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I ’ m a passionate believer in the power of peer support . Everybody in that [ AA meeting ] room is a recovering alcoholic : nobody ’ s any better than anyone else .” Interviewee , female , 55-64
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Sometimes the support you need is at midnight and nothing is open ... Personally , when I need support , all it needs to be is a person . I don ’ t need anyone with a PhD , I don ’ t need a doctor . I just need a human being [ who ’ s ] got time . Nine times out of ten , that ’ s all someone like myself needs ...
“... Nobody checked up on me after I was discharged [ from A & E ]. It happened time and time again . I ’ d be in there , literally in bits , and then I remember just being discharged in my pyjamas . And nobody followed it up .” Louise , interviewee , female , 35-44
“[ I am ] currently attending an [ alcohol treatment requirement ] group run by WithYou . The staff are brilliant and always take the time to make you feel welcome and included . They never just rush off if they see you are struggling . I always leave feeling more hopeful than when I arrive .” Survey participant , female , 45-54
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Will it [ seeking alcohol support ] cost me my job ? Kids ? Driving licence ? House ? How would it affect my future ? I still have to pay more for my car insurance due to being alcohol dependent in the past .” Survey participant , male , 35-44
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Wish that there had been less barriers to me accessing support in the first place . I was lucky to be initially offered anything but I still wasn ’ t given the correct treatment for a few years .” Survey participant , female , 18-24
that spending time with others who shared similar experiences was extremely profound and impactful , and peer support groups were consistently described as a highlight of people ’ s support pathway . We also heard many positive descriptions of third sector services , where people reported feeling listened to and empowered to make choices about their care . Participants also spoke highly of support helplines .
Worryingly , we heard from many participants that crisis support , particularly at A & E , was the worst part of their support pathway . Healthcare professionals at A & E did not always understand the role of alcohol in suicidality , and follow up care was described as inconsistent and lacking in genuine compassion and interest in a person ’ s needs .
One of our interviewees , Louise , spoke about her experiences . She described a cycle of self-harm and suicidal behaviour that led her to A & E , where she was treated and discharged without follow-up care on more than one occasion .
During this time , Louise felt that alcohol was her only coping mechanism for dealing with traumatic events from her childhood , but she also recognised that her drinking was increasing her suicidality . Louise couldn ’ t recall any health professionals asking about her drinking , and when she did seek out support , by attending a local AA meeting , she felt she had been left to ‘ clutch at straws ’.
INTENSE SUPPORT The recurring theme of people ’ s positive experiences can be summarised in one word : consistency . It was essential that people were able to develop a relationship with a support worker , and did not feel that their support was conditional on ‘ getting better ’ within a certain time frame . This is especially important for people seeking support for more than one issue , who are more likely to need longer key worker sessions and more intensive support .
It ’ s clear that navigating the support system is still difficult and confusing for many people . Participants said they were put off seeking help by uncertainty about what the next steps might be , and how the rest of their lives would be impacted .
Participants also felt they needed to present a certain way or say the right things at their first appointment in order to access support . Several referred to feeling ‘ lucky ’ if they were offered any help . We heard about people being made to feel like they should be able to help themselves , or that they are
Increasing the number of people accessing support is one of the most pressing issues for treatment providers . Around four out of five people experiencing alcohol dependence are not in treatment ...
not ‘ unwell enough ’ to deserve support and compassion . These assumptions stem from pervasive stigma around mental health , alcohol and suicidality , and a misunderstanding about the relationship between them .
NO WRONG DOOR The resounding message from our participants echoes the existing commitment to person-centred care within the Suicide prevention strategy for England and other recent policy documents . We hope that this work can form part of a body of evidence from lived experience perspectives emphasising the importance of the ‘ no wrong door ’ approach .
Over the next year the SPC will be developing more practical guidance on how the ‘ no wrong door ’ approach can be embedded and implemented in the treatment sector . We need to ensure that once someone has made the important and brave decision to access support they ’ re not turned away by healthcare professionals perceiving them to be under the remit of another part of the system .
Holly Wood is policy and public affairs officer at WithYou
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