If you have a child, or are supporting one, who is affected by another person’s drug or alcohol use, you may be concerned about how they’ll feel in a YZUP session.
We talk to schools before sessions to find out whether there are any specific issues in a class, year group or whole school before we attend - for example if there has recently been a drug related death of a pupil, or particular issues with dealing or drug use - this is always in an anonymous way, so we don’t ask schools to tell us which pupils might be affected, just ask for a general picture of the issues young people may be facing. This helps us to cover relevant substances, whilst staying sensitive to any specific issues.
That being said, some young people may not want their teachers or classmates to know about problems a friend or family member may be having with substances, so even if we are not explicitly told that there are affected others in a classroom, we approach every session assuming there may be.
At the start of the sessions, we let students know what support is available to affected others through YZUP.
We take the time to explain what an affected other is, as many young people don’t know the term ‘affected other’ or may not realise they are one.
We also take a non-judgemental approach when talking about the problems people experience with substances, such as addiction, dependence or overdose. We’d never say ‘this person should have known better’ or imply that only bad or stupid people end up this position. Instead we point out the inherent riskiness of substances, that even if someone is very experienced and does everything they can to minimise any danger, there is always a chance things will go wrong. When talking about addiction, we discuss the physical addictiveness of different substances, and how people who are already struggling with their mental health, or who have experienced something traumatic, may be more prone to developing addiction.
All that being said, a discussion of the risks of drug or alcohol use can still be triggering for a young person who is directly affected by it.
Talking to your young person about the drug and alcohol element of the PSHE curriculum can help with this (even if you don’t know when a YZUP session is coming up), as it can prepare the young person for the fact that this is a subject that will be discussed. After a session the young person may have further questions about drugs or alcohol, which may or may not be related to the person in their life who is using substances. If you can, answer these questions as honestly as possible, or check out talktofrank.com or drugwise.org.uk if you need more information.
Young people who are affected by someone else’s drug or alcohol use may be against substances in general, because of the harm they’ve witnessed, or they may turn to the same substances as a coping mechanism as this is what they have observed their loved one doing. They may not realise they are following these patterns of behaviour and might need support around this.
They will almost certainly need to talk about what is happening in order to process and cope with how their loved one’s substance use affects them.
If you have concerns about any of this, we’d recommend having a chat to the pastoral team at school, who can explain the PSHE curriculum and ensure that your young person is offered appropriate support. If you are concerned about a young person who is affected by someone else’s drug or alcohol use, you can give YZUP a call on 01872 300816.