Family Support Groups

There are many family support groups across Scotland and they are a way of meeting other people who share the same experiences and thoughts. These groups are places for people to speak, learn from each other, to get things off their chest, and offer support and advice to each other. There are talks, activities, guest speakers, catch-ups, events, everything. And there’s always time for a cuppa and a blether.

Some groups will use programmes such as SMART and CRAFT, some groups are fellowship, and then some groups are peer-support led.

If you are worried about going to a group or don’t feel it is for you, that’s okay. Groups are not for everyone and there are other ways to support you. But groups are a place sharing, laughter, and friendship. They are there to support you and make you feel comfortable. They’re a little world that you can be yourself in. If you’re not sure about going along to a group, why not give the group a call first? Many groups offer one-to-one support first and this may make you feel more comfortable to go along.

‘At last, other people who really understand the kind of stuff you go through when trying to support someone with addiction issues. No one judging you or saying I would do this or you should do that. You can say as little or as much as you like, I surprised myself the first week I said so much, got so much off my chest and felt and still feel so supported by these amazing people who have had similar experiences and truly get it. I look forward to our get-togethers every fortnight and haven’t missed any meetings, thank goodness we found each other.’ – Margaret (name change).

Scottish Families Support Groups

We currently run our own support groups in Aberdeenshire, East Dunbartonshire, Forth Valley, Inverclyde and South Lanarkshire. If you do not live in these areas we can help you find a group that is closer to you. These groups are facilitated by members of our team:

Colin McIntosh - East Dunbartonshire Family Support Development Officer at Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs

Colin (East Dunbartonshire)

Lynne (Forth Valley)

Carly (Aberdeenshire)

laurie lee photo

Laurie Lee (South Lanarkshire)

Daryl McLeister (Inverclyde)

Not sure what group is local to you? Click here to find support near you.

To get in touch with us about our groups, contact our helpline:

Scottish Families Helpline
08080 10 10 11
helpline@sfad.org.uk
webchat www.sfad.org.uk

If you call and ask for support, the helpline adviser may recommend one of our groups if you live in the area. The adviser will take your name and phone number and will pass this over to one of our group facilitators. The member of staff who works in the area will phone you for a chat about the support options available to you and you choose what you are comfortable with. If you want to have one-to-one meetings with the group facilitator instead of or before going along to the group you can let them know. If you have been coming along to a group but feel you need extra support, this can be arranged with the facilitator too.

We collect personal information from you when you contact us about our Family Support Groups. Full details can be read in our Support Service Policy Notice.

‘I have been struggling to cope with the impact of my son’s drug use for over 20 years and it was just over 5 years ago that my partner and I were invited to attend a family support group. The group made a huge difference to our mental health and wellbeing, we learned a lot about addiction as an illness, we made new friends and we heard about Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs’ – Colin