Forum to provide families a roadmap to addiction recovery

BENDIGO families of people living with addiction are invited to a two-hour community event designed to equip them with the skills and knowledge to navigate the treatment system and obtain the best possible outcomes for their loved ones.

The event will be hosted by local residential drug and alcohol recovery service Impact Recovery, and will be joined by representatives from Gamblers Help, Melbourne’s Self Help Addiction Resource Centre, and BreakThrough – Families Understanding Addiction.

Impact Recovery CEO Toni West said the forum was designed based on the premise that it takes an entire community all working together to help a person live a life free from addiction.

“We seek to provide practical strategies to help the family members and friends with affected loved ones to discuss drug use and keep the lines of communication open, which prevents them from feeling isolated,” she said.

“We provide information about what drugs are, why people use them, and why they cause problems for people who use them, their families and the broader community.

“Then we look more broadly at the relationship of drug use and mental health and provide really practical strategies.

“(Finally), family members in particular sometimes feel so lost, so we give them information on where to go to get help and support.

“This is about putting in care for the family and strengthening up that support service, which we believe is absolutely critical, because at the end of the day, who’s caring for the carer?

“They don’t need to do this alone. They don’t need to be frightened. We’re there to listen to them and to help them.”

Bendigo – Understanding Addiction – Community Event takes place at Impact Recovery, 24-30 View Street, on Tuesday 10 December from midday to 2pm.

Entry is free however registration is essential via Eventbrite.