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If a partner, friend or family member needs support or if they are ready for a change, you can help them to address their relationship with substances. Knowing what to do or how best to provide support can be challenging. Pivot Point have listed some tips that can help you with this.

Pivot Point had a chat with Will about drug use in the time of COVID-19. Will is a gay man who is 35 years old, he identifies as a person who injects drugs.  We spoke with Will about how he’s managing lifestyle changes at the moment, including changes to how he usually socialises and uses drugs.    

Substance abuse and addiction are important issues that affect thousands of people within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) community. This article from American Addiction Centres provides information about how you can help your loved one with their addiction.

This tool from the University of Liverpool helps you check your medications and supplements to see if they interact with HIV medication.

We don’t always know what’s in our drugs. We don’t know how strong they are or how they are going to interact. Mixing them is not advised. On this page, Pivot Point have got some general info about mixing drugs. This is not a full list of combinations and the advice is general. Speak to a health professional for any specific guidance!

This questionnaire from Pivot Point is a short assessment tool designed to assist you to reflect on your use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) and whether it might be time to check in with a health or drug and alcohol professional regarding your AOD use. The assessment does not ask for any information that could identify you, and is anonymous and confidential.

Planning to quit or reduce your use? This short factsheet from PivotPoint provides excellent tips to get you started.

If you’re worried about a friend who you think may be addicted to drugs, it’s good to know what to look for. The good news is that you can help them more than you may think, but professional help may be necessary to tackle something as serious as addiction.

Take a look at this article from Reach Out to learn more.

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What is addiction, what are the signs and symptoms, and what do you do if you're worried that you have a drug problem? This article from Reach Out explores these issues and provides helpful advice.

Quitting smoking can be really tough. Cigarettes contain all sorts of addictive substances, so the road to being smoke-free requires commitment and dedication. Check out Reach Out's suggestions for ditching the smokes, including how to identify your triggers and habits, and where to seek outside help if you need extra support.

Binge drinking may seem sort of harmless on the surface, but to count the real cost you need to look beyond the day-after-downsides and consider the short and long term health risks. Take a look at this article from Reach Out and learn more about what binge drinking does to your body.

Identifying that you have a drinking problem isn’t always simple, but there are some common signs and symptoms that you can look out for. With this article from Reach Out, ask yourself the questions included to find out if you should be getting help.