Understanding

It can really help to find out more information about the problem.

It can help to find information about alcohol or the drug they are using and its effects.

Hard Facts
Drugs

It can help to find out information about the nature of addiction.

Making a change in drinking/drug use is a process. The research evidence shows that it can often take people several attempts to change the problem before someone achieves a long term change.

Also people can go through a number of stages when trying to change the problem:

They can spend periods not thinking about changing the situation at all
They can spend periods considering or weighing up whether to do something
They can spend periods planning how to make the change
They can spend periods making changes in their drinking or drug use
They can spend periods maintaining the change
They can spend periods when they seem to return to the old way of drinking or using drugs
They may then go back to considering whether to have another go at change
And so the cycle continues.

There may be times when the person seems to return to the old way of drinking or using drugs. This is often termed ‘Relapse’. This can be a very testing time for family and friends as there can be a sense of failure both for the drinker/drug user and for you.

Relapse doesn’t mean failure

Changing the drinking/drug use may take several attempts and each time the person attempts to change their drinking or drug use they will be learning more and more about what works and what doesn’t work in changing the drinking/drug use.

Changing Substance Misuse Behaviour

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