Substance misuse

• Introduction
• Alcohol
• What kind of drinker am I?
• Cutting down
• Drinking and families
• Contacts
• Pulse service providers

You can access confidential advice and information about your or someone else's drinking at any of the organisations listed below:

Action for Change
46 Cambridge Road
Hastings
01424 460066

Their services are free and strictly confidential to anyone who is concerned about their own or someone else's drinking.

You can't just turn up - you need to make an appointment first - You can ring them anytime between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday, or leave a message on their answer phone at other times. 

You can refer yourself or be referred by someone else.

What they offer.

• Assessment
• Brief advice
• Telephone advice and info service
• Individual counselling
• Working with partners or relatives of drinkers
• Group work
• Family support
• Homeopathic alternative therapy
• Home and inpatient hospital detox
• Social work input and referral to residential programmes
• Home visits by clinical staff where necessary
• Outreach worker for more chaotic, heavy drinkers
• Partnership scheme with the probation and public protection service.

They focus on 3 goals and you pick what you want to do.

• Minimise Harm
• Controlled drinking
• Abstinence

You can access them for:

• Advice
• Help to get yourself motivated
• If you want counselling they offer up to 12 sessions of brief 'solution-focussed' counselling around alcohol and related issues.
• If issues are around physical dependency (i.e. if you feel unwell and shaky when you don't have a drink) you'll be offered an appointment with a member of the Clinical Team.

Admitting to yourself and others that you have a problem with drink can be very difficult.  The good news is that people with drink problems can and do cut down, and getting specialist help can make a massive difference.

• Action-for-Change - Pulse Project Family Support Worker - 07971 977480 or 01424 460066
• CRI YASS - Stewart Herrieven 01424 423344
  Both take part in a drop-in session called Under1Roof at the Health Hut on London Road on Thursdays between 9.30-11.30 - Feel free to pop in and chat to them or call them direct and arrange a better time for you to meet.**
• Addaction Hastings
  www.addaction.org.uk
  info@addaction.org.uk
  01424 42637
• Xtrax - 01424 722524
• Substance Misuse Service (SMS) NHS 01424 720088
  Full clinical assessment and prescribing service for drug users.  Clients can self-refer.
• CRI CAD - Advice, guidance and support - 01424 444303
• Get it While You Can Project - Anyone involved in the criminal justice system who has substance misuse or related problems - 01424 432000
• Seaview Project - Drop-in centre with healthcare, housing and social support - 01424 717981
• Patched CRI - Local organisation providing help and support to the families of drug mis-users.
  0800 0854450

• Drinkline - Lines are open 9am to 11pm Monday-Friday and 6pm to 11pm at weekends.  All calls are free and they can give you confidential information and advice if you're worried about you own or someone else's drinking. 0800 917 8282
• www.sane.org.uk/about_mental_illness/alcohol&drugs.htm
• www.wrecked.co.uk
• www.famanon.org.uk
• FRANK - Free confidential drugs information and advice 24 hours a day.
  0800 776600
• www.talktofrank.com
  For families affected by alcohol problems www.famanon.org.uk - or e-mail office@famanon.org.uk or phone 0845 1200 660
• Re-solv - Offers advice and support to people caught up in solvent abuse, as well as parents / carers of those affected.
  e-mail information@re-solv.org or try www.re-solv.org 
• Release - Help, advice and support for drug-users and their families and friends.
  e-mail info@release.org.uk or try www.release.org.uk 
• Al-Anon Family Groups 0207 4030888
  For the families of people with drinking problems.
• Drinkline 0800 9178282
  All calls are free.  For confidential information, help and advice if you're worried about someone else's drinking or your own.                                                   
• www.youthinformation.com - Info, advice and links for loads of stuff, including drugs and alcohol.
• www.youth2youth.co.uk - Run and staffed by 16-21 year olds for young people up to 19 years old.  Get advice, info or just a friendly ear if you want to talk.
  e-mail them help@youth2youth.co.uk or call them on 0208 8963675 (They will call you back if you want - UK only).
• www.thesite.org - Info & advice on just about everything affecting young people, including drugs and alcohol, message boards, chat-rooms, and links.