Blog

It’s completely normal to be concerned or anxious about the specifics of what rehab will look and feel like. Every centre will have specific guidance around how the days will look, the treatment involved, the environment and what you can or cannot take with you. When you’re deciding which centre to go to it’s perfectly […]

Most of us have had a phone call we knew we needed to make, but have found reasons to put off. Maybe we’ve drafted an email or carefully written a text, but decided last minute to consign it to the drafts folder. All sorts of things can stand in the way – fear of the […]

Assessing whether you or a loved one has an alcohol problem isn’t always easy. It’s natural for a sense of denial to be present. If it’s a loved one or friend you’re concerned about, they may have spent a lot of time insisting that you’re mistaken and their drinking is not abnormal. If you’re wondering […]

With Mental Health Awareness Week (13th – 19th May) now approaching we take a look at the proven link between mental health and addiction. “It was only when I got to my 20s and started having therapy I realised I had been using drugs and alcohol to self medicate,” says Billie Dee Gianfrancesco. “It was […]

We’re calling on sellers of pre-mix cocktails to give further consideration to how they’re packaged, marketed and displayed in shops. Thanks both to BBC comedy Fleabag and the recent indiscretion of Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott the brightly coloured cans of pre-mixed spirit based drinks have got a lot of attention lately. Martin Preston, Port […]

At Port of Call, we spend our days supporting people who are affected by addiction and are seeking help and treatment. We hear many worries as well as a mix of misconceptions, shame and secrecy around addiction and rehab, all of which stands in the way of people seeking support. In a bid to open […]

We wanted to share the survey results for our attitudes to addiction in 2019 blog post. What do you think is the biggest problem substance in the UK now? What would you think is the most likely age for someone to be receiving alcohol addiction treatment? What proportion of men in England do you think […]

On November 1, 2018, medical marijuana became legal and available to patients in the UK on NHS prescriptions. Medical marijuana is the whole, unprocessed marijuana plant or its basic extracts. This substance can, and has been, used to treat symptoms of illness and other conditions. The legalisation of medical cannabis in the UK came about […]

According to the mental health charity, Mind, one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem every year. On top of this, it is reported that one in six people in England will experience a common mental health problem such as depression and anxiety in any given week. So where does […]

Watching a loved one become controlled by alcohol can obviously be a painful experience. Offering help can be extremely difficult, especially if that person doesn’t acknowledge they have a problem or refuse to accept your assistance. If you’re feeling helpless and want to understand how to help an alcoholic then hopefully this guide will point […]