I don't know how I would cope without our meetings

Families Out Loud has been life changing for me. My 25 year old son has alcohol and drug addictions. My 19 year old son has been addicted to weed since he was 14 and dropped out of school.

I initially had one-to-one sessions, two and a half years ago, which were a huge help and enabled me to put things into perspective and not to feel so overwhelmed with our situation. I was invited to go to the twice monthly group sessions which I have been going to ever since. I don't know how I would cope without our meetings.

I have gained strength, confidence and perspective from Families Out Loud, as well as learning coping strategies, and I quickly found the courage to make successful changes and implement boundaries.

Our group is amazing and full of mutual support, empathy and compassion. We share our issues, problems and our successes. We have all discovered that we are not alone. Everyone's situation is slightly different but we have so much in common. We never judge each other and our discussions help us find potential solutions.

Families Out Loud is a truly wonderful charity and, in order to give a little back, I distribute flyers and leaflets to local shops, sports clubs and youth clubs that have public notice boards so that more families will hopefully benefit from the amazing people who run it and the fantastic work they do.

Trowbridge Mum