Tag: support

Drugs Information – finding support

Thank you to all who attended the Drugs Information Evening last night.

Here are some useful resources for anyone looking to find out more information about drugs or alcohol. There are also links for sources of support.

Websites and Information

Talk to Frank

  • A-Z – including street names
  • General information about the drug
  • How you might feel
  • Effects on your body
  • How long it takes to work
  • How long the effects last
  • Common Risks
  • Mixing drugs
  • Also has a helpline

CREW

CREW’s aim is to reduce harm, challenge perceptions and help people make positive choices about their use of cannabis, stimulant and other social drugs and sexual health by providing non-judgemental, credible and up to date information and support.

Young Minds

  • What are the laws around drugs and alcohol?
  • How can drugs and alcohol affect my mental health?
  • How to tell if you have a problem with drugs or alcohol
  • What to do if you’re struggling with drugs or alcohol
  • Dealing with peer pressure around drugs and alcohol
  • Helping a friend who you think may have a drink or drug problem
  • Where to get help
  • Guide for parents

Helplines and Support Groups

Childline

  • Helpline for any problem. Call, chat or email online for a confidential call.

Drink Aware

  • Support, information and advice about the impact of alcohol on you, your family or friends. Free webchat service

We Are With You

  • Confidential support around issues with drugs, alcohol and mental health. Free webchat service.

Alateen

  • Part of Alcoholics Anonymous, offering support for young people who have relatives and friends who are alcoholics.

Sources of Support

Alcoholics Anonymous

  • Local support groups for people to share their experiences and find support with alcoholism.

Narcotics Anonymous

  • Information, support and advice about drug addiction. Support, information and advice about the impact of alcohol on you, your family or friends. Free webchat service

SFAD

A helpline for families affected by alcohol or drug use

General Support with mental health and wellbeing

Kooth

  • Offers support to young people with their mental health

Togetherall

  • Offers support to young people over 16 with mental health

Other Sources of Support

Aberdeenshire Alcohol and Drugs Service

  • Offers advice, support, treatment or just someone to talk to because of alcohol or drugs.

GP Surgery

  • Book an appointment with your local GP who can advise and offer a course of action and support.

CAMHS

  • Referrals to the Community Adolescent Mental Health Servide can be made for addiction by your GP, Guidance Teacher, or social worker.

Misconceptions of OCD

The issue?  

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is far more complex than the media represents it to be. It is not merely just a love of cleaning, hand washing, repetitively clicking light switches and being organized. It is a serious debilitating anxiety disorder which is highly distressing Sadly, it is regularly trivialized in the media as a quirk or a useful character trait.

Every time someone makes an OCD joke or misrepresents it, the severity of the disorder is being trivialized. The lack of understanding and stigma surrounding OCD makes many people unaware they are suffering from it as they don’t fit society’s stereotypes of the illness. So, it takes on average 10-14 years for someone to be diagnosed with OCD and receive the correct treatment.

What is OCD?

Obsessive compulsive disorder (commonly referred to as OCD) is an anxiety related condition where a person will experience obsessions which are unwanted repetitive intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that trigger intensely distressing feelings. This results in the person carrying out compulsions to get rid of obsessions or decrease the anxiety surrounding them.

Obsessions

Most obsessions usually fall under the following categories:

  • contamination / mental contamination,
  • symmetry and ordering,
  • rumination / Intrusive thoughts; especially around taboo subjects,
  • checking and hoarding.  

Compulsions

Compulsions can either be external (can be seen by others) or mental. These are carried out in order to prevent a perceived harm or worry that the obsessions have focused their attention on. Some examples of compulsions are avoiding people, places and/or objects, seeking constant reassurance, repeating acts, mental counting and body checking. Sufferers feel the urge to carry out compulsions to feel “just right” and safe.

Compulsions bring relief to the distressing thoughts, however, its only temporary. In most cases the person with OCD will realise their thoughts don’t make any sense and that compulsions are only a temporary solution but because they don’t know any other way to cope, they rely on them as a temporary relief and escape. Compulsions can take up hours every day and lead to some nature of impairment and disablement. 

Myths vs Reality

MYTH: We’re all ‘a little OCD’ REALITY: You cannot be ‘a little’ OCD

MYTH: Its all about being tidy or clean REALITY: OCD is a complex mental health illness

MYTH: People with OCD wash their hands non-stop REALITY: this is not necessarily true, there are many other sub-types of OCD with different compulsions.

MYTH: People with OCD are very organised REALITY: Some people are however many struggle a lot with organisation and tidying.

 

Check out the following websites for more information on OCD: 

https://www.ocduk.org/ocd/  

https://iocdf.org/