Families of people in addiction can face intimidation says Cork advocate as support service is launched

Families of people in addiction who can face issues such as drug debt intimidation and stigma must be part of support services, a Cork city drug and alcohol worker has said.

It comes as a new national organisation, Families in Addiction Recovery Ireland (FARI), is launched this week, along with a report estimating there are between 191,403 and 278,658 family members impacted by the addiction of a loved one to drugs and/or alcohol in Ireland.

The report is based on responses from family members and service providers who attended the Trauma in the Community Conference 2024 last September.

Speaking to The Echo, Jackie Daly, drug and alcohol prevention project development officer at Cork City Partnership said that anything affecting the person in addiction is mirrored in their families, and something happening within a family can be mirrored across communities.

Her work includes community education and training to prevent substance misuse, awareness raising, and supporting concerned family members.

“Usually what happens is people try to solve problems in the house themselves, and they can have that sense of helplessness.

“If they are in crisis, and there’s a straw that breaks the camel’s back to make people reach out for services and supports, then it can be complicated trying to figure out where to go, who to talk to,” said Ms Daly.

She said that loved ones can get support, even if the person in addiction isn’t ready to get help themselves, through a five step method.

Issues families face can include drug related intimidation, where dealers can target family members over drug debts, with threats of physical violence, damage to the family home/property, and sexual violence. This can put them in a difficult situation whereby they don’t want to get the person in addiction in trouble with the law by reporting the intimidation.

Ms Daly said that support is available through DRIVE (Drug Related Intimidation and Violence Engagement), an interagency support group with gardaí.

“You can speak to a nominated inspector, and what you’re saying doesn’t necessarily need to be reported. It can be an informal and confidential meeting where you get advice on your own safety. It makes a huge difference when trying to navigate a really tough situation not to be alone.”

She said another barrier for families is a sense of shame and stigma often attached to addiction.

“There’s a lot of shame and stigma attached to addiction. In the last few years in Ireland we’ve seen a shift around talking about mental health, we need to see a shift around addiction and recovery too.

“There’s a lot that needs to be worked on for families too, such as boundaries to what’s acceptable.”

Ms Daly said that what feels instinctive when a family member is in trouble is not always being the best way to help them recover from their addiction in the long run.

“That’s why it’s important to attend something solely for you, it’s not about the person in addiction, it’s trying to lessen the family’s stresses and put a plan in place.”

Ms Daly said that the aim of FARI is for different organisations who offer different kinds of support to share their knowledge and better represent affected families.

“For us, it’s really important that we give that voice to family members, and with this collective we can share that lived experience and hopefully influence government policy going forward.

“It’s important that the family is recognised as part of the recovery model, and that means funding for family support and services going forward.”

Useful contacts:

• DRIVE: 01 223 3493, driveproject.ie.
• HSE drug and alcohol helpline 1800 459 459, email helpline@hse.ie.
• Drug and alcohol information and support, drugs.ie.
• Garda confidential support: 1800 666 111 or garda.ie.
• Samaritans, samaritans.org