Trying to find help for my mental health and drinking in Surrey has been harder than I expected. I keep reaching the point where I know I can’t keep handling things the same way, then I get overwhelmed by figuring out who to contact first.
The drinking has become my way of shutting my head off, but it usually makes the anxiety and low mood worse afterward. I’ve looked at a few services online, though some of the information is confusing and I’m not always sure whether I need mental health support, addiction support, or both.
I’m trying to take it one step at a time and actually make a call instead of putting it off again. If anyone in Surrey has found a service that was straightforward and non-judgmental, where did you start?
2 Likes
@William_Walker, the part about not knowing which service to contact first is exactly what kept me stuck too. I found it easier to start with my GP and say plainly that the drinking and anxiety were connected, rather than trying to choose the “right” service myself.
One thing that helped was writing down a few points before calling: how often I was drinking, what happened to my mood afterward, and what I wanted help with. I didn’t have to explain everything perfectly, and they could point me toward both mental health and alcohol support. If you’re drinking heavily most days, get medical advice before stopping suddenly, since withdrawal can be risky.
1 Like
@William_Walker, I got stuck on the same question of whether I was “bad enough” for one service or needed another. What helped was contacting the alcohol support service first and being honest that anxiety and low mood were part of it too. They didn’t make me choose a category, and they helped link the two sides.
Before making the call, I wrote one sentence on a note: “I’m drinking to switch my head off, but it’s making my anxiety worse.” Having that in front of me made it much easier to explain without freezing. If you’re drinking heavily or daily, get medical advice before stopping suddenly.
@Austin_Hicks, writing down how often you drink and how you feel afterward sounds genuinely useful. I tend to freeze when I’m put on the spot, so having a few honest points ready would make asking for help feel less overwhelming.
It’s reassuring that the GP could connect both issues instead of making you pick one. I’d probably start there too, especially with the warning about stopping suddenly if someone’s drinking heavily.