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If you are injured or have taken an overdose, Call 999 or go to A&E immediately.
If you are having a mental health crisis, phone 0808 196 3779 to speak to a mental health professional 24/7

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Drugs and Alcohol

How can drugs and alcohol impact your mental health?

Every drug changes the way our body and mind work in some way. Some drugs wake you up and make you want to party (stimulants) and others relax you or make you forget things (depressants). This means that some people may use drugs for different reasons. For example, to feel relief from pain, to feel energetic or to feel relaxed and calm. Some people use drugs and alcohol to block out difficult emotions or to make themselves feel better.

By using drugs or alcohol to deal with difficulties, it’s likely to become a problem that could seriously affect your life. If you’re worried about your drug or alcohol use, talk to someone you trust about it.

 

How to use safely - top tips for staying safe

If you are planning to drink or use drugs, try to stay safe.

  • Start low and go slow
    Pace yourself when drinking alcohol to minimise the risk of overdose. Drinking a large amount of alcohol can be just as risky as drinking alcohol daily.
  • Avoid mixing drugs and alcohol
    Mixing drugs and alcohol can have unpredictable side effects and put additional strain on your organs.
  • Know what you are taking
    Make sure you know the dose and possible side effects of drugs before taking them.
  • Make sure someone is there to look out for you
    If you are using alone, tell someone where you are and what you are doing, or make sure you have a friend who isn’t drinking or using drugs if you are using in a group. It will mean someone can help if it goes wrong.
  • Keep hydrated
    Aim to sip a pint of water over an hour, particularly if you are dancing.
  • Protect yourself
    If someone you don’t know well is offering you free drink or drugs, ask yourself what they might want in return.
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Get Help Now

Here are a list of services that can help with drugs and alcohol. The icons below tell you the type of support available.

  • Web chat Web chat

We Are With You

City and County

  • Phone Phone
  • Video Video

Alateen

City and County

age 12-17

  • In person In person

Change Grow Live

County

age Under 21

  • Phone Phone
  • Email Email

CAMHS Substance Misuse Service (SMS)

City and County

age Under 18

  • In person In person

Explore Family

City

age All ages

  • Phone Phone
  • In person In person
  • Email Email

Nottingham Recovery Network

City

age All Ages

  • Phone Phone
  • Text Text
  • Web chat Web chat
  • Email Email

FRANK

City and County

age All Ages

  • Phone Phone
  • Web chat Web chat

Drink Aware

City and County

age All Ages

map marker - locate services near you

Which services can I access?

Some of the services available operate only within city or the wider county area. Pop your postcode in below to quickly check which services are available to you