A dedicated support organisation, Blossome, has received two years of funding via the Unpaid Carers Fund totalling £60,000 from Essex County Council to deliver ‘Cultivating Self-compassion’, a free self-compassion programme to help people who are caring for a friend or loved one in addiction.
The support programme is being launched during alcohol awareness week (1-7 July) to shine a light on the unseen carers who provide an invaluable resource to those suffering with addiction. In the UK there are ¹602,391 dependent drinkers; 82% of these are not receiving treatment putting all pressure on loved ones to provide support. Alcohol misuse is the biggest risk factor for death, ill-health and disability among 15–49-year-olds, and the fifth biggest risk factor across all ages.
The training, developed by Dr Maya Campbell PhD, includes the core elements of the hugely successful ‘The Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program’, developed by Christopher K. Germer, PhD, leader in the integration of mindfulness and psychotherapy, and Kristin Neff, PhD, pioneering researcher in the field of self-compassion. The new elements designed specifically for the Blossome community take into account the increased burden that caregivers for those suffering from addiction experience and will actively address possible trauma related issues.
Kim Moore, Founder, Blossome, founded the organisation after her husband died of alcoholism aged just 51. She explains why she set up Blossome and how the organisation can transform lives for people looking out for someone with addiction: “Living with someone who suffers from alcoholism or an addiction is chaotic, unpredictable, traumatic and exhausting for a partner, family member or friend. You’re in a heightened state of anxiety, shouldering all responsibilities including family finances while you are constantly worrying about them and also trying to cover up for them too, as there’s such a stigma around addiction. Over time you become ill too, forgetting about your own wellbeing, your own needs are not met, your mental health and physical health decline and you become part of a never-ending spiral that is chaotic, and you feel you have no control.”
She continues: “Blossome provides hope and support for people who look after someone with addiction. They may be ‘grieving’ for the person or life they once knew, or are bereaved, which comes with such complicated grief. We have a community of people who are all in the same boat. We provide online access to this community as well as a self-compassion programme to help people learn how to regulate their own emotions, turn anxiety, overwhelm and sadness into rediscovering themselves. People will learn how to make time for themselves, not feel guilty and open up to joy.”
The new self-compassion programme is available to residents in Essex, accessible online, or in person in Colchester, and will take place over six weeks. The programme includes lifetime access to the Blossome Community offering a choice of helpful videos, live online guided practices, live self-care activities and peer support. Participants can find enjoyment in learning proven self-compassion techniques to care for themselves as they support their loved ones.
