If you’ve come to our website, you might be selling sex to pay for drugs or alcohol. Or you might be using drugs or alcohol to numb emotional trauma linked to sexual exploitation. Sometimes it works both ways and can feel like a horrendous vicious circle.
If you don’t already know about them, the Stoke on Trent Community Drug and Alcohol Service (CDAS) is available to offer help. You can call them on 01782 283113 or visit their website to find out more.
So what can Yasha do to help? We’re not a drug and alcohol recovery service, but we do know that if people are going to have a fighting chance at getting free from substance misuse then they need a network of safe and supportive relationships around them. If drugs or alcohol have been a way of blocking out emotional pain for you, it takes a lot of courage to start letting yourself feel and address that pain and begin a journey free from substance misuse. Having people who want to stand with you on the bad days as well as the good ones is really important – people who will listen to you and won’t judge you. It can help you find the strength to press on, and that’s what we’re here for.
We can help you keep your appointments at CDAS, and give you emotional support along the way. If you’re nervous about getting in touch with them in the first place we can support you in making a referral. We also have information about other options such as residential rehab and recovery services offered by Christian-based organizations like Good News Family Care and Victory Outreach UK. You can of course contact them directly for more information, or we can help you look at different options and application processes.
If childhood sexual abuse is part of your story, it’s not too late to get support and counselling. Savana is a local organization offering just this kind of help. You can contact them directly on tel: 01782 433205 / 01782 433204 or we can make that first approach with you if you’d find it difficult to do it alone. Meanwhile, there are a wealth of resources, many of which are free, on Carolyn Spring’s website www.carolynspring.com. Carolyn is a trained therapist specialising in shame and trauma, and is herself a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. National organisations like NAPAC (National Association for People Abused in Childhood) and The Survivors Trust also have resources as well as helplines you can call. For more information visit www.napac.org.uk and www.thesurvivorstrust.org.
For more information about the other kinds of support we offer, please click on ‘What we do’ and ‘I want support’, or call us on 07393 916650.