Drugs and Alcohol

Lots of people drink alcohol or mis-use illegal drugs or medicines to change the way they feel. Some people have a problem with drink or drugs which means

* They can’t stop using drink or drugs.
* They act in a strange or scary way when they have used alcohol or drugs.
* They need looking after when they use alcohol or drugs.

If you live in a home where drinking or drug-use is a secret from people outside the home, it can feel like:

* You are not sure what’s going on.
* You  don’t know who to trust.
* You have lots of different feelings about what’s happening.

Your family can feel that way because:

* Adults and children can be scared about what will happen if they look for help.
* People in the family don’t always keep their promises or do what they say they will do.

There are so many difficult feelings about the drinking or drug-use that it seems easier to pretend everything is okay.