Episode 18 - Hour by Hour with Holding On

Life with Alcohol and Drugs

In this episode, we are sharing stories from our Hour by Hour with Holding Campaign that was launched in July as a response to the 2021 drug death statistics.

The families supported by Scottish Families’ Holding On service are living with extreme levels of anxiety, stress, exhaustion, chaos, and trauma daily, due to the high risk of drug-related or alcohol-related harm and death within their family.

Each story reflects the level of complexity that comes with supporting a loved one with a substance problem. The stories reveal the severe and debilitating consequences that family members face through every aspect of their lives. This includes lack of sleep, financial issues, witnessing non-fatal overdoses, breakdown of relationships, unresolved trauma, physical and mental health issues, and much more.

These stories echo the words of thousands of families across Scotland who are affected by a loved one’s substance use, including those whose loved ones have died in the past year.

Thank you for listening, if you’re worried about somebody else’s alcohol or drug use you can contact Scottish Families on 08080 10 10 11 or by email at [e-mail]. We also have webchat and further information on our website www.sfad.org.uk.