Swindon Drugs Service Set to Care for Carers

A Swindon woman who has been touched by the effects of drug abuse has joined the staff of a local drug and alcohol service in a bid to set up a support group for carers of people dealing with drug addiction.  When Moya Pinson moved to Swindon from the North East, a member of her family was already receiving treatment for drug addiction and she was worried that things would go backwards after the move. National drugs charity Release provided her with ongoing support and put her in touch with Swindon’s specialist drug and alcohol service.

“There is a lot of prejudice surrounding people who are involved with using drugs, and caring for those who are using drugs. The receptionists offer a helpful pleasant welcome to everyone, be they staff, visitors or clients, and that makes a big difference to how you feel about yourself. They have provided support every step of the way and made sure that the treatment continued throughout our move. This is so important because any little thing can cause a major setback when you’re getting treatment for addiction. But there is always more to be done, and there are still people who are slipping through the system, and that’s why I am so determined to get more closely involved and keep on people’s backs.”

Swindon’s specialist drug and alcohol service, run by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, works with around 200 recovering addicts at any one time and takes an individual and holistic approach to their treatment.

Service Manager, David Douglas, says: “We treat each case as an individual with individual needs and then provide access to detox, rehabilitation and counselling services, as well as offering a prescribing service. By linking up with partner organisations such as hospitals and mental health workers, we can provide comprehensive services to our clients and give them the support they need to stop them falling back into the cycle of addiction.”

With Moya, and other volunteers and key agencies, Swindon’s specialist drug and alcohol service is now working to develop a support group for other carers in the area.