FAQs

We offer help and advice about alcohol and drugs to young people and adults living in Sunderland and their parents/carers.

If you choose to access support from YDAP then you will be allocated your own worker to work with you on a 1-1 basis. We can help you reduce your use, stop your use or if you don’t want to make any changes we can help you be safer. We can help your parent or carer understand your use and enable them to support you as you reduce or stop.

When someone is regularly using alcohol or drugs there are usually changes in someone’s behaviour or mood.

For example:
- Changes in appetite or sleeping patterns.
- They may stop looking after themselves as much
- Sudden weight loss or weight gain
- They may seem more secretive or suspicious
- Missing days at school and/or behaviour at school could change
- Missing days at work
- Feeling angry or agitated, or unusually down.
- Unexplained need for money
- And more…

Remember: these changes could also mean other problems that do not include drug and alcohol use.

Helping your child through their alcohol and drug problems can be difficult, but not impossible. It is important to talk openly and honestly with your child about the impact drug and alcohol use has on their lives.

Direct them to our services at YDAP, where we can help with their problems in a safe and open-minded setting.

When you talk to the team at YDAP, everything you tell them is confidential - this means they will not tell anyone unless you or someone you know agree otherwise, or if the team feel you or someone you know is in danger.

To help you/the person you know get the help they really need, the team at YDAP will always encourage you or the person you know to include your parent or carer in your treatment journey.

It can be difficult to support someone who is struggling with drug and alcohol use. But there are things you can do to help them. This could be encouraging them to seek help get in touch to see how we could help you or someone you know.

Get in touch

If you are supporting someone seeking help, you could help by:
- Reassuring them that getting help is okay
- Encourage them to talk to someone they trust
- Accompany them to appointments
- Spend time together
- Listen.

You should never feel pressured into drinking alcohol or taking drugs if you DON’T want to. However, if you are in a situation where you feel pressurised, remember the below tips:

- You are not alone; most young people don’t take drugs or drink
- Think about how you may respond when someone offers you drugs or alcohol, so you have a firm response when someone asks you and stand by your decision
- Try to understand who is offering you drink or drugs. A real friend should understand if you say no.

Yes we do provide support for parent/carers either as part of our intervention package working with you and your child. If your child does not agree to work with us we can provide advice over the telephone or in person at a Family Hub centre.