Thurso mum starts up support group for concerned parents and relatives of problem drug and alcohol users
A Thurso mother who found there was little help for Caithness parents worried about their sons' and daughters' drug and alcohol issues has started her own support group.
Nancy Davies spoke to the Caithness Courier about the heartache and fears surrounding her son's heroin addiction and how she could find little advice and support locally.
"When I was living in Inverness, Ian [her son] was on a Drug Treatment Order and I went along to the town hall with a social worker where there were 20 different organisations," said Nancy.
She spoke to the various organisations involved in drug counselling, support and rehabilitation and said she had never heard of any of them.
"I was introduced to a lady who had lost her son to an overdose and we decided to set up a support group. Then I moved up here, about 14 years ago, and went to the mental health team at the Dunbar Hospital but they weren't very accommodating."
Nancy said she struggled to find local sources of support for concerned parents since moving to Thurso.
"I finished work in October and saw there was an advert on Facebook from the Pulteneytown People's Project looking for people to join the Lived Experience Advisory Panel, which is part of the Caithness Drug and Alcohol Panel. I felt it was like karma and it had just come at the right time."
Before her recent endeavours to find support, Nancy talked about feeling very isolated until a chance phone call with the father of another problem drug user.
"He offloaded to me and said he felt much better after speaking. At that point I thought there must be more families out there who could benefit from speaking with others who are going through the same thing."
Nancy joined a group called Families Campaign for Change (FCFC) and spoke to many mothers who are in the same boat as herself. FCFC says that drug deaths "are out of control" in Scotland and on its Facebook page the administrators write: "Enough is Enough. We have been silenced for too long. Now, it is our turn to be heard. We are here to stand up for the people that have been forgotten about in our society."
From speaking to concerned mums, dads and significant others at FCFC, Nancy felt confident enough to start her own Facebook group called Caithness Family Support Group (CFSG). The first meeting of the support group is tonight (Wednesday, March 30) at 6.30pm in the Ormlie Centre in Thurso.
If you have been affected by issues surrounding a family member with drug and alcohol problems then Nancy invites you to come along, or if you would rather join virtually or via the phone contact her on the helpline number 07754 763950.
"We know what it is like, so come along and get some support for yourself so you can help them," writes Nancy on the CFSG page.
The aim of CFSG is to stress the importance of family support groups, help end the stigma surrounding addiction issues with drugs and alcohol and raise awareness that "addiction is an illness".