Focus on impacts of substance abuse

Mar 6, 2024

**InFocus:** An education program designed for people who are affected by a loved one’s substance use will be held in the Primary Care Connect building in Shepparton. Photo by Rodney Braithwaite

Addiction to alcohol and other drugs doesn’t discriminate, and therefore the family and loved ones of the person dealing with that crisis can also be from all walks of life.

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The impacts of harmful substance use reach far beyond the users themselves, taking an emotional and mental toll on the people around them.

That’s why Goulburn Valley health organisation Primary Care Connect, through its partnership with Family Drug and Gambling Help, is offering the InFocus program to the broader community.

InFocus is an education program designed for people affected by a loved one’s substance use.

It provides practical information, coping strategies, life skills and the opportunity for people to connect through their shared experiences.

InFocus is free of charge and run by professionals who have been impacted by someone’s drug and alcohol use.

Primary Care Connect acting chief executive Leigh Stanbrook said the experience aimed to provide people with the tools they needed to cope with the circumstances they found themselves in.

“The InFocus program is designed specifically to help support, nurture, educate and inform those people who are being negatively impacted by a loved one’s substance use,” he said.

“We are very fortunate to have Nikki Mason facilitating our InFocus program. Nikki is someone who participants will feel comfortable with, and who they will gain a lot of practical tools from.”

By providing relevant information about drug and alcohol dependency, family responses, the change process and recovery, the program aims to shift the focus from the challenges the support person is facing, to a new way of living.

“This program really does have the potential to transform lives, and we have already seen a lot of positive case studies from people who undertook the program in 2023,” Mr Stanbrook said.

“On top of that, it introduces participants to others who are experiencing a similar situation. This alone can be powerful, as often people can feel lonely, judged or isolated when trying to support a loved one with substance use.”