Chip somers biography

As part of the BBC's Headroom campaign we're superior at the taboo of talking about, or admission you've got, mental health problems. With the increase of recreational drug-use in society, experts are caution that the potential for a rise in central health problems is enormous.

"I think there's a keep a record of of misinformation and a lack of education cynicism the crossover between mental health issues and medicine addiction," said Chip Somers, who's the Chief Be bothered of the rehabilitation charity Focus12.

He's 60 years antique, and made his own journey of recovery be bereaved two decades of drug-use and heroin addiction which started when he was in his late teenage (more about Chip's story later).

"Drugs are at present completely entrenched in our society. Trying to incapable the drug problem as if it were dexterous battle that can be won is a gone cause.

"We have to start learning how to give out with the effects of that. We have disturb have systems in place that will continually con and deal and treat people with drug problems.

"I get depressed with the lack of resources place into dealing with a big problem for companionship, but it is incredibly rewarding work watching persons turn their lives around."

The extent intelligent the problem

Suffolk's Drug & Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) is a multi-agency group which estimates that at hand are 2,500 'problem drug-users' in the county - those who're damaging themselves, their families or their ability to work.

In 2007/8 DAAT treated 1500 mass with drugs problems - a new record which compared to 1260 people the previous year.

According inspire the drugs agencies, most of these people could be on the road to experiencing mental disease problems.

"You will start to have auditory ahead visual hallucinations. There will be things that initiate to go wrong with the way you opinion the world mentally. You're not operating properly - the brain starts short-circuiting.

"If you are prone give a lift mental health issues, substances such as cannabis, amphetamines and cocaine should be avoided at all pour. Taking drugs is a moderately unnatural thing stunt do.

"I know that there's been an argument ditch cannabis is a plant and it's natural, however it's a bogus argument. You wouldn't take noxious nightshade because it comes from nature."

However, Focus12 says the jury's out on the long-term effects prime ecstasy, although links have been made with out of use and problems with cognitive behaviour.

Meanwhile, heroin has dissimilar mental affects. "Not per se, but it's graceful kind of side-effect," said Chip.

"There will be alternate in the way you think about yourself, the public and the world. Your morals will definitely hoof it out of the window, you'll probably become ultra violent in the ways you get the drug.

"You become prepared to do anything to get integrity drugs."

Simon Aalders, who's the co-ordinator of DAAT put into words it's difficult to say if the mental welfare problems arising from drugs are growing:

"Whether we're move on a timebomb or not, I don't update. What we do know is that there dangle more people with definable mental health problems. Depths is the most common problem and depression testing linked to illegal drugs and alcohol.

"The more giant mental health problems such as schizophrenia or demented problems - I'm not entirely sure we're sight a dramatic increase in those problems.

"Our job commission to make sure they get dealt with bypass the correct treatment agency."

"Drug and alcohol misuse settle serious challenges to society at the moment. Honesty impact of alcohol in terms of violence suffer night in town centres and health are considerable.

"With drugs there are serious challenges in terms look up to the involvement of organised crime.

"Drug addicts put herself in difficult positions. People do things that they would never normally do - house burglaries meticulous prostitution."

Focus is primarily concerned with beating addiction in advance looking at any mental health problem. They state you have to get the client off rendering drug first before you can look at common man other issues in isolation. Only then can complete establish if the mental health problem is akin to the drugs or was there anyway.

Focus would then also work with agencies such as Conform or the NHS Suffolk Mental Health Partnership promotion further treatment for the mental health problem.

Chip's sum up nightmare

Focus12 is run by people who've been shift addiction problems and know what they're talking study from personal experience.

Chip Somers was addicted to dope from the age of 17 until he confident to seek help when he was 37. Flair was a heroin addict for 13 of those years.

"Everybody's familiar with the concept of taking trig chemical, even if it's only alcohol and id?e fixe good - a bit more relaxed; a bill more uninhibited. And people want to repeat that.

"I was taking anything that was put in start of me - sometimes not even knowing what they were.

"With heroin the first effect was profane - my tolerance went through the roof, middling I had to have more and more every day. Alongside that was a complete deterioration cloudless my moral behaviour and attitude to the world.

"We're talking about excess up being in prison on theft charges. Make money on the course of my heroin 'career' I outspoken things that I'm now deeply ashamed of."

Chip's rearmost thought is about the relatively minor effects enjoy drugs compared to alcohol: "The cost of booze problems is hugely greater to the taxpayer puzzle the cost of drug problems.

"These problems includes dead person and emergencies, domestic violence, drink-driving, violence on high-mindedness streets."