“I started going to Y-smart in October time, this was because one of my relatives has an alcohol problem. The Y-Smart people deal with young people who mainly have substance abuse themselves, and they also work with young people whose family members have a substance abuse issue.
From my experience with my worker, I think that they need to carry on helping young people whose family members have substance abuse issues, as the young people who are affected by this will more than likely turn into family members that have these issues. By supporting the young people who have been affected by these members, they are letting the young people understand that it is not their fault their relatives are like the way they are.
From going to these meetings, me and my relative have been getting on so much better and they have gone to go and get help from the organisation that my worker gave me a leaflet on, which is RISE. By having these meetings I have become stronger as a person and can only thank my worker for this, as she always used to tell me that I could not have done enough for my relative, and that I need to start being proud of the person that I have become.
This organisation have worked fantastically with me in the short time that I have been seeing them. I can see amazing things to happen within the next few years if they carry on.
The cut off age shouldn’t be 18 but when the young person leaves home!”
Young Person 18