Addictions

What is an Addiction?

Addiction is when you are unable to stop yourself from, taking a chemical, drug, substance or carrying out an activity. Even if it causes you or others mental and physical harm. Common addictions are alcohol, drugs, gambling or sex. It’s possible to become addicted to anything.  Addictions can affect you and your health. It can also effect your family and friends too.


When does addiction become a problem?

There’s no single reason why addictions develop. Addictions such as, gambling, alcohol, drugs and nicotine change the way you feel, both mentally and physically, which you may enjoy and want to repeat.

Activities such as sex, gambling or shopping may cause a ‘high’ on winning, followed by a desire to repeat the success. This can happen over and over again, until eventually it becomes a habit that can’t be broken because it’s become a regular part of your life.


Help and support

There are many different organisations that provide treatment, support and advice to people with addictions.  If you are worried that you or some one you know is addicted to something you can speak to your GP or a local service such as:


Addictions

ReCoCo: The Recovery College College run support groups and free courses to anyone who would find them helpful in their recovery from mental illness, substance misuse, addictions, trauma or distress. This is educational and creative, peer-led  support.


Alcohol

If you are concerned with how much you’re drinking and want some help to stop you can contact your GP or Newcastle Treatment and Recovery Drug and Alcohol Service (NTaR).

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) can help you if you are having trouble with your drinking, or if your drinking has reached the point of where it worries you. You can attend a face to face AA meeting to get help to become and stay sober. You can talk to others who understand your situation and share your experience. Visit their website to find your local AA meeting. They have a free telephone and email helpline.

Al-Anon Family Groups provide support to anyone whose life is, or has been, affected by someone else’s drinking. Whether or not the person is still drinking or has stopped. They hold regular meetings where members share their experience of living with alcoholism. The group are relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience to help each other. Visit their website to find a face to face meeting near you. They also run online meetings. You can call their free confidential telephone helpline or  and email them for help too.

Read more on InformationNOW about local support with drinking and alcohol.


Drugs, alcohol and substance recovery support

Newcastle Treatment and Recovery service (NTaR) are commissioned by Newcastle City Council to provide drug and alcohol recovery support for young people and adults

PROPS North East (Positive Response to Overcoming Problems of Substance misuse in the family) provide support and information to families of people using alcohol and drugs by providing a range of support services, advocacy, counselling, training and community empowerment. They are are commissioned by Newcastle City Council.

North East Council for Addictions (NECA) help people with addictions, substance use or misuse problems including alcohol, drugs and gambling.

Changing Lives supports people experiencing homelessness, domestic violence, addictions or long-term unemployment. They provide specialist women’s and family services. They provide drug and alcohol support services.

ReCoCo: The Recovery College College run various peer-led support groups, and free educational and creative courses, which are open to anyone who would find them helpful in their recovery from mental illness, substance misuse, addictions, trauma or distress.

George Street Social is a coffee shop and dry bar. It’s a safe place for people recovering from alcohol, drugs and other addictions. It’s a social hub for meetings as well as workshops, training, yoga, dance, mindfulness or music. You can stop by and enjoy a game of pool or just a natter with friends or make new ones. They hold 12 step meetings upstairs including Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA).

Oaktrees Newcastle is a 12 step intensive programme for people who want to become sober. This is a community rehabilitation service for people in Newcastle with drug, alcohol or substance misuse issues. To use this service you need to be referred by Newcastle Treatment and Recovery Service (NTaR). Contact them for support.

Changing Lives Sanctum is safe accommodation for men and women who have experienced domestic abuse and who cannot access mainstream services or refuge for example if you have drug or alcohol issues

Narcotics Anonymous NA) is a support group for people who have a problem with drugs. They can help you to get and stay clean. They have a telephone helpline and regular face to face and online meetings. The group is run by recovering drug addicts. Their meetings are open to people who are still taking drugs and people who have stopped. Family members and carers can also attend. Visit their website to find your local meeting. You don’t need to make an appointment, you can just turn up to a meeting.

Residential Rehabilitation: Drug and Alcohol Social Work Team is a specialist team at Newcastle City Council. This service is for adults in Newcastle experiencing problems with or affected by drugs and alcohol use. They can assess you to find out if residential rehabilitation is suitable for you. Residential rehabilitation is where you live in supported accommodation and get help to recover from addiction. To use this service you need to be getting treatment or have a specialist assessment with the Newcastle Treatment and Recovery service (NTaR).

FRANK is a free confidential drugs and alcohol telephone helpline. They provide advice, information and support to anyone who is worried about drug and solvent use. You can speak to them if you are a: drug user, recovering or past user, friend, family member or carer of someone who is using drugs. They have a Live Online Chat service available every day from 2pm to 6pm or you can text or email them your questions.

YMCA Newcastle youth workers offer confidential support, information and advice to young people. They can help with a range of issues such as: drug and alcohol misuse, housing and financial hardship.

Adfam is a national organisation that support families affected by drugs and alcohol. You can use their website to find support in your area.

Read more on drugs and alcohol on InformationNOW.


Support forums

The Newcastle User Carer forum is for adults supporting someone in Newcastle who uses drugs, alcohol or both.  It offers the opportunity to have your voice heard and to help improve and develop treatment and recovery services in Newcastle. The forum meets 4 times a year at different venues across the city.

The Newcastle Drug and Alcohol Service User and Carer Forum is for service users, carers of those in and out of treatment and the recovery community. The forums are an opportunity to chat and to raise any issues that you may have. It also provides a supportive place for peer led activities, training, volunteer opportunities, advocacy, and mentoring.  The Service User and Carer Forum meets fortnightly from 12pm until 2pm at The Recovery College


Gambling

GamAnon (Newcastle) is a meeting in Newcastle for compulsive gamblers wanting to regain control of their lives

GamCare is a national charity that gives help, advice and support on gambling addiction and problem gambling.

North East Council for Addictions (NECA) have a young people’s gaming and gambling harm reduction programme.


Gaming

North East Council for Addictions (NECA) have a young people’s gaming and gambling harm reduction programme.


Sex

Relate Northumberland and Tyneside offer relationship counselling and sex therapy.

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA) offer meetings, telephone and online advice for people struggling with sex or romance addiction.

We are with you – support for families online, webchat and face to face.

Read more on InformationNOW about Family and Relationship problems and local support available.


Smoking

Newcastle Stop Smoking+ Service run a 12 week stop smoking service. They can help you access free or cheap nicotine products to help manage your cravings

Read more on help to give up smoking on InformationNOW.


Mental health support

Patient Information Centre has a range of easy to read mental health self help guides

NHS Talking Therapies offers free talking therapies that can help with problems such as: depression, anxiety, stress, anger, fears, bereavement and relationship difficulties. You can request a referral from your doctor or contact them directly to make an appointment. Sometime called the IAPT service (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies).

Read more about local mental health support on InformationNOW.


Support when in recovery

Road to Recovery Trust run the George Street Social as a safe social hub for people in recovery from alcohol and addictions.

George Street Social is a café and recovery space run by people in recovery. As well as a café it provides a safe space for many different 12 Step Fellowship groups and has diverse activities.

Nourish Food School offer free food coaching for people experiencing food insecurity, recovering from addiction or caring for someone in recovery.


Family help and support

PROPS North East help family members who are caring for a person with addictions. They are commissioned by Newcastle City Council to provide this service.

If a member of your family has an addiction help and support is available to you. Read more on InformationNOW about local help and support with:


Staying safe from abuse

People with addictions are at risk of abuse. This can take many forms such as financial, criminal exploitation or neglect for themselves or others.

If you are worried about the safety of an adult in Newcastle contact Adult Social Care at Newcastle City Council.

In an emergency, or if someone’s life is in danger call 999.

Last updated: March 22, 2024