Addictions over the Festive Period

Stress, depression, anxiety and loneliness are common at this time of year and people can feel like a good way to avoid these feelings is by using drugs or alcohol. For people with addictions this time of year can be particularly difficult as alcohol seems to be limitless. Either drinking too much or mixing alcohol and drugs can be very dangerous.

How can we stay safe?

So, how can we be safe at this time of year? We can safety plan for it. If you are the person dealing with the addiction its important to try and stick to some kind of routine if possible. It may help to make a plan for each day. Eating regularly and getting enough sleep are also important. Most people would advise healthy foods, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and a good exercise regime and that is fantastic if that is what you can manage, but whatever you feel your body can cope with is fine, just make sure you eat something.

Making a budget can also help to alleviate some stress over this time. It is important that you don’t go into withdrawal as this is also dangerous, so a budget can help to ensure this isn’t an added stress.

Achievements – no matter how small !!

Ask your friends and family to help you over this time. This could be doing something simple like getting a to-do list done for each day. Nothing is too small for a to-do list. If it consists of brushing your hair, brushing your teeth and eating a slice of toast, write it down and stick to it. No matter how small, its an achievement of what you need to do to get through this time.

Self Care

If get-togethers are too much for you, arrange to do something else. Maybe a friend could visit you, or go for a walk with you. If you meditate or do yoga etc, its a great way to de-stress but if you don’t, just find the time to breathe. Find a video for relaxation, there are plenty that will help you to slow your breathing and just find a bit of time each day for yourself to relax. Drink plenty of water if you can, or make some re-hydration salts and make that a part of your to-do list, as its an important part of looking after yourself. Make sure you know the signs off overdose and withdrawal and ask for help if you need it.

Friends and Family members

If you are a friend or family member of someone facing addiction, help them to make these lists. Encourage them to get out for a walk, or have shower or some kind of self care. It would also be great to do some research about the addiction your friend or family member is facing, and look up signs of overdose and withdrawal, so that you can get them help if needed. Drug addictions will differ as will alcohol so its best you research for the individual you care about. Ask how they are feeling and be there if they need to just talk. The biggest gift you can give them is genuine care.

Support

There are a number of organisations who can help, including AA, Al-Anon and NA, local alcohol and drug organisations, but there are also others who can also support family and friends too, as well as those in addiction and you can find out more about them on these links:

Scottish Families Affected by Drugs and Alcohol:

https://www.sfad.org.uk/

We are with you:

https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/

Stay safe everyone. M.

Domestic Abuse and Safety Planning for Festive Period. (Possible trigger*)

Domestic violence is unfortunately something that people have to deal with in their daily lives but over the festive period, incidents can happen more frequently – whether it’s because more alcohol is involved, more time is being spent at home or due to financial strain over this period.

Victim Blaming

It’s important to remember that the victims are not to blame , and the perpetrators merely use all these reasons as excuses for their abusive behaviour. There really is no excuse. Instead of focusing on statistics and the dangers though, I thought we could focus on being proactive over this time. Leaving the relationship has many implications, and especially at this time of year may be impossible but we can focus on staying as safe as possible.

Being proactive – Safety Plans

Making a safety plan can really help you, and others know how to cope if an incident does occur. Writing the safety plan down is not essential if you fear your abuser might find it, but make sure you are totally familiar with your own safety plan, everyone will be different.

First of all if you need emergency help from either the police or an ambulance, do not hesitate to call. If however it is a situation you can safely get away from then the safety plan comes into play. 

I personally used to make safety plans with family or friends. So if you have a close friend or relative that you can call, let them know about your safety plan, and let them know a specific phrase you will only use if you need help. For example, you call your mum and say “I’ve burnt the toast” and that person will know you need help. This is where every safety plan is different because that could mean that person needs to call the police and send them to you, or it could mean you need to meet them at a certain place to get you to safety. Or they can ask you if you need the police and you can give yes or no answers.

Safety plan in your own house?

The next thing to think about is a safety plan in your own house. We don’t often think about how we would escape our own home, but it can be useful in these situations. If you have a room with a lock on it and a window in it, you can always go into there, and get out of the house if needed. From there it is good to have an idea of where it is safe to run to. Possibly a neighbour, or even to a local shop, that would allow you to use a phone.

If you have children in the home it’s also a good idea if they are old enough to include them in the safety plan. Tell them who to call if you need help, teach them safe places to go should an incident occur.

I genuinely hate having to write anything like this, but I do think it is important we realise the importance of a little planning. I truly hope that nobody needs to put this into action, but should the need arise, I hope this helps, even just a little.

Stay safe everyone. M

(Kindly written by M – one of our volunteers)

Festive Stress? – What can we do?

Health over the Christmas period. We all know that the Christmas period can be a bit (or very) stressful.

Stress affects our bodies the same way, so whether you are worried about what to buy and for how many people or you are worried about spending time with toxic family members, your body will react in a similar way. Extra pressure= extra stress.

How does stress affect the body?

Stress can cause indigestion and heartburn at the best of times but add all that party food and our stomachs can really go through a tough time over Christmas. Stress affects our sleep, our breathing, our eyesight, we can get headaches or muscle aches much more easily, blood pressure rises and we can experience chest pains. Listen to your body over this time and if you notice any of these things, you can try to address them by taking a step back and making some time for ourselves.

Why is this period more stressful?

People who already suffer with anxiety can struggle more over this time as normal services are sometimes closed. Those with social anxiety can be overwhelmed with the pressure to be around lots of people. Some people are dealing with such loneliness and depression that they worry they will be completely left alone over this time. We all have our own unique situations to face so there will be no right or wrong way to deal with them all, but I do have a few suggestions and some websites that may be able to help over this time. The suggestions can be adapted for your own situation.

What can we do?

The first thing is talk to someone about it. It’s easy to say this but we don’t really emphasise the power of this enough. We all go through some kind of stress and it actually helps us to feel less alone. This also provides you an opportunity to listen to someone else and provide comfort and a listening ear for them, so you are not only helping yourself, but the other person as well which can help to boost your mental health.

I saw a suggestion that said “do something you are good at”, but I think it should be , do something you enjoy, you don’t have to be good at it. There’s already enough pressure to get everything perfect right now, so just enjoy what you do.

Try to eat well. This is hard with so many treats around but it really does make a difference, even just not being in pain over this time. You can enjoy treats as well though, it’s just about moderation. Take a little break from everything. Go outside for a walk. Run yourself a nice bubble bath. Watch your favourite film. Just take your mind off the stress. Sometimes an early night can do the world of good if you are a good sleeper.

Why think about boundaries?

This one is really important, set boundaries. You might want to write a list of all the commitments you have made. Then make a schedule. This way you can see your plans written down so if someone else asks you to do anything else you can actually check if you have the time to take anything else on. You could write in your break times as well. Setting boundaries is also really important if you are dealing with anyone toxic. This can include certain subjects being absolutely off limits, and everyone knowing that if these subjects are brought up, you will need to leave the situation. This is forward planning to make sure you feel safe in whatever situations you find yourself in. It also puts the responsibility on others to be mindful of what they are discussing.

I hope some of those suggestions can help you even a little over this period. I’ll pop some sites below of places you can contact over this period.

Stay safe everyone. M

Helpful sites

● Samaritans
● Giveusashout.org
● The Silver Line (for over 55’s)
● Standalone.org.uk (for those not in contact/estranged from loved ones)
● Uk-sobs.org.uk (for those affected by suicide)
● Switchboard.lgbt
● Tommys.org (loss of a baby)
● Trusselltrust.org (emergency food and support for people in need