including Opiates and Non Opiate Drug Use)

You might need help for drug use if:

You use drugs after you have resolved to stop using drugs
You experience physical symptoms due to withdrawal such as goose bumps, runny nose, runny eyes, stomach upset
You find yourself thinking about drugs all of the time, even when you have other things to do
You are getting into debt due to drug use
You lose track of time
You find yourself in engaging in risky behaviours whilst under the influence of drugs, or when attempting to obtain drugs

It is important to know that help is available to you if drugs are a problem.

DAST-10

The DAST-10 is a brief screening tool, which can help to identify and assess problematic patterns of drug abuse. This tool assesses drug use, not including alcohol or tobacco use, in the past 12 months.

Instrument: Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10) | NIDA CTN Common Data Elements.

How can I get help?

If you, or someone you know is struggling with alcohol or drug use, please contact your local Drug and Alcohol Service in the first instance. If you are from Stoke on Trent or Staffordshire, this might be:

Stoke-on-Trent Community Drug and Alcohol Service (CDAS)
Tel 01782 283 113

Humankind for Staffordshire
Tel 01782 639 856 – North
Tel 01785 270 080 – West
Tel 01283 741 053 – East

Alternatively, you can call 111, contact your GP or local mental health service for more information and support. Further advice may also be found online on the NHS website.

Private Healthcare

We offer convenient and rapid access to high-quality and effective inpatient detoxification for people who wish to self-fund their treatment. Our safe, respectful and nurturing environment supports patients to overcome their dependency and rebuild their lives.

“

A very comfortable atmosphere, I felt very safe. Staff are really amazing, they’re always there to listen if you need to talk, they’re so understanding with a great sense of humour.