Drug addiction is as indiscriminate as cancer
Nine years after Amy Winehouse’s death, Mitch and Jane Winehouse talk to LIZ CONNOR about their work tackling addiction in young people
‘MY RESPONSE to some of Amy’s ‘situations’ was that I would pretend to have a heart attack and go into hospital, thinking that would shock her into going straight.
“At the end of the day though, that stuff doesn’t work. Amy stopped taking drugs when she wanted to stop taking drugs...”
Mitch Winehouse, father of the late singer Amy Winehouse, is reflecting on some of his attempts to intervene when his daughter was struggling with addiction.
As one of the most discussed singer-songwriters of her generation, Amy’s lasting legacy is a tale of two halves. Although remembered as one of the greatest talents of the 21st century, during her short life, she became just as famous for her battles with drugs and alcohol, as she was for her iconic voice. In 2011, aged 27, she died of alcohol poisoning.
In the wake of her death, Amy’s family set up the Amy Winehouse Foundation ( amywinehouse foundation.org), a charity that supports other young people struggling with addiction.
“We created the foundation literally the day Amy passed away,” recalls Mitch, 69. “I was in America and I said to the family, ‘We can either jump in a hole, or we can do something positive’.”
Among other things, to date, the charity has addressed around 300,000 kids in schools as part of its Resilience Programme, and also runs Amy’s Place, a residential recovery house for young women.
“We provide counselling support, and in some cases, we fund residential rehab,” says Jane, Amy’s step-mother and a co-founder of the charity. “It’s virtually impossible to get funded for residential rehab in this country. It’s an area that’s on the decline as the drug treatment budgets are decreasing, so we try filling the gaps where we can.”
Recently, the foundation partnered with Better Noise films to support the launch of Sno Babies ( snobabies movie.com), which aims to reduce the stigma around substance abuse and increase awareness of the growing need for access to recovery support services.
The film, released in September, tells the story of a pair of grade-A school students, who spiral down a path of destruction d when they begin using us heroin.
“I “really struggled to watch it,” says say Jane. “It touches on those universal univ themes that young people struggle strug with today, like peer pressure.” press
“And “An that parents struggle with too,” interjects Mitch, “because the parents paren in the film are apathetic and don’t don’ think it’s going to happen to
them, which is exactly how it was for my family. We jumped on it when we could, but we always thought that it would just go away of its own accord.
“We didn’t know the signs to look for. Now, having gone through that experience, we can speak to parents in schools to educate them, but it’s not always easy,” he adds.
“We went into one school a couple of years ago in Hampstead (London) that had about 2,000 children attending. It could have been a sell-out parents evening, but only 20 parents turned up (to hear us talk).
“In a nice affluent area like Hampstead, people think it’s not going to happen to them. And guess what? It happened to us, in a really nice affluent area.
“Drug addiction is as indiscriminate as cancer. There are so many reasons, especially with young women, that they fall into this trap, and it’s made even worse by the fact they can’t speak to their parents.
“I wasn’t able to have those conversations with Amy, although I did try. I was a typical parent. If we can just get parents and kids to be able to communicate with each other, that’s the first step.”
Now, with almost a decade’s experience of speaking to parents about addiction and learning about strategies for helping young people, Mitch says there are a few things he’d go back and tell his younger self. “One of the things we say to parents is that unless you’ve abused your child, the responsibility lies with your child. Nobody is forcing them, so you have to rid yourself of this guilt that it’s somehow your fault,” he says.
“We never empowered Amy though. Some parents say, ‘If you’re going to smoke pot, smoke it in the house’, which is empowering them to take drugs. Parents have got to think about this kind of behaviour very carefully.”
Jane believes the foundation’s work is becoming more important in the wake of the pandemic and its impact on young people’s mental health. “It’s certainly put a lot of people that are already at risk at a higher risk,” she says. “We’re anticipating a lot of family breakdowns and there’s a lot of isolation too. Even students going off to university for the first time aren’t having the same student life.
“Year on year, we’re seeing budgets cut for a problem that is actually mounting,” she adds. “There are some fantastic people in the country providing recovery services, but before us, there wasn’t anyone providing a facility specifically for women.
“We were coming across women that were in treatment and were desperately frightened of where they were going to go afterwards. If people don’t have safe housing to go onto, like Amy’s Place, they don’t stand a chance (of recovering). It’s vital we give people the opportunity to be supported and to learn to live without substances.
“Plus, when someone starts using again, that’s when they’re at their most vulnerable, because their resistance has dropped and they might not be aware that they can’t take what they were taking before.”
Next year will mark the 10th anniversary of Amy’s passing, and the same milestone for the Amy Winehouse Foundation. And while the circumstances behind it were tragic, Mitch is proud of the work it’s doing.
“The foundation, Jane and Janis (Amy’s mum) are rightly lauded for the work we do in the community. We just haven’t got any time for anything else. We will continue to help young people who need us the most.”
IT’S easy to feel gloomy at this time of year – the shorter days and grey weather are well known to have an impact on mood and energy levels. And with Covid still a threat, and further lockdown restrictions likely, this autumn may be tougher than most. While we don’t know for sure what triggers seasonal affective disorder (SAD), it’s thought that reduced exposure to sunlight and a disrupted body clock are possible causes.
Here, our experts explain how simple lifestyle changes can make a big difference…
RETHINK YOUR THOUGHTS
REFRAMING how you think about autumn can help. “If you have a thought such as, ‘I hate it when the nights draw in and it gets very dark’, this can lead to feelings of dread,” says Honey Langcaster-James, behavioural psychologist (noom.com).
“Studies show that less light exposure, as well as reduced activity, will make you feel worse. Catch those thoughts and reframe them to say something like, ‘Autumn is around the corner, therefore I need to make a conscious effort to go outside to exercise each day’.
“Doing this will make your thoughts more motivating and uplifting, which leads to beneficial behaviour.”
GET YOUR SUNSHINE VITAMIN
SPENDING days in the park and evenings in the garden during the summer ensures we get enough essential vitamin D, but as the nights draw in, this can be harder.
“Poor mood during the autumn and winter months has been linked to low vitamin D levels,” says David Weiner, trainer at Freeletics (freeletics.com).
Fat soluble vitamin D is synthesised in the skin after exposure to UV rays. But between October and April in the UK, we cannot get adequate amounts of vitamin D from the sun and research has shown that many people in the UK are deficient. Try to get outside as much as possible, and consider taking a vitamin D supplement.
BE MINDFUL IN NATURE
AUTUMN is a great time to wrap up and take a walk. “Take in all the sights, sounds and smells,” says Sarah Romotsky, from mindfulness
meditation app Headspace (headspace.com).
“Note the different colours of the plants and trees, listen out for sounds of birds, and how it feels as the soles of your shoes touch the gravel or grass.
“Make a point of noticing the warmth from the sun on your skin or the wind brushing your face. Simply notice, acknowledge and let go.”
EMBRACE THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT
NOT all of us are lucky enough to live near open spaces, but it’s just as easy to take a mindful walk in an urban area.
“If you’re walking in the city, it can be easy to feel distracted by the bustle of a busy environment.
“Instead, allow yourself to feel more connected to your body and the world around you,” says Sarah.
“Listen to the sounds of the cars and observe the buildings and people walking by.
“Check how your body feels. Notice how it feels as it moves – how your arms hang or swing by your side, or how your weight shifts steadily from right to left.”
EAT TO BEAT THE BLUES
AS the autumn weather sets in, we often turn to hearty meals such as pies and stews.
But while these can be comforting, it’s important to eat foods that will keep us feeling good in the long run too. “Waking up to darker mornings can result in craving carbohydrates and stodgy foods,” says David.
“However, packing your diet with protein is far more beneficial to ensure your energy levels and mood are boosted.
“Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, help increase feelgood neurotransmitters in the brain, so opt for protein-rich foods such as turkey, beef, beans, cottage cheese, nuts and seeds.”
WRITE DOWN YOUR THOUGHTS
PUTTING away your phone or tablet and picking up a pen and paper can do wonders for your mood. “Keeping a journal of your thoughts and daily goals will help organise your mind in a clear way and benefit your overall
mental health,” explains Andrew Wilson, wellbeing expert from Executive Pens Direct (executivepens direct.com).
“It will also encourage you to get creative with how you express yourself. “Use different coloured pens to write, or send a friend or family member an oldfashioned letter as a reminder that you’re thinking of them.”
GROW YOUR OWN
THE leaves on the trees may be turning brown, but it’s the perfect time to get into the garden or plant in pots on a windowsill.
“Planting now for the spring is a great reminder that the colder months will end, and green shoots will appear again.
“Now is the perfect time to plant spring bulbs,” says Marcus Eyles, horticulture director at Dobbies (dobbies.com).
“Daffodils are great for creating a cheery splash of colour.
“And crocuses work well for a sunny spot at the front of a border or in small pots on a table top.”