Recovering alcohol abusers from Peterborough share stories as part of week long campaign

November 15 marks the start of Alcohol Awareness Week, and for this year’s campaign The SUN Network has published a series of YouTube videos of users who have turned their lives around from accessing treatment support services in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

The not-for-profit organisation is commissioned by local bodies including Cambridgeshire County Council and health authorities to provide wide-ranging engagement and co-production opportunities, including for people suffering from addiction, mental health struggles, homelessness, domestic abuse or involvement with the criminal justice system.

Individuals in recovery from substance misuse across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who feature in the videos have plunged to very low levels but are in a much better space thanks to the help they have received from specialist services, peers and family members, and their commitment to their own recovery.

The theme for Alcohol Awareness Week this year is the impact it can have on relationships.

Alcohol can negatively affect our relationships – it can heighten family tensions, get in the way of clear communication and mean we are less present for each other, including our children. And if a loved one is drinking heavily, it can cause huge worry and stress.

Alcohol is also strongly associated with mental health problems like anxiety and depression. Over the course of the pandemic, feelings of isolation and loneliness have been heightened and some people are reportedly drinking more as a coping mechanism.

Cllr Irene Walsh, Peterborough City Council cabinet member for integrated adult social care, health and public health, said: “The pandemic has had an impact on everyone, and for many turning to alcohol has been a solace.

“But heavy drinking can have a long term effect on your health and impact on your relationships with loved ones, so if you are suffering please don’t do so in silence. There is support out there and many examples of people who have turned their lives around.”

The SUN Network’s #SUNAddictionRecoveryStories can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/sunaddictionrecoverystories.

Adults seeking support can visit: https://www.changegrowlive.org/drug-alcohol-service-cambridgeshire or https://www.changegrowlive.org/aspire-recovery-peterborough.

Young people can visit: https://www.changegrowlive.org/pow-peterborough-young-people-drug-and-alcohol/info or www.cpft.nhs.uk/childrens-young-peoples-and-families-services-.

The free app Try Dry is also available to help you keep track of your drinking and to set goals to help you cut down.