Alcohol & Drug Awareness
It is estimated that drug misuse costs society £3.5 billion a year whilst the impact of alcohol misuse is estimated to cost £3.6 billion a year - combined, this is around £1,800 for every adult in Scotland
Alcohol Dependency
Despite it being legal, alcohol abuse and addiction in the UK is one of the greatest substance abuse with over 8,000 casualties from drunk driving including 220 fatalities.
It might be surprising to hear that you don't always have to be drinking to extreme levels to become dependent on alcohol. Anyone who is drinking regularly will have a degree of alcohol dependency.
Unlike alcoholics, alcohol abusers have some ability to set limits on their drinking. However, their alcohol use is still self-destructive and dangerous to themselves or others.
You can become physically and psychologically addicted to alcohol just like any other drug.
Drug Dependency
Drug misuse can affect people from any one of societies groups of people. Regardless of the manner in which drugs are being used either recreational or prescribed anyone can be susceptible to be coming physically dependant. Sometimes tolerance levels, patterns and increased use can lead to addiction before the user even realises.
Can you relate to one or more of the following signs/symptoms:
| need to drink in order to relax or feel better | planning your social life and family events around alcohol |
| being secretive about activities and actions | constantly thinking about your next drink |
| an inability to say no to alcohol | anxiety or jumpiness |
| nausea/vomiting or loss of appetite | appearing tired, unwell or irritable |
| withdrawal symptoms ie sweating, shaking etc | poor timekeeping/performance at work |
| increased short term notice absences | increased tolerance levels, needing more to feel relaxed |
If so you may have an alcohol addiction.
The Chief Medical Officers' guideline for both men and women states that:
- To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level it is safest not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis. To find out more of what a unit of alcohol looks like, click to drinkaware (opens new window) for further guidance.
- If you regularly drink as much as 14 units per week, it's best to spread your drinking evenly over three or more days. If you have one or two heavy drinking episodes a week, you increase your risk of long-term illness and injury
- The risk of developing a range of health problems (including cancers of the mouth, throat and breast) increases the more you drink on a regular basis
- If you wish to cut down the amount you drink (opens new window), a good way to help achieve this is to have several drink-free days a week. See the difference Drink Free Days could make each week with No Alcoholidays. Take the quiz! (opens new window)
- Limiting the total amount of alcohol you drink on any single occasion
- Drinking more slowly, drinking with food, and alternating with water
- Planning ahead to avoid problems; an example of planning ahead is making sure you can get home safely or that you have people you trust with you
Physical
Physical symptoms of drug use will vary greatly from one drug - and indeed one drug user - to the next. However, some typical signs that someone is consumed drugs may include:
| dilated pupils | extreme sweating |
| clenched or jittery jaw | jittery eyes |
| vomiting | visible arousal |
| drowsiness | flushed face |
| unconsciousness | a runny or bleeding nose |
| shivering | needle marks |
Behavioural
Drug abuse can result in a very broad range of behaviours. As the name suggests, stimulants tend to provide users with a great deal of invigoration, and movement and volume may be significantly exaggerated.
Those using depressants, on the other hand, may well demonstrate extremely slow movement and responses, a lack of focus, an apparently profound lethargy and a tendency to drift off at any time. Meanwhile hallucinogen users are likely to display extremely unusual behaviour which may to some people resemble the symptoms of madness: a fixation upon objects or people which may not actually be there in reality; engaging in conversation with absent figures; laughing maniacally at random intervals and so on.
Psychological
Some of the more prominent psychological symptoms of drug abuse may include (but are not limited to):
| wildly fluctuating moods | cognitive impairment |
| aggression | paranoia |
| incoherence | greatly reduced inhibitions |
| significantly impaired decision-making | fluctuating sleep & eating patterns |
| delirium | obsessive-compulsive behaviour |
| delusions | depression |
Of course, none of these should be considered conclusive evidence that someone is using drugs; they are however some signs that someone may be doing so (especially if several of these signs are manifesting together)
Your GP is a good place to start. They can discuss your problems with you and get you into treatment. If you're not comfortable talking to your GP, you can approach your local alcohol/drug treatment service yourself.
West Lothian Drug & Alcohol Service (opens new window) (WLDAS) is a 3rd sector organisation that provides high quality, evidenced based, accessible services aimed at reducing the harm caused by drugs, alcohol and tobacco to West Lothian residents and communities. You can call them on 01506 430225 or email them to make an appointment during office hours.
As part of the Addictions Care Partnership (ACP), WLDAS run a Drop-In service (opens new window) along with the West Lothian NHS Addictions Service and Social Work Addictions Team. This service is available at a number of locations throughout West Lothian and provides people with an alcohol or drug problem easy access to local services without an appointment.
Help EAP (PDF, 227 KB)(opens new window), is the council's provider of employee assistance programme. This is a freephone confidential telephone advice service available 24/7/365 on 0800 0285 148 and could aid your recovery through talk therapy either by telephone or face to face.
Drinkaware (opens new window) is an independent charity working to reduce alcohol misuse and harm in the UK. They are there to help people make better choices about drinking and can provide lots of information and advice.
NHS can also provide some advice and support on alcohol (opens new window) and drug (opens new window) issues including alcohol/drug clinics near to you.
Addaction Scotland (opens new window) is the largest provider of drug and alcohol support services charity in Scotland. They can provide of specialist services to support people into recovery.
FRANK (opens new window) is a national anti-drug advisory service created with the intention to reduce the use of both legal and illegal drugs by educating about the potential effects of drugs.
Alcoholics Anonymous (opens new window) is a fellowship with the stated purpose of enabling its members to "stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety". There is only one requirement for membership, the desire to stop drinking.
Narcotics Anonymous (opens new window) is a fellowship of people for whom drugs has become a major problem and who meet regularly to help each other stay clean. This is a program of complete abstinence from all drugs. Like alcoholics anonymous, there is only one requirement for membership, the desire to stop using.
UK SMART Recovery (UKSR) (opens new window) is a registered charity which promotes choice in recovery through a national network of mutual-aid meetings and online training programmes with comprehensive teaching materials and manuals.
Always make sure to keep yourself safe whilst online
Listed below are some apps to help with some alcohol or drug related issues. Whilst these apps can be useful, they are not a replacement for seeking medical advice, if you have concerns about any health issues you should discuss with your GP in the first instance.
Please check the suitability of each App, and if there are any cost implications or compatibility issues. Whilst most of the apps listed below are free to download, please be aware of potential in-app purchases.
Alcohol
- Drinkaware (opens new window) - track your alcohol consumption and spend over time, calculate units and calories and set goals to help you moderate your drinking. Available on iOS and android, free
- Drinkfreedays (opens new window) - a simple and easy way to track the days you drink alcohol and the days you don't. Available on iOS and android, free
- NHS Drinks Tracker (opens new window) - official NHS Drinks Tracker to quickly calculate your drink units, keep track of your drinking and get personalised feedback. Available on iOS only, free
- Leaf (opens new window) - app created by Action for Change, lets you simply track your drinks and subtly makes you aware if you go over your personal target. Available on iOS only, free
Drug
- Weed@wldas (opens new window) - developed by WLDAS (opens new window), this app has cannabis information, advice and support details. Available on iOS and android, free
- Happify (opens new window) - in most cases, substance addiction is accompanied by anxiety and depression. Sometimes, the drugs used could also cause symptoms of another mental illness. Happify consists of science-based games and tools that help improve emotional well-being. Available on iOS and android, free
- My Sober Life (opens new window) - Specifically aimed at young people (ages 12 to 25) it supports both alcohol and drug misuse and provides such features as: a sober counter; daily guidance with inspiring thoughts; a photo uploader to be reminded of the person's motivations in recovery; tracker of obstacles (triggers, stress, anger, etc); relapse prevention tool; AA, NA, Al-Anon meeting finder; addiction news and more. Available on iOS and android, free
Disclaimer
The app developer is solely responsible for their app's advertisement, compliance and fitness for purpose. Unless stated otherwise, apps are not supplied by West Lothian Council, and West Lothian Council is not liable for their use.
