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The Government spends many millions tackling drug and alcohol abuse but when it comes to families, sadly they don’t seem to count.
We estimate that five million family members and friends are affected by someone else’s substance use. Their support is crucial to their loved one’s recovery, providing emotional, financial, and psychological aid, while potentially alleviating ...
Adfam is proud to promote Beloved, a new exhibition by artist Antonia Rolls, after her two incredible previous works, 'Addicts and those who love them' and 'A graceful death'.
Antonia sadly lost both of her sons to suicide following many years of addiction. Beloved seeks to provide solace for those who have experienced these tragic losses, while telling the stories of those affected ...
In 2024, Adfam marked its 40th anniversary, and throughout the year we published a series of 10 articles featuring key individuals who have been instrumental in supporting families through substance misuse. We recently released the final edition of ‘Adfam at 40’, bringing the reflective series to a close.
The first article features Chief Executive Vivienne Evans OBE, who has led the ...
What does 'good look like'?
For the past 40 years Adfam has been advocating for and supporting people that are negatively affected by a family member or loved one's substance use.
Over that time we’ve learnt that no two families are the same and that no one approach suits everyone.
However, we've also found that there are guiding principles that many families value, along with ways ...
To mark our 40th anniversary, Adfam has published a report that reviews the progress made in public policy and research relating to families, drugs and alcohol over the past forty years.
The report documents key changes in national policy over that period and underscores some of the key research conducted by Adfam and others, improving recognition and understanding of the challenges, ...
John Taylor’s new book ‘Dear… A book of letters from the forgotten families of addiction’ is a heartfelt collection of letters written by family members, expressing their experiences and emotions of the turmoil caused by a loved one’s addiction.
“I remember you stealing from my piggy bank when I was small. It made me feel just kinda rubbish. I remember when you came home and passed out in ...
Adfam is pleased to publish a literature review which explores the stigma experienced by children affected by parental substance use.
Children of parents with alcohol or drug addiction often face severe stigma, leading to feelings of shame and isolation. Societal perceptions can make these children feel different or “abnormal”. This stigma leads to alienation, both at school and within ...
We’re excited to share that Adfam's Director of Finance, Omar Amin, is taking on the challenge of the London to Brighton bike ride to raise money for Adfam! Omar will be braving a 54-mile cycle to help support families affected by substance use. His dedication and commitment to the charity is truly inspiring!
You can show your support by donating to Omar's Justgiving page. Every ...
In 2024, Adfam marked its 40th anniversary, and over the course of the year we reflected on the progress made over the past four decades in supporting families affected by substance misuse. It was also a time to look ahead, recognising the changes needed for the future.
We published a series of articles throughout the year, speaking to a range of key individuals active in supporting ...
Every year, Adfam releases an Impact Report that measures our reach and the impact and outcomes of our services.
In our 2023-2024 Impact Report, we report how we have supported over 700 family members affected by substance use through referrals to our services. This includes our Adfam@Home service, for which 82% of clients said that the support helped them to cope with their situation, ...
This is an article written by James Armstrong, Director of Communications at Phoenix Futures and Trustee at Adfam, for the Anti-Stigma Network, originally published here.
Addressing Stigma and Its Impact on Families
By James Armstrong
Substance dependence and its associated stigma are often seen as either a personal issue or a public health crisis. However, ...
The Global Family Recovery Alliance is running a survey for family members, to support the development of a Global Position Paper on Family Recovery. The Alliance is looking to include as many voices of affected family members, including bereaved family members, as possible.
The Global Position Paper on Family Recovery (GPPFR) represents a collaborative endeavour uniting civil society ...
Adfam at 40 – Martin Blakebrough: Kaleidoscope, a family endeavour!
In 2024 Adfam celebrated its 40th birthday and over the course of the year we spent time reflecting on the past 40 years and the progress that’s been made in supporting families affected by substance misuse, as well as looking to the future and considering what more needs to be done.
We published a series of articles ...
Adfam, in partnership with Nexus Values, is thrilled to refresh and relaunch our Journeys resources, a free series of online booklets for families affected by substance use.
Families affected by substance use often go on a journey in their lives while dealing with the effects of their loved one's substance use. These journeys can be challenging, complex and varied, and its important that ...
Congratulations to Family Voices 2024 winner, Caroline Wills with her entry, Addicted to you - a letter to my son
Adfam’s Family Voices Competition is a poetry and creative writing competition, for families affected by substance use to share their story and creatively express their thoughts and feelings.
Caroline was selected by the judging panel as the winner for 2024, and her entry ...
Congratulations to Family Voices 2024 runner-up, Jude Lockwood with her entry, Adrift.
Adfam’s Family Voices Competition is a poetry and creative writing competition, for families affected by substance use to share their story and creatively express their thoughts and feelings.
Jude was selected by the judging panel as one of the runners-up for 2024, and had her entry read out at ...
Congratulations to Family Voices 2024 runner-up, Kathleen Bryson with her entry, Only Hope.
Adfam’s Family Voices Competition is a poetry and creative writing competition, for families affected by substance use to share their story and creatively express their thoughts and feelings.
Kathleen was selected by the judging panel as one of the runners-up for 2024, and had her entry read out ...
Adfam is delighted to be working with the charity Kinship, to provide a number of free in-person and online workshops for kinship carers, on understanding the effects of drug and alcohol misuse on kinship families.
Kinship carers are family or friends who step up, often during an unexpected crisis, to care for a child when their parents aren’t able to. Many children are in kinship care as ...
The Adfam team will be taking a break over the Christmas and New Year period. Our services will be closed from 20th December until 6th January. If you contact us during this time, we will be in touch soon after. Please find details below for support helplines that are available over the festive season:
Samaritans - 116 123 – if you need to speak to someone. Available 24 hours every ...
The Department of Health and Social Care's Alcohol Profile shows that 8,274 people died from alcohol-specific causes in England in 2023, a 4.6% increase from 7,912 in 2022, and a a 42% increase compared to 2019 (5,819) . The number of alcohol-specific deaths in 2023 are the highest since records began.
Every life lost to alcohol or drugs is a tragedy and preventable, and losing someone ...