IOGT Germany: New Project for Family, Friends of Persons with Substance Use Disorder
IOGT Germany has launched a new project for family and friends of persons with substance use disorder.
Often, there’s too little support and help for people close persons who experience substance use disorder. For IOGT Germany, the work with and for people affected by someone else’s substance use problems is a matter of heart. Starting from the needs of affected relatives, the project “back-me-up!” creates and provides new solutions. Some successes by heart-driven IOGT Germany members participating in the new initiative can already be seen, as new local support groups are being started in different parts of Germany.
The new project called “back-me-up!” is about developing and establishing new addiction self-help services for relatives of people who have substance use disorders.
The project was designed by Barbara Hansen and Fabienne Gastauer of IOGT Germany. They considered information obtained through the work of IOGT Germany on creating sustainable and long-term self-help support and relied on the long-term experience IOGT Germany has from working in this field.
This self-help project is directly aimed at relatives only and the purpose is to support and empower them.
The project was launched in 2019 and the first training was held in October 2019 in Langenselbold, Hesse. The first training focused on possible effects life in with persons experiencing substance use disorders can have on their relatives and what behaviors the relatives can develop as a results. Related issues such as appropriate behavior, children from families with substance use problems and public relations were also discussed.
The second capacity-building course was conducted by an expert in the field with loads of personal experience. Wolfgang Ulrich, the founder of Return, an association for mutual addiction aid, conducted the training and shared his experience with his own alcohol addiction as well as his experience as husband of his wife who dealt with addiction.
Barbara Hansen, Secretary-General of IOGT Germany and addiction counselor, conducted the third training in the project. This time the focus was on the offers that should be created for affected relatives. The planned ideas workshop promoted the creativity of the participants; different approaches could be developed. From individual interviews to new groups, specific offers with childcare, cooking evenings as well as public relations at events.
Next phase of the project
The participants in the training courses can take advantage of coaching going forward.
The final training will then take place in July. The aim is to initiate the exchange again, to discuss problems that have arisen, but also to encourage each other to break new ground. Everyone has the opportunity to report on their previous successes.
Some successes by heart-driven IOGT Germany members can already be seen.
- Helga Wende founded a new group for relatives at the beginning of the year with the support of their “Heinrich-Emil-Schomburg” community in the IOGT house in Braunschweig.
- Furthermore, Jens May and Silvia Bogon founded a new discussion group together with their community “Friesener Warte” in Bavaria.
- Rainer Krächan and Christine Birkelbach from Saarland draw attention to relatives of addicts and promote their mixed discussion group.
- Katrin Heyn is active as a contact person in Lower Saxony in a discussion group of the “Am Wendenthor” community in Braunschweig.
- Jacqueline Hampel from North Rhine-Westphalia is also in the process of founding a group for relatives, with the help of IOGT Germany.
The “back-me-up!” project is funded by the Techniker Krankenkasse, the largest health insurance fund in Germany.