Alcohol addiction

Support is Available

At Coventry GP, we understand that alcohol can sometimes begin to negatively affect physical health, mental wellbeing, relationships, work and day-to-day life.

Seeking help can feel difficult, but support is available and recovery is possible.

Whether you are worried about your own drinking or concerned about somebody close to you, our team is here to provide confidential, non-judgemental support and guidance.

When Alcohol May Be Becoming a Problem
Signs You May Need Support

You may benefit from support if:

You regularly feel the need to drink alcohol
You find it difficult to cut down
Drinking is affecting your mood or sleep
Alcohol is affecting relationships or work
Other people have expressed concern about your drinking
You experience withdrawal symptoms when not drinking
You feel alcohol is becoming difficult to control

Many people struggle with alcohol at some stage in life, and asking for help is an important first step towards recovery.

Important Safety Advice
Do Not Suddenly Stop Drinking Without Medical Advice

If your body has become dependent on alcohol, suddenly stopping drinking can sometimes be dangerous and may lead to serious withdrawal symptoms including:

Tremors
Sweating
Anxiety
Vomiting
Hallucinations
Seizures

If you think you may be alcohol dependent, please seek medical advice before attempting to stop drinking suddenly.

How Coventry GP Can Help

Our clinicians can:

Discuss concerns about alcohol confidentially
Assess alcohol dependence and health risks
Provide advice on reducing alcohol safely
Arrange blood tests or health reviews where appropriate
Discuss medication support where suitable
Refer patients to specialist alcohol services
Support long-term recovery and wellbeing

We understand these conversations can feel difficult and will approach concerns sensitively and without judgement.

Free Local Alcohol Support Services
Change Grow Live Coventry

Free and confidential support is available locally for adults affected by alcohol or drug misuse. Services may include:

One-to-one support
Counselling and psychosocial therapies
Harm reduction advice
Community detox support
Access to rehabilitation services
Family and carer support
Health and wellbeing support

Telephone: 024 7601 0241
Address: 1 Lamb Street, Coventry, CV1 4AE

Patients can self-refer directly without needing to see a GP first.

Buttons

Self-Refer for Support
Contact the Practice

Alcohol and Mental Health
Looking After Emotional Wellbeing

Alcohol and mental health are closely linked.

Some people use alcohol to cope with:

Stress
Anxiety
Trauma
Depression
Loneliness
Sleep difficulties

However, alcohol can often worsen mental wellbeing over time.

Support is available for both alcohol difficulties and emotional wellbeing, and many people benefit from addressing both together.

Physical Health Effects of Alcohol
Alcohol Can Affect Many Areas of Health

Excess alcohol intake may increase the risk of:

Liver disease
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Stroke
Pancreatitis
Depression and anxiety
Certain cancers
Memory and concentration problems

Reducing alcohol intake can lead to significant improvements in physical and mental wellbeing.

Support for Families and Carers
You Are Not Alone

Alcohol difficulties can affect partners, children, families and friends as well as the individual drinking alcohol.

Support services are also available for:

Family members
Carers
Partners
Concerned relatives

Speaking to somebody about your concerns can help.

Alcohol Withdrawal and Detox Support
Specialist Support for Withdrawal

Some patients may require supervised alcohol detoxification or specialist treatment support.

Local specialist services can provide:

Community detox support
Residential rehabilitation access
Medication-assisted treatment
Ongoing recovery support
Relapse prevention support

Specialist teams can also support patients with housing, employment and social wellbeing needs where appropriate.

Reducing Alcohol Intake
Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference

Helpful steps may include:

Having alcohol-free days
Reducing the amount kept at home
Tracking alcohol intake
Avoiding drinking when stressed or low
Seeking support early
Speaking openly with trusted people

Many people find cutting down easier with professional support.

Important Message
Asking for Help is a Positive Step

Alcohol problems can affect anybody and support is available.

Recovery is possible, and many people successfully reduce or stop drinking with the right help and support.

If you are worried about alcohol use — for yourself or somebody else — please contact the practice or local support services.

Realising you have a problem with alcohol is the first step to getting better, but it is often the hardest one.

You may need help if:

You always feel the need to have a drink.
You get into trouble because of your drinking.
Other people warn you about how much you’re drinking.

A good place to start is with your GP. Be honest with them about how much you drink.

If your body has become dependent on booze, stopping drinking overnight can be life-threatening, so get advice about cutting down gradually.

Your GP may refer you to a local community alcohol service. Ask about free local support groups, day-centre counselling and one-to-one counselling.

You may be prescribed medication such as chlordiazepoxide, a sedative, to help with alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can range from not sleeping, agitation, anxiety, sweating and tremors, right through to vomiting, diarrhoea, hallucinations and seizures.

Alcohol Addiction Services in Coventry

Recovery Partnership

Tel: 02476 630135
Address: 8 Ironmonger Row, Coventry, CV1 1FD I Get directions
Opening times: Monday to Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm (7.00pm on Tuesdays)

The Recovery Partnership is an integrated and recovery-focused treatment service for residents across Coventry and Warwickshire with a drug or alcohol problem. The Recovery Partnership provides

Open Access
Assessments
Harm Reduction Advice and Reduction Strategies
Needle Exchange
Brief Interventions and Structured 1-2-1 Psychosocial Interventions
Personalised Recovery Plans
Criminal Justice Interventions and Support
Pharmacotherapy (prescribing)
Support to access to Community detoxification
Support to access to inpatient detoxification and residential rehabilitation
Health Checks (for certain clients)
Acupuncture (check with local service for availability)
Structured Group Day Programme
GP Liaison and Locality Clinics
Family Support Services
Hepatitis C Support Services
Blood Borne Virus testing and vaccinations
Service User involvement opportunities
Advice on local mutual aid groups
Volunteer and Recovery Champion schemes
Service User Advocacy (Via ESH and Aquarius)

General notes: Under 18s should contact the Coventry Young Persons Substance Misuse Service on freephone 0800 121 4043.

Referral method: If you would like to have an assessment, please drop into your local Recovery Partnership project, where we operate an open-access service. This means that a duty worker will see you as soon as they become available.

Compass Coventry Young People's Substance Misuse Service (YPSMS)

Tel: 024 76251653

Address: 12 Warwick Row,Coventry, CV1 1EX I Get directions

Opening times: Monday to Thursday 9.00am - 5.00pm. Friday 9.00am - 4.30pm

Service details:

The Compass Coventry YPSMS is commissioned to provide targeted and specialist services for young people (under the age of 18 years) involved in problematic substance use. Provide a range of services/interventions including

Advice and Information
Harm Reduction services
Signposting & Onward Referral
Assessment and Care Planning
Consultation/ Tier 1 Training with professionals
Targeted Prevention/Early Interventions
Psycho-social interventions
Specialist Harm Reduction services including support for young injectors
Prescribing services
Family Interventions
Involvement with local community events
Criminal Justice Interventions

General notes
The service also provides an innovative Early Intervention Service for young people who are engaging in risk-taking behaviour and who are seeking help. For more information visit the Compass Coventry website at www.compasscoventry.org.uk

Open Access
Assessments
Harm Reduction Advice and Reduction Strategies
Needle Exchange
Brief Interventions and Structured 1-2-1 Psychosocial Interventions
Personalised Recovery Plans
Criminal Justice Interventions and Support
Pharmacotherapy (prescribing)
Support to access to Community detoxification
Support to access to inpatient detoxification and residential rehabilitation
Health Checks (for certain clients)
Acupuncture (check with local service for availability)
Structured Group Day Programme
GP Liaison and Locality Clinics
Family Support Services
Hepatitis C Support Services
Blood Borne Virus testing and vaccinations
Service User involvement opportunities
Advice on local mutual aid groups
Volunteer and Recovery Champion schemes
Service User Advocacy (Via ESH and Aquarius)

General notes:
Under 18s should contact the Coventry Young Persons Substance Misuse Service on freephone 0800 121 4043.

Referral method:
If you would like to have an assessment, please drop into your local Recovery Partnership project, where we operate an open-access service. This means that a duty worker will see you as soon as they become available.

The Mikey Project

Tel: 024 76243613
Address: 3 The Quadrant, Warwick Road, Coventry CV1 2DY I Get directions
Opening times: Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm. Saturday and Sunday 10am - 4pm.

Service details:

The Micky Project is a non-profit drug and alcohol facility offering drug and alcohol abstinence interventions. Project workers can help you in your own home or at our residential facility. Services offered include

Drug and alcohol assessments
Alcohol and drug detoxification
Drug and alcohol rehabilitation
Drug and alcohol counselling and therapy sessions
Drug and alcohol testing services

Caring for an alcoholic

If you're a carer for a problem drinker, finding help can be a frustrating experience.

People who care for problem drinkers sometimes have to struggle to get the recognition and support they're entitled to.

You have legal rights as a carer if you provide regular and substantial unpaid care for someone who may be entitled to community care services.

For example, you are entitled to a carer's assessment and may be entitled to carers' services (including breaks), whether or not the person you care for receives any services.

Carers who don't meet their local authority's criteria for getting support may still be able to get help from local voluntary services, such as Carers' Centres. To find your local Carers' Centre, go to the Carers Trust website.

Your wellbeing

The shame often associated with alcoholism, as well as denial, can be an obstacle to getting help.

Being a carer is hard work and, with so much to do, it can be difficult to find quality time for yourself.

Staying well and healthy increases your ability to look after someone. But no one can plan for every eventuality and we all get ill sometimes.

Read Taking care of yourself for ideas on keeping well, including advice on healthy eating, exercise, sleep and taking a break.

“If carers are not supported and their health suffers, who will support the person they are caring for? The health and social care system would not survive without carers' support.”

Getting help

The first place to go to for support will depend on your circumstances, but Lindon advises contacting your council’s social services department or a local Carers' Centre.

Carers' Centres can help you get access to services and benefits through your local authority, and can give you information about other useful organisations.

Most carers have a legal right to an assessment of their needs. It's your chance to discuss with your local authority's social services department the help you need with caring.

Discuss what type of support will help you maintain your own health and enable you to balance caring with the other areas of your life, such as work and family.

Social services departments use the assessment to decide what help would be useful for you, although they're not legally bound to provide this support. But the support they may provide includes benefits, such as Carer's Allowance, and grants for breaks or to make caring easier.

Before your assessment, think carefully about what kind of support you and the person you care for need. You can get help with preparing for a carer's assessment from NHS Choices or your local Carers' Centre.

The benefits system is complex and it’s a good idea to get specialist advice about what you're entitled to and how to fill in any claim forms. NHS Choices, alcohol support charities and carers’ organisations can help.

Resources and support groups

NHS Choices Care and support section has information, advice and support for carers on all aspects of caring, from financial and legal issues to respite care and access to local services. Call the Carers Direct helpline on 0300 123 1053 or ask a question by email.

The Carers Trust is the largest provider of carers' support services in the UK. Through its network of 144 Carers Centres and websites, including YCNet for young carers, the trust provides information, advice and support services to 368,000 carers, including 20,000 young carers.

Al-Anon Family Groups offer support to people affected by someone else’s drinking. Around 800 groups meet weekly around the UK to offer understanding and encouragement, and to share their experience of dealing with their common problem.

Adfam provides direct support to families through publications, training, prison visitors’ centres, outreach work and information about local support services. Their website has information to help families deal with the problems they face.