Duchess urges addicts to seek lockdown help

Quarter of adults ‘are drinking more’

THE DUCHESS of Cambridge has urged people struggling with addiction to seek help as new research revealed a quarter of adults in the UK are drinking more during the coronavirus lockdown.

More than a third of people with a history of addiction have reported a recurrence of their addictive behaviour or have recently relapsed while in recovery.

The statistics from a YouGov poll for the charity, Action on Addiction, also showed an increase in addictive behaviour in young adults and children as young as 12, during the Covid-19 crisis.

Some four per cent of those questioned have a close relative between the ages of 12 and 25 for whom this is the case, which the charity said would amount to more than two million children and young people on a national scale.

Kate made a virtual visit to Clouds House, a rehab centre in Wiltshire run by Action on Addiction, in her role as patron of the charity.

In a video call from her family home, Anmer Hall in Norfolk, the Duchess talked to staff about how they have adapted their services, taking them online and re-configuring the centre to allow 10 residential clients to be able to isolate for two weeks.

She also discussed fears that more people will need treatment as the lockdown eases.

Kate said: “The worrying thing is, it is all those people who aren’t necessarily reaching out who are

struggling, who perhaps feel they can reach out.

“Or the fact that maybe they haven’t realised that addictive behaviours have sort of established, particularly if it’s the first time and it’s those people who aren’t necessarily being vocal about it.

“It’s making sure that they know they can reach out and that

Dr Simone Yule, clinical lead at Clouds House rehab centre.

don’t you are there to help and support them in this very difficult time.”

The poll found that almost a quarter of those experiencing problems with addiction said they would need help to resolve them, while four per cent of those questioned reported an increase in online gambling.

Of the 25 per cent who had increased the amount of alcohol they drink, 15 per cent are experiencing related problems with relationships, work, money or sleep, or withdrawal symptoms.

Kate was given a briefing on the new research and spoke to chief executive Graham Beech, clinical lead Dr Simone Yule and treatment manager Anya Sparks, about whether they had noticed a difference in the number of people contacting them for help.

Dr Yule said: “We are seeing more alcohol issues and in the community. I think definitely we know alcohol sales have gone up exponentially, so the rise in people that are now starting to seek treatment with lockdown gradually lifting, I think that is going to have a big impact.”

Mr Beech told the Duchess their website was busier than ever and they were doing as much as they could to connect people digitally and also to let people know Clouds was still open.

He added: “We have done some polling and we have discovered that people are struggling during lockdown. More people are drinking and gambling but also we are concerned about the number of people who are struggling to maintain their recovery and are getting into relapse.

“We are particularly concerned about families and young people and the impact that lockdown and addiction is having.”

We have discovered people are struggling during lockdown.