Coping with drug problems in the family -request

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The following journalist has requested that we post this on the site.

Dear all

Coping with Drug Problems in the Family

I'm a journalist specialising in health and family subjects and am seeking case studies for my new book, Coping with Drug Problems in the Family. This will be my second book for Sheldon Press, a well-known publisher of short health guides for the layperson. My first, Coping with Birth Trauma and Postnatal Depression, also dealt with subjects that people find it difficult or embarrassing to talk about and seek help for.

The aim of this book is to provide a simple, non-ideological, non-judgemental guide for people whose families are affected by drug use. It will be evidence-based and rely on studies published in peer-reviewed journals, plus first-person accounts from case studies. It is these accounts that really make the subject relevant to the reader - it helps them to feel that they are not alone.

I'm interested in talking to pretty much anyone who has been affected by drug abuse in the family. You could be the mother, the sister, the father, the son...it doesn't matter. Age, class, the drug of abuse and geographical location are also irrelevant.

I'd be asking: how you recognised the signs of abuse - how your family member changed. What effect did this have on the family? How did you deal with it? Did you confront the person, and if so what effect did this have? How did you go about seeking help? Was it hard to find? What kind of research did you have to do - did you know anything about drug abuse before this problem arose? How did other famly members react? What kind of support did you have to give them? What methods did you find effective and what advice didn't work? Was it difficult to admit to the outside world that this family member had a problem - or do you prefer not to talk about it at all? What advice do you have for readers who are dealing with a problematic drug user in the family?

The interview would be done over the phone and would be quite in-depth - it would probably take around half an hour to an hour. I'm happy to talk in the evening and at weekends. I am happy to show case studies what I intend to publish and will alter any identifying details and change names if needed. My intention is simply to record your experiences - there will be no 'spin' or 'angle'.

I am very happy to talk through anything you might be concerned about, so please get in touch via email on lucy_jolin@mac.com for a chat with no obligation whatsoever. Thank you very much for reading.

ends

Lucy Jolin
Freelance journalist, editor and author

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