START Community

Alcohol and substance use is often the result of a deeper personal issue, that the addict may be unaware of, some sort of trauma or personal crisis that they are unable to cope with. Often we find addicts have suffered some sort of abuse or they feel they just don't fit in and begin to use substances to numb the pain or fill a void.

Once a person starts to use a substance they immediately feel a sense of relief and peace, however, this is short lived. As they continue to use they lose all ability to control how much they take and problems start to surface—relationships suffer as the user becomes unpredictable and difficult to live with—work begins to suffer, as they are not putting in their best. Finances can become an issue as drugs and alcohol are expensive to sustain. Legal issues can begin to surface from acts of crime, drink driving and other circumstances. The user will have health issues; depression, psychotic episodes and other health problems can manifest. They become trapped in a dangerous cycle where substance use numbs the pain for a while. We can help break this cycle. Find out more